Catching the Bad Guy (Book Two) (Janet Maple Series) (28 page)

But then maybe it was all for the better
anyway. Dennis knew how to live his life the way it was: he worked hard and he
partied hard. As long as a woman wanted to have a good time, he was up for the
ride, but if she wanted more, he was out. Ever since his attempt at monogamy
had failed, he considered that road closed for him. The trouble with Janet was
that he wanted more than a good time from her, and he doubted he would know how
to give or receive it.

David Muller placed his arm around
Mila’s warm, slender shoulders. To think that soon he would no longer have to
part from her was almost too delicious a prospect, and the knowledge that it
would soon be true made it even more wonderful. One last score, and I will be
free, David thought to himself, running his fingers through Mila’s silky hair.
Tonight, he would meet Finnegan and Magee for dinner, and if there was one
thing that David was certain of, it was that socializing was not the purpose of
their get-together.

During the past few weeks David had
finally found one thing in common with Finnegan: both of them had been waiting
for Magee to tell them which automobile manufacturer would receive the contract
from Rover. Magee had said that the pool had been limited to three companies:
Stork Enterprises, Richardson Inc., and Valley Metals. But three was too big a
number to gamble on, and David wanted specifics. He was fed up with both
Finnegan and his needy daughter, but David could not cut his ties with either
of them until he had the information he needed. After that, he would be set for
a lifetime, and Aileen Finnegan along with her fat, controlling father would be
history.

Then, just as David was about to lose
his patience, Finnegan called him with good news. Magee had requested a
meeting. Since the commencement of their partnership, David had met with Magee
only a handful of times; each time, Magee had delivered vital information,
which meant that this time, just like all the others, Magee would have big news
as well. David was all set to act on Magee’s information. He had opened
numerous brokerage accounts for the Phoenix Fund, which would execute the
trades according to his instructions, and the offshore bank accounts he had
opened for himself would hide his proceeds along with those of Finnegan and
Magee. For David did not intend to play fair. The pie was too large to divide
it equally. Rather, he would have it all for himself. And if either Magee or
Finnegan were to demand their share from him, the recordings of their previous
meetings would guarantee David’s security.

David checked his watch. It was seven
o’clock. Just enough time to get himself in order before his meeting with
Finnegan and Magee.

“Mila, I have to go.”

“Um,” Mila murmured, her face pressed
into his chest. “I have to go to work too. Wake me up before you leave.”

“Mila, wake up. There’s something I have
to tell you before I leave.”

“What is it?” Mila mumbled.

“It’s important, so listen up.”

If there was one quality in Mila that
David admired more than her looks and lovemaking skills, it was her ability to
be constantly attuned to everyone around her,  particularly her ability to be
attuned to him. This time was no different. Noticing the ever slight change in
his tone, Mila shot up in the bed.

“What’s going on?” she asked without a
trace of drowsiness in her voice.

“Mila, you know that safe that I had
ordered for my study?”

“That ugly metal box?”

“Yes, that ugly metal box,” David
confirmed. “Although once you learn about its valuable contents, you may not
think it so ugly.”

David took Mila’s hand into his and
pressed it to his lips. He needed a moment. He was about to entrust Mila with
information that without exaggeration would put his life into her hands. He had
never trusted a woman or a man that much before. There he was, about to put his
life into Mila’s hands. He had deliberated his decision to tell her for weeks.
The upcoming deal with Finnegan and Magee would be big, too big to go into it
alone. David needed someone to have his back. Mila was the woman he wanted to
spend the rest of his life with, so it only made sense that he should be able
to trust her with his life. The realization of what he was about to do filled
him with agony that bordered on pleasure, akin to the adrenaline rush he had
felt when he had tried bungee jumping during college spring break. But now,
unlike with a bungee jump, there was no safety cord tied to his legs.

“Mila, you know that I work with
investments,” David began.

“Yes, David. I know. If you need my
help, I think I should be able to follow along. You may not remember, but I did
major in Economics back in Prague.” Mila’s deep blue eyes looked straight at
him, as though accusing him of perceiving their owner as nothing more than a
pair of killer tits and long legs.

“Yes, Mila, of course I remember. And I
have no doubts that you’ll be able to grasp what I am about to tell you.”

“Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do
it,” Mila said flatly.

The matter-of-factness of Mila’s voice
reminded David why he was so crazy about her. Mila might be one hot babe, but
when it came to her brains she was more rational than any man. He could trust
her.

“There are two business associates of
mine who are about to supply me with very valuable information,” David began…

About twenty minutes later, after he had
finished his story, David searched Mila’s face for signs of condemnation as he
waited for her reply.

“Not to worry, David. Your information
will be safe with me,” Mila said simply.

“I knew it would be,” he said, kissing
her hand. “And when this is all over, we’ll be able to go anywhere we want.
Anywhere in the world—pick a destination and that’s where we’ll go.”

“With you is the only place I ever want
to be.”

He had expected her to shriek with
delight, sputtering out places like Paris, London, or Milan. Instead, her
steadfast response nearly brought him to tears. This was a woman he would get
the moon and the stars for.

“Mila, I promise you that once this deal
is done, I’m going to marry you.”

At eight o’clock sharp, David Muller
approached the entrance to Keens steakhouse. Freshly showered and clad in his
Zegna suit, he felt on top of the world. Finally, the deal he had been working
on ever since his beneficial but highly onerous association with Finnegan
began, was about to come to fruition.

“Good evening. I am here for the Smith party.”
David barely resisted a smirk at Finnegan’s alias. One would think that a man
occupying the position of the state attorney general should be a touch more
inventive, but apparently Finnegan’s imagination ran thin.  At least he varied
his aliases.

