Chapter 13
Angelique laughed. It wasn’t the twisted laugh of a crazed killer and Dane had to admire her aplomb. She sounded lighthearted and the twinkle of innocence never left her eyes.
“At least I look good. Dane, you are a hard man.” She turned and he loosened his grip on her wrist as she led him inside her room. He didn’t go easily. It reminded him too much of the dungeon in Rio, if not in decor, in atmosphere. Dark and sinister. All in spite of her good humor.
“Whoever named you Angelique probably didn’t realize how ironic that name would turn out, did they?”
She faced him and studied him, puzzled. Then she shrugged. “I don’t know. I never knew my mother.”
That explained a lot. It explained Jean Luc’s genuine concern among other things.
“Tell me about the murder.”
She folded her arms across her chest, but it didn’t have the empowering effect like it did when Shana made the move. Instead, it made Angelique seem smaller and less sure.
“I suppose you will not let this go until we discuss it. I will not pretend I do not know that you are speaking of Baylor Bellarine.” She turned and strolled around the room, looking like she was looking for something. He kept quiet. He could wait for her confession.
“Although I will tell you he was not dead when I left him. I ran away. He had a gun and he shot at me. But if the police found his body then they know this.” She stood in front of him and faced him then. Her nostrils flared with the confidence of defiance. Not self-righteousness.
“Why didn’t you report it?” He softened his voice, pretending to be swayed by her story of self-defense. But he’d guess she stabbed him before he got off his shot—in fact, he’d bet his Cayman bank account on it.
She shrugged. “I do not know the police here. I am afraid of what they will think. I—”
“Left the jewels behind.”
She waved a hand. “That is my goodwill gesture. Bellarine is—was your thief. I found this out and he did not like it. I recovered the jewels, regrettably at great cost.”
“Your employers at the insurance company will be grateful—grateful enough to help you out of this scrape.”
“I do not plan to tell them.”
“What is your plan?”
“To enjoy an unforgettable evening with an intriguing man.” She smiled. “And then… tomorrow I will speak to the police.”
He nodded. He’d go along with her scheme. He’d been given one night by Cap—or at least one evening.
“You will indulge me then?”
He smiled an expert wolf smile. It was only half pretense. After all, he was out to get her.
*****
The Tomkins residence wasn’t as grand as the Gables’. There was no ballroom. But there was a great room with glass doors open to an expansive patio and pool overlooking the ocean. By the time Dane arrived with Angelique, it was nightfall and the sultry air was tolerable in the sea breeze.
Once inside, they didn’t get far before they met with the Gables and Tomkinses. Dane searched the room and found Shana, then introduced Angelique to the Gables.
“Ms. Dubois is the investigator for the insurance company. We’re working together on the recovery of all the stolen jewels.”
The party’s host, Tomkins, said, “I met Angel earlier in the week. We had a nice chat.”
“Did you meet with Baylor Bellarine also? When was the last time you chatted with him?”
“I don’t recall ever chatting with Bellarine. I only met him once. Long enough only for him to invite himself as my guest to the island parties. Seems he’d heard of our soirees and wanted to sell some art work or something.” Tomkins shrugged. “Nothing to be done about it now.”
Dane figured he was telling the truth. He’d been conned. And he didn’t mind so much because he hadn’t been one of the burglary victims.
Gable said, “Where’s Shana?”
“She’s here.” Dane nodded in her direction. She stood wrapped in Cap’s arms on the dance floor and the reflexive stab through his gut couldn’t be stopped. He did stop the impulse to punch Gable in the face when he raised a brow at the sight of Shana dancing with Cap, then smirked. Lucky for him.
Angelique tightened her grip on his arm. “This is our night off from our work, gentlemen. We are not expecting any thefts tonight.”
“Oh? Why not? Progress on finding the thief?” Tomkins asked.
Dane looked at Gable. He’d been told about the partial recovery of his jewels and the murder of the suspected thief. He squeezed Angelique to his side in mock camaraderie.
“We found a suspect and recovered some of the stolen jewels,” Dane said.
“Excellent—I’m relieved.” Tomkins paused and squinted. “I sense there’s a but—”
“But the suspect is dead,” Dane said. He looked at Angelique. “Murdered.”
She remained expressionless while everyone else inhaled audibly.
“And the rest of the jewels?” Gable asked.
“There’s only one piece missing from your collection.”
“Don’t tell me—the heirloom cameo from the French estate.”
“It’s the most valuable piece in your collection,” Angelique said. “I don’t blame the thief for hiding it. But the fact that we’ve recovered a good portion of the claim is—”
“Not going to stop us from getting them all,” Dane finished and smiled at Gable.
“I should hope not.” Gable gave Angelique a look.
It was a combination of puzzlement, concern and a touch of fear, likely born of uncertainty.
He’d probably not run into anyone like her in his business dealings.
Unfortunately for Dane, he’d run into too many like her in his line of business.
He would bet she was a borderline sociopath.
He wasn’t sure which side of the border she would end up on, but he found himself hoping for the best. He thought of Jean Luc.
“This is all very exciting—first a jewel thief among us and now a murder,” Tomkins said. “At least with the thief dead, I won’t need to worry—quite right.” Dane raised a brow at him and he said, “Where are my manners? Please help yourself to refreshments. The bar is right over there.”
He pointed to the wall near the far patio door where a long bar accommodated a large crowd of people. It had to be fifteen feet in length and sported three bartenders. Meanwhile there was not a speck of food in sight.
“I could use a drink.” It felt like the first genuine thing Dane said all night.
“Moi, aussi.” Angelique stuck by his side as they made their way to the bar and Dane watched Shana. She still danced with Cap, but she must have felt his eyes on her because she turned then and looked back at him. She nodded.
The gesture felt like a magic potion working on his tension. His shoulders relaxed a few degrees and he refrained from ordering a double when the bartender asked him what he’d have.
“Champagne for the lady and I’ll take a Chivas straight up.”
“I thought you drank tequila?”
Normally he wouldn’t have showed his surprise, but he was playing her game.
“Another tidbit Jean Luc shared with you?”
“I have other sources.” She winked.
He smiled. This time he withheld his surprise because it was accompanied by a measure of alarm born of sudden realization. Gabriele was her other source. He took a hefty sip of his Chivas while he contemplated how to get her phone. He settled on the direct route.
They wandered toward the dance floor and he spotted Bill Gable. Before they got close to him, Dane said, “I need to make a call—give me your phone.”
“My phone?” She looked confused as if she’d never heard of a phone before. “I don’t have my phone with me—surely you have a phone?”
He shook his head. “You left it at the Inn?”
She nodded and laughed. “We really are taking the night off from work.” She looped one arm through his and sipped her champagne.
He laughed. “Looks like it—then let’s have some fun.”
While he danced with Angelique he maneuvered them close to Shana and gave her the go-ahead.
She would need to find Angelique’s phone and whatever else she could before they made their next move.
Shana nodded back, then stopped dancing.
Leaving Cap on the dance floor by himself she slipped through the crowd and out the back patio doors into the night.
After several more dances, Dane and Angelique went outside to get air.
“What a beautiful night, Dane. A glorious party with champagne and dancing and you.”
He put an arm around her and pulled her tight against him.
Her eyes widened in surprise and maybe a touch of fear.
He decided to test her, to see how she responded when he took control away from her.
He lowered his mouth against hers in a hard kiss and pressed her hips against his to feel the hard muscles of his body and the hardness of his cock.
He felt the first flinch of resistance in her before she melted into her role.
Then she pressed her hands against his chest to separate and gain her control back.
He didn’t give. He tightened his arm and nuzzled her ear, whispering.
“You’re mine, Angelique. All mine. I own you.
” He felt her shudder and knew it wasn’t because of his breath on her sensitive neck.
He knew it was fear, and maybe excitement.
He saw her gooseflesh rise and heard her breathing quicken and her pulse thudding.
He had her where he wanted her. Then he released her.
He needed to communicate with Shana.
He led her toward Gable, who was dancing wildly to a song from the seventies that he doubted Angelique had ever heard, then took her glass from her and nodded to the floor and the dancers. “Let me see you dance.”
She complied and then he left her there.
*****
While Shana checked the computer and set up the gizmo Dane had provided her to copy the hard drive, she got to work looking around the room.
Top priority was finding evidence of others in the room—besides Dane.
That thought gave her pause and nearly derailed her cool, but she snapped herself to attention.
The red dot on the gizmo flashed closer to the end point.