The Smuggler's Gambit Page 3

  My sarcasm isn’t lost on him. He pulls out his communicator and transfers uni-chits to my account, but he neglects to reimburse me for my black dress. Knowing him the way I do, it’s intentional. If he wants a fight, I’ll give him one. Either he pays for the dress, or he doesn’t get my file on Jennifer.

  “Hey, the agreement was for expenses, too. Add another fifty uni-chits, and then I’ll start talking. Otherwise I’ll press the delete button and poof, you won’t know what I found out about your girlfriend.”

  Jupzi looks angry, but he has no choice but to pay me the extra money. He jabs the screen of his communicator so hard with his finger that I think it might shatter. The guy is mad. Good. In the end, I have my dress paid in full. It was easier than I thought; he didn’t argue about it. He must be desperate to learn about Jennifer’s extracurricular activities.

  I knew I should charge him more. While working at the apartment, I had to do more than watch Jennifer. It would have been suspicious if I stood around doing nothing. Quitting felt good, even though I never intended to keep that job. Customer service just isn’t for me. I’m too rude.

  “First, let me show you some photos of Jennifer. You picked a real beauty; she’s quite photogenic.”

  I turn my tablet toward him and swipe through a dozen compromising photos of his precious “one.” In each of them, she is kissing someone other than him. She has on a different sexy outfit in each photo. In total, there were four men.

  “This is all you have?” he asks incredulously. “Did you follow her anywhere? I want to know where she goes with these men. I could have watched her apartment myself. This information is worthless to me.”

  He’s such an ungrateful prick.

  “No, because all you asked was to find out if she was being unfaithful. You never specifically asked me to follow her outside of her building. Since I could get proof of her fooling around at her residence, why would I waste my time following her all over the city? You want to know where she went with them? Upstairs.”

  “But I need to know more!”

  “Nope, that’s it. If you want more, get another private investigator. I don’t want to be involved in your business anymore. You’re lucky I did this much for you. Now get out, and don’t come back. We’re through. Professionally and personally. Bye-bye.”

  He leaves in a huff just as Judy walks in.

  She raises an eyebrow at me. “Should I ask?”

  “No need. I finished the job and told him I didn’t want to work for him again.”

  “No way, really? Good for you. Hope you can afford to be so choosy. But then, what am I saying? You have to be picky when it comes to that jerk. Having him for a client isn’t healthy.”

  I can’t help but smile. “You should have seen him. His blue face turned green. It was beautiful.”

  Judy laughs at that, then points to my door with her thumb. “What about the looker waiting outside? Anything I need to know about that one?”

  “He’s a mystery. I tried to see him first, just to piss off Jupzi. But he told me I was making a mistake and had Jupzi come back into the office.” Judy’s brow furrows at that. “Strange, right? I mean, I like strong men, but I felt like I was the one being controlled.”

  Judy considers this, and I brace myself. It wouldn’t be a normal day without one of Judy’s opinions.

  “Not that it’s any of my business…”

  “But you’re going to tell me anyway, right?” I can’t help laughing.

  “Well, I’m always looking out for you. I think you should be careful of that guy. Something tells me he could be trouble. He’s too good looking if you ask me. No one normal is that perfect.”

  “Yeah, I’ve got the same feeling. Might as well get it over with, though. Please go out there and ask him to come in.” She turns to go, and I stop her. “Actually, you know what? Let’s make him wait a couple of minutes more. Would you start the coffee first?”

  After she brews the coffee, Judy leaves my office, giving me a few seconds to primp and prepare for him. A knock on my door alerts me to look professional.

  “Are you ready to see him?” asks Judy.

  “Yes, please show him in.”

  He swaggers in and immediately gives me a thousand-watt smile. This time I plan to control the situation, so I speak before he can, determined to shift the power from him to me.

  “My name is Lily Lovegrove. And whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?”