The host nodded understandingly. “Of
course.”

A few moments later, David was ushered
into Finnegan’s favorite dining room.

Finnegan and Magee were already seated
behind the table. In his usual fashion, Finnegan had already tucked a napkin
into his shirt collar. He had taken off his suit jacket and hung it on the back
of his chair, exposing the sweat spots under his arms.

“David, there you are!” Finnegan heaved
his ginormous frame to his feet and extended his hand to David. The buttons on
his shirt looked like they were about to pop off from the sudden movement.

“Good to you see, Cornelius.” David
smiled. For once he was being honest, for tonight even Finnegan’s repulsive
appearance was not enough to dampen his excitement about their meeting.

“David,” Magee greeted him laconically.

“Hello, Kevan,” David nodded back.

“Sit down, sit down.” Finnegan slapped
the back of the chair next to him.

David did as he was told. His eyes
darted from Finnegan to Magee in turn as he tried to rein in his anticipation.
Come on, get on with it! He wanted to shout at the two idiots sitting on either
side of him, but he knew better.

Finnegan cracked his knuckles. “Let’s
get some chow first, and then we’ll talk.” He motioned to the waiter who had
been hovering by the door. “We’ll have steak for six, mashed potatoes, and
creamed spinach. Oh, and a bottle of 18-year-old Macallan. And we’ll have
smoked bacon to start with.”

David resisted the urge to wrinkle his
nose. As if Finnegan needed to fatten up his ginormous belly any further, but then
David was not here to supervise Finnegan’s diet. Come to think of, Finnegan
dropping dead from a coronary would be a welcome outcome of events.

While they waited for their food, David
raked his mind for possible conversation topics. It was not as though he had
much in common with either Finnegan or Magee. David had tried his best to make
both men like him, and while he was fairly certain about Finnegan’s favorable
disposition toward him, David was not so sure about Magee—that one was a
slippery sucker.

“So, David, when’s the wedding?”
Finnegan’s tiny eyes glistened. “You’re not going to leave Aileen in the lurch,
are you? The poor girl’s got her panties in a knot over you.”

David felt his stomach turn. How about
never, he was tempted to answer, but instead he said, “Oh, no, sir. Aileen is
the love of my life. I just want to make sure that everything is settled before
we tie the knot.”

Finnegan patted his belly. “That’s what
I liked to hear. It’s going to be a glorious wedding, and you don’t have to
worry about a thing. I’ll pay for everything.”

There was a knock on the door, and a
waiter bearing a bottle of Macallan entered the room.

“Go on, pour it out,” Finnegan
instructed. “Leave the bottle here,” he added after the waiter finished pouring
the drinks.

A second waiter walked into the room. He
was carrying a plate of steaming bacon. “Bring it over here,” Finnegan
demanded, watching closely as the waiter heaved a giant serving onto Finnegan’s
plate.

Magee’s turn was next.

The waiter approached David, and the
greasy smell wafted over David’s nostrils. He contemplating declining, but
after catching Finnegan’s watchful eyes, knew better. There were men who bonded
through drinking and whoring in strip clubs; Finnegan was the kind of man who
bonded through eating.

Sensing Finnegan’s eyes upon him, David
cut off a large slice of bacon and shoved it into his mouth. He closed his eyes
to prevent himself from vomiting. “Delicious,” he said after the slippery,
greasy substance had made its way down his throat.

“Simply the best,” Finnegan confirmed.
“How do you like it, Kevan?”

“Very nice indeed,” agreed Magee, while
his bony hands dragged the knife over the meat on his plate.

“I tell you, there’s nothing like a good
slice of bacon. Now, while we wait for that steak, let’s have a drink.”
Finnegan raised his glass. “To joint success.”

“To joint success.” David lifted his
glass to his lips and emptied it.

***

At the sound of the doorbell, Janet
jumped up from the couch and headed for the door. Baxter followed suit and raced
after her.

Without asking who it was, Janet flung
open the door. Sure enough, Dennis Walker was standing in front of her. He was
holding a box of pizza and a six pack of beer.

“Don’t you ask who it is before you open
the door?” Dennis asked, making his way inside her apartment.

Before Janet could answer, Baxter pushed
by her and started pawing at Dennis’s leg, barking excitedly.

“He remembers me,” Dennis observed with
a note of smug satisfaction.

“I think it’s the pizza smell that’s
getting him excited,” Janet countered, snatching the pizza box from Dennis.

“Don’t forget the beer.” Dennis handed
her the six pack. “It’s going to be a long night, and the last thing we want is
warm beer.”

Janet took the six pack from Dennis and
headed into the kitchen. She placed the pizza box on the counter, took two
bottles of beer and placed the rest of the beer into the fridge. She reached
for plates and rolled her eyes: this was going to be a long night indeed.

Janet brought the pizza into the living
room and saw that Dennis was busy tinkering with a gadget in his hands. “It’s
the transmitter for the bug,” Dennis explained.

“Is it working?” Janet asked as she
placed the food on the reading table.

Dennis adjusted the controls, and
distant human voices erupted from the speaker. “It is now. Can you recognize
Muller’s voice?”

Janet recognized Muller’s cocky
inflection emanating through the receiver. “Yes, that’s him all right!” she
exclaimed, straining her ears to make sense of the conversation that was taking
place on the other end of the transmitter.

“Now all we have to do is sit back and
wait for the evidence to glide right into our hands.” Dennis took a bite of
pizza and chewed it with relish.

Janet resisted the urge to smack the
man. “It would also help if we could actually make out what they are saying,”
she added pointedly.