Chapter 5
Del took a seat next to Shana wearing a pseudo-friendly ATF-brand smile along with his ATF blue suit. Penny sat across from Dane and had the good grace to look hesitant since she hadn’t mentioned bringing her brother when Shana called to invite her.
“I was so surprised and relieved to run into my brother right here on the island,” Penny said. “Right outside the door of the Lucky Parrot. I told him I was having lunch with you and he said you’d met. I had no idea he was working on Harvey’s case.”
“Now that you have me looking after you, Pen, maybe you don’t need these overpriced PI’s?” He turned to Shana. “No offense, Ms. George. You understand I’m looking out for my baby sister.”
Shana nodded and smiled as if she liked the man. She knew her role.
“Let’s not talk about that business at lunch,” Penny said. “Please excuse my brother’s rudeness. He’s used to being in charge at work—and he’s always been all business.” She smiled, mostly at Dane.
Dane hadn’t said a word since he’d picked up his menu. He put it down now and Shana held her breath.
“I understand you’ve been doing some banking on behalf of your brother-in-law, Del.”
Penny looked from Dane to her brother and back.
“What are you talking about?” She turned to Del and stuck with him for an answer.
“Nothing important, Pen. We can talk more when we get back to the Gables’.”
“Your brother is staying at the Gables’ too?” Shana asked. She gave Penny an accusatory glance.
“I didn’t know that before,” Penny said.
“I just got in today. I’ll have Assistant Deputy Michael Pratt stay at the Admiral’s Inn and I’ll stay with you at the Gables’. I’m here until we solve this case. I’m here for you, Penny.”
Del gave a good impression of a big brother who cared, but Shana wasn’t convinced.
Unlike her client who chose that moment to fall apart.
She fell into her brother and sobbed. As for Del, he managed to handle the situation without losing a beat as he’d been doing since they’d met him.
He held an arm around her and patted Penny’s hair, speaking softly to her for a moment.
Shana took a long sip of her tequila and handed the rest to Dane. He surprised her by returning the glass to the table. But the provocative smile he gave her would have melted her to the floor if she’d been standing.
“Shana, can you take my sister to the ladies’ room to freshen up?” Del spoke as if Penny was a twelve-year-old and he had little patience for her in spite of the fact that he had an arm around her.
Shana stood and Penny jumped at the invitation. Literally.
*****
“What were you doing at the bank?” Del leaned forward, invading Dane’s space. Dane’s space was bigger than most people’s standards, but that’s what had kept him alive more than once. He leaned toward Del making them far too close for comfort. Dane felt Cap tense but he said nothing.
“None of your damn business.”
Del sat back in his chair, keeping his eye-stare going in an ineffective attempt at intimidation.
“What did you find in the safety deposit box, Parrish?” Cap asked.
Del turned his attention to Cap then, as if he’d forgotten him.
“We found drugs. You can read all about it in my report. Don’t worry, Captain Lynch, I’ll keep you in the loop.”
Cap was taken aback, or he pretended to be.
Dane noticed Del’s sidekick hanging back by the Lucky Parrot’s entrance. Bingo. That was the answer to his question about how the hell Del knew he’d been to the bank.
He said, “You had me followed.”
Del laughed.
“You have a big ego. What makes you think I wasn’t following sweet-cheeks here?” Del nodded in the direction of Shana’s empty chair.
If he’d waved a red flag at a bull, Del couldn’t have been more effective in exploding the situation into the danger zone.
Dane felt hot, felt his heart race, his muscles twitch. He told himself the man wanted him to rise to the bait. Then he reminded himself that Shana was supposed to be bait for him.
Dane smiled the deadliest smile he had and aimed it at Del for the kill.
Del’s response was to act like he’d seen it all before, because he probably had. And it meant nothing. This was a tough mean bastard they were dealing with. And Dane was supposed to be just like him. Had been just like him for most of his life.
He wanted to, but Dane didn’t look to see Cap’s reaction. He kept his eyes on his soon-to-be victim.
“What brought you to the Lucky Parrot, Mr. Parrish?” Cap said.
“You all said you were having lunch so I asked around about the most likely place.”
“Bullshit,” Dane said conversationally. “You had us checked out ahead of time. And you had us followed. Now you’re here to find out what we know and don’t know.” His voice and his smile were mild.
Mary Lu returned to the table with more drinks Del ordered for himself and his sister.
“You’re close to Penny,” Cap said.