  I reach out to the man for a handshake. He grabs my hand with both of his, lingering a bit too long. As he holds my hand, he looks into my eyes, not breaking contact until I make the move to do so. His eyes are mesmerizing.

  “Hello there, Lily Lovegrove. My name is Lucien McAvoy. My mother is French and my father is Scottish.” I look at him curiously. “I thought I’d save you the trouble of asking about the origin of my name.”

  I invite him to sit and then settle down at my desk. “Why would you think I’d be curious about your name?”

  He smiles. “Because everyone I meet is. Once we get to know each other better, I’ll tell you the romantic story about how my parents met. It’s a beautiful tale of love at first sight. I assumed you’d be interested as well. Am I wrong about that? Do you believe in love at first sight?”

  The tone of Lucien’s deep, rich voice sends a shiver through my body. I could be in serious trouble here. Focus, Lily, ignore the voice.

  I clear my throat and change the subject. “So what can I do for you, Mr. McAvoy?”

  “I’m here to see if you would do a job for me. Or rather, I’d like to become your client.”

  “Well, then, Mr. McAvoy—”

  “Oh, please, Lily, call me Lucien. No one calls me Mr. McAvoy. Except my enemies. It is all right if I call you Lily, right?”

  He is in control again. I’m not as against that as I should be. I nod.

  “Do you mind if I ask about your previous client?” he says. “I may have met him at a function somewhere. He looked vaguely familiar to me, and I was wondering why he was here.”

  “Actually, I do mind, Lucien. I never reveal my client’s cases to anyone without their permission. That would be highly unethical. Besides, I doubt you know him. He’s only been on the Moon for about a year. And he doesn’t socialize much. At least not with men.”

  “Ah… okay. Just curious, Lily. I respect your code of ethics. It makes me feel more comfortable about hiring you. I wouldn’t want someone working for me who doesn’t believe in honesty and principles.”

  I have to stand up and pace. Breaking eye contact and speaking to the window is the only way to get through this conversation. I lean against my dingy wall and continue. “Normally I don’t see a new client without an appointment. In fact, I have an appointment in thirty minutes, so if you could get to the point, I may be able to take your case. My day is fully scheduled. Hold on. Judy?”

  Judy practically falls into the room. She was listening at the door again. There are no secrets in this tiny office; the walls are paper thin.

  “Yes? Did you need me for something?”

  “Would you check my appointments? I think I’m booked for the entire day, right?”

  Judy gives me a look, confirming she knows what I am up to. She makes a show of going to her desk to grab her tablet.

  “Let me see… There’s a Miss Smith coming in at ten a.m., and yes, you’re right. After that, you are booked until five p.m. Shall I make an appointment for another day?”

  Lucien looks at Judy and me, his smile telling me he’s not fooled by our charade. I involuntarily shiver again. I need to trust my feelings and tell this guy no. There’s no need to work with such a conceited charmer. I maintain a calm facade so he won’t know how much he’s affecting me.

  “No, Judy, that will be all. Thank you.”

  She goes back into her office, closing her door partway.

  “Now that you’ve confirmed you have a few minutes for me, shall we proceed? Or do you need me to return when you are less
busy?”

  “You know what, I just remembered. I have a full schedule for the next few months and can’t take on any more clients. So if you could please show yourself out…” I say this without making eye contact, afraid I won’t be able to resist him.

  “As you wish, lovely Lily.”

  I watch him start to walk out of my life, but then he stops. It looks like he’s noticed something on my door.

  “Pardon me, but there appears to be an eviction notice on your door, and judging by the way your other client stormed out, he probably won’t be back,” Lucien says with a sexy smirk. “You might want to pay your rent so that your hordes of clients will know where to find you.”

  Damn it. Judy never was good at noticing the little things when a good snoop session was going on. I wonder if her father told her about this.

  He comes back and sits down again. “Now,” he says, “shall we start again?”

  Chapter Four

  He holds his hand out to me and winks. “Hi, my name is Lucien,” he says, taking his own suggestion literally. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m looking for a private investigator to help me out.”

