59. Trojan Mermaid
59
TROJAN MERMAID
Ruby
The last time I’d walked through the orchids and palm trees of Eli’s home in this tropical paradise, I’d been contrite and apologetic. I’d let his car and his diamonds be stolen out from under me.
And by “let” I meant that I’d played right into his hands.
Now we’d see who played whom. Time to reclaim everything Eli had taken that didn’t belong to him.
I rang the doorbell and checked the time. In ten minutes, Eli would be leaving for the event at Willow’s gallery—the one to raise money for their favorite charity. I would have sneaked in while he and his fiancée were away at the party, but he had an alarm, and I didn’t know the code. So I needed to be invited inside.
I ignored the flurry of nerves in my chest as I waited on the doorstep and steadied myself for this last mission.
Eli answered the doorbell, looking surprised for a moment. Then he beamed. “Good evening, Ruby.”
I beamed back like nothing unusual had happened the last time I was there. “I’m headed home soon, and I didn’t want to leave the island without saying goodbye.”
“Aren’t you sweet?” He opened the door wide, sweeping his arm to invite me inside.
Step one—enter the home.
My stepfather dropped a quick kiss onto one cheek, then the other.
“You look handsome,” I said, gesturing to his tailored suit and crisp button-down shirt.
Step two—butter him up.
“Why, thank you.” He smoothed his shirtfront. “Wait until you see Willow. She’s stunning as always.”
“I have a gift for her,” I told him, holding up the small gift box I carried. Then I looked around and leaned in, lowering my voice. “I think everyone in the house will get enjoyment out of it, actually.”
Eli’s eyes lit up in excitement. The man did love gifts. “Oh, now I’m intrigued.”
His fingers twitched like he wanted to grab it and see, but I pulled the box toward me. “Wait until Willow comes down.”
“Willow, my love,” he called out. “Ruby is here to say goodbye. And she has a gift for you.”
“Be right there.” Willow’s cheery voice came from upstairs.
I turned to Eli as if making small talk. “Are you excited about the fundraiser?”
“Oh, yes. It’s going to be wonderful,” he said. While putting on his cufflinks, he waxed on about how much money they hoped to raise. One cufflink got hung up, so he removed his Rolex and set it on the entryway table.
Wait. That wasn’t a Rolex. That was a different watch. Shinier, sleeker. A Vacheron Constantin.
“Let me help you,” I said, reaching for the cufflink and then sliding it through the buttonhole in the shirt.
“You’re a dear.”
Their silver tabby prowled into the room, tail lashing and nose twitching, and leaped smoothly onto the same marble-top table, sniffing the box that I’d set there while I helped Eli.
“Be patient, Jade,” chided Eli with a chuckle.
Jade blinked at him then at me, as if we were thinking the same thing. You’re one to talk.
A minute later, Willow descended the staircase like a princess at a cotillion. Her black hair was swept high on her head in a twist, with tendrils curled at her cheeks, and her black dress hugged her perfect body.
“Oh, Willow,” I said loudly and clasped my hand to my chest. “You look stunning.”
It was the right thing to say, and she was so pleased, no one questioned how loudly I’d said it.
Because what I was really saying was showtime. Loud enough for Jake to hear me upstairs.
From then on, I had to try very hard not to think about Jake breaking in upstairs. Of course, the harder you tried not to think about something…
I focused on Willow, who giggled and turned in a catwalk circle. The diamond adorning her throat caught the light.
Everyone had a weakness.
For some, it was food, like Eli and his sweet tooth. As for Willow, the woman adored shiny objects.
Jake might have been the pro at cat burglary, but I knew our targets. I knew what would keep their attention, what quirks would give away their passwords, what habits would make them easier to track. Jake literally couldn’t do this without me, and when he’d told me as much, I’d nearly levitated with pride and happiness.
Facing Eli and Willow on their home turf, I was tethered by anxiety—and a little excitement. I used all those things to out-Willow Willow.
“This is just a small thank you,” I gushed, laying it on thick as I handed her the gift, “for being so generous with your time, and taking such good care of Eli, and, gosh, just generally for being you.”
Step three—give the gift.
Willow batted her lashes and gazed lovingly at the white box with the blue bow. She took it and held it to her chest with a lucky-me shimmy, then thanked me effusively for the gift. “That’s so sweet of you!”
“The pleasure is all mine. Though, I have to be honest—it’s not just for you.” She looked even more curious and enticed. That was what I needed. To keep their attention on me and away from what was going on in Eli’s office.
“I can’t wait to see,” Willow squealed as she daintily unwrapped the box.
That’s right. Take your sweet time.
She dropped the bow on the table. Jade had hopped to the floor and was rubbing around her ankles as Willow pulled the top from the box.
“Oh, isn’t this adorable!” She took out a plush mermaid with a green lamé tail and a satin seashell bra. Her hair sparkled with ample pet-safe adornments. “Oh, look, Jade! Auntie Ruby brought something for you.”
She leaned down to offer the mermaid toy to the tabby, who took one whiff of the catnip inside and rubbed against it, giving a give-it-to-me-now yowl.
Yes, that will work. Good noisy kitty.
“The mermaid reminds me of this funny story,” I said cheerfully. “I don’t know if Eli told you, Willow, but my nickname used to be Ariel…” I prattled on a bit about how my tour company got its name, and then got to the real story. “So I tell this guy that my name is Ariel because who doesn’t need a bar name, right, Willow? Anyway, he called me that when we met again, and then the next time, and it wasn’t until days later that he realized Ariel wasn’t actually my name…”
Okay, it hadn’t been days later. And Jake had realized it wasn’t my name though he didn’t know my real one. But I had to make the story last for my audience of two. And as I did, I smiled to myself because our story—Jake’s and my meet-cute—had become the cover for his safe-breaking.
As I talked, I sneaked a look at the timer I’d started when I gave Jake the “go” sign. One minute and thirty-two seconds. He should have the safe open soon, if he didn’t already. Just a minute more…
“That is just the most adorable story ever,” Willow gushed. Eli had listened with a smile, and Jade was blissed out on the floor, the mermaid wrapped in her paws. “But we really should be going.”
“True,” said Eli. “We can’t be late to our own event.”
Willow placed her hand on Eli’s arm as if she would let him escort her to the car that way. But her nose twitched with a dainty sniff, and she turned to her fiancé. “Darling. You forgot your aftershave. You never go to an event without it. It’s your signature scent. Go put some on.”
Alarms blared in my head.
My first thought? She must know Jake was upstairs because… go put on your signature scent ? I didn’t think they could get any more bougie than “we are throwing a party to help children with our embezzled money.” But Eli thanked her for reminding him and sprinted up the steps.
I clawed the edge of panic to keep it from taking over.
Jake was in the office. Eli was on his way. What had Jake said when I’d worried something would go wrong?
“Then we improvise.”
I had to either somehow lure Eli back down here or warn Jake—or both.
I channeled all my fear, all my terror, that Jake would be discovered, and pointed to the dining room table as if some tentacled Lovecraftian monster was pulling itself into our universe between the chandelier and the mahogany tabletop. With a deep breath, I let out a blood-curdling cry, screaming, “Spider!”
Willow shrieked. Eli doubled back. And I imagined Jake, somewhere upstairs, scrambling for his point of egress while convenient chaos reigned down here. Eli looked high and low for the spider while Willow brushed her hair and shoulders like it was raining arachnids, and then the cat showed up for the excitement, skidding over the floor with her tail bushed out and her eyes like a drug addict.
I dragged my gaze away from this spectacle and turned to make my getaway. As I did, I made a split-second decision and shot my hand out to the marble table like a frog’s tongue nabbing a fly.
“Gotta go or I’ll miss my flight!” I called as I sprinted out the door.
Have a nice life, far away from me.