Del shrugged. “You know how it is. Not close until disaster strikes and then you do whatever you can. I wasn’t going to let her face Harvey’s death alone.
Especially not when I found out it was murder.
Naturally I’m suspicious of you, being the so-called private investigator, Johnny on the spot and all. ”
“What about Shana? You suspicious of her?” Dane asked.
Del grinned and wagged a finger. “No you don’t—I’m going to keep this professional. I don’t know as much about Ms. George as I do about you, but I do intend to find out.” He looked at Cap. “Any leads in the case? What did the ME have to say?”
“You haven’t seen the report yet?”
Dane was surprised at Cap’s sarcasm. It was unlike him. Dane stayed neutral. On the outside.
“I work fast. I won’t apologize for that. You would too if it were your sister. Is she still a person of interest?”
“No.” Cap went on to tell Del about the drugs found by the ME.
As Shana and Penny returned to the table, Del turned back to Dane.
“You never did tell me how you knew to go to the bank about the safety deposit box?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Shana, I understand you’re lately from the Metropolitan Police, aka Scotland Yard, over in London. Why’d you leave a plum job like that? I couldn’t find a damn thing in the files to explain your departure.”
“Del,” Shana leaned in conspiratorially, “the very minute I arrived in the United States, and in particular on Martha’s Vineyard, I fell in love and had to stay.”
Dane smiled inwardly at how neatly she’d left it ambiguous about what or whom she’d fallen in love with.
Knowing it was him, that she’d fallen in love with him, chiseled at the hard core of resistance inside him.
And for the second time that day he had to talk himself off the edge of lusty excitement.
“Of all the professions you could have chosen—and all the partners you could have chosen—why this loser?” Del pointed a thumb at Dane and took a sloppy swig of his scotch.
“Delbert Parrish,” Penny said. “Stop it. Right now.”
Shana laughed. “Don’t worry, Penny. He’s just flirting.”
“Oh, you would know it if I was flirting, Ms. Shana. You have the most gorgeous green eyes, don’t you?” He put an arm around her shoulder and would have tugged her closer if Dane hadn’t stopped him.
He saw red at the same time as he saw the waitress appear with their food and his practical higher intelligence took over. He stood and forced Shana to stand with him.
“I need to leave. I have an appointment.” He pushed his way from the table, past Del. The man was surprised.
“Don’t leave on account of my brother’s behavior.”
Dane looked Del in the eyes. ”Don’t have me followed.” He flicked a glance at Shana, then set his eyes back on Del. “And do not touch her. Ever. Again.”
He walked to the door and didn’t look back because he didn’t want to see the look on Shana’s face.
He’d blown their chance to have her bait Del.
Maybe. But Dane figured Del knew that was the plan and he was up to the challenge.
Besides, with his sister watching he wasn’t likely to make a misstep with another woman, being a married man and all.
Dane saluted Del’s deputy assistant at the door as he went through it. He had a date with Acer at a Beacon Hill Condo. As likely as it was that ATF had already been there or would beat them to it, he still had to try.
He had called Bill Gable and said he needed his private helicopter. The man had been all too willing to the point of excitement to be involved in one of Dane’s “capers.”.
After Shana had returned from the ladies’ room, she’d slipped him the key to Penny Lake’s condo.
There was a distinct possibility that Penny Lake was not a big fan of her big brother Del.
Based on her scolding, her surprise to see him, and that she’d kept secret the fact that she’d given the key to Shana pointed to something wrong with the loving brother and sister picture.
He and Gable met Acer at the Beacon Hill address.
“I need you to wait in the foyer. Do not touch a damn thing.” Dane said to Gable like he was a twelve-year-old—or their lookout man.
Gable folded his arms.
“Suit yourself, but I know this place. I’ve been here.”
Dane looked a question. Gable unfolded his arms and waved them around in denial.
“Nothing like that. Laura and I have been to a few dinners here.”
“Then you knew Harvey.”
Gable shook his head. “Not really. Harvey had a few drinks but he kept to himself. He was your typical nerd. I don’t know how he scored a wife like Penny.”
“There are any number of ways that I can imagine.”
Gable waved his hand again with a big grin.
“You’re incorrigible. You want my help looking around? I can tell you what’s missing or out of place.”
“You know the place that well from a couple of dinner parties?”
“I scoped it out for possible use as a set for a project I have in the pipeline.”
“Fine. But do not touch a damn thing. Keep your arms folded.”
Gable folded his arms.