  I can’t help myself, and I laugh, and the tension in the room breaks. I find him utterly charming, and damn it, despite all the red flags, I need the uni-chits. It always comes down to money. If I was sensible, I’d tell him to keep walking. But I want to keep my business going. Taking a risk on him is what it’s going to take to do that. And maybe I’m wrong about him. He could be the rarest of all males, good looking and nice.

  “Well, Lucien, what is it I can do for you?”

  Being a fidgeter, I pick up my tablet and start swiping it mindlessly, stopping once in a while to look at him. I land on the page that displays my bank account. The low numbers make me more determined to take on his case. This is the closest I’ve ever come to being completely broke. It’s an unsettling feeling to be on the brink of ruin.

  “Would you give me a few minutes? I need to step into my assistant’s office.”

  In Judy’s office, I consider whether I want to work this new client. There’s an inverse relationship between lack of money and lowering standards for me. Short of him being a serial killer, I’ll take his case. Judy looks like she wants to ask a question, but instead she turns away and leaves me in peace. Returning to my desk, I motion for him to go on.

  “I have a private matter. Embarrassing, really, but I need you to follow someone for me. I’m assuming that’s something you do. Right?”

  What else does he think a private investigator does? Is he playing with me, or is his question sincere?

  “Yes, it’s one of the things I do.”

  “It’s my girlfriend. I want you to follow her.”

  I feel my heart sink a bit, but then I’m relieved that I won’t have to deal with fending off any advances from this man. Or is he a two-timer like Jupzi? Best to keep my guard up with this one. I can already tell it’s going to be a challenging case on a lot of levels.

  “I fear that she may be stepping out on me,” he continues. “I know that’s an old-fashioned way of naming what she might be doing, but it makes me feel better to call it that rather than cheating.”

  Switching to the page on my tablet where I take down information from clients, I start a new record, labeling it Blue Eyes. He’ll never see the file, so I can call it whatever I want. It’s a game I invented at the start of my business. I label the files with names only I understand, using a characteristic of the client. Some of my favorites are: Short Asshole, Green and Greedy, and Crater Face. I begin to ask him questions.

  “Well, let’s start with the basics. What’s her name? And after that, give me a brief description. Then I’ll need you to list the names of the places that she likes to go. Oh, and don’t forget her address.”

  I can feel Lucien’s eyes on me, so I keep my head down, ready to fill in my client questionnaire. Avoiding his eyes keeps me focused on my task.

  “Her name is Jennifer Spion.”

  I look up at him in surprise. No way. It can’t be the same woman. What are the odds? Spion is an unusual name, but I’d better be sure before I assume anything. I wonder if she was seeing him at the same time as Jupzi? It’s a small Moon sometimes.

  “She lives at 66 Park Avenue. And as for where she likes to go, I’m not sure other than where I used to take her. But if you want, I can write down a list of the restaurants, theaters, museums, and other places that we used to go to. Would that information be helpful to you?”

  “Yes, very helpful.”

  There is no way there are two Jennifer Spions living at the same address, but I still have to ask what she looks like so as not to tip him off that I already know who she is. Plus I don’t want to barrel ahead then find out I should have asked more questions.

  “I still need a description of her, Lucien.”

  “Ah, yes. Jennifer is in her midthirties, although she looks much younger. She’s about 5’6” with brown hair and green eyes. Is that enough for you?”

  It’s confirmed, it’s the same woman. This could get complicated. My next question is for me, but I need to make it sound like it’s part of the case.

  “That will do. May I ask how old you are?”

  “What does that have to do with the investigation? Or are you curious for another reason?” says Lucien, giving me a sly wink.

  “Just want to know what her type is, that’s all.” I hope he doesn’t know I’m lying. I curse myself for asking such a transparent question. “Are there any friends of Jennifer’s I need to know about? Also, does she have a profession? What does she do outside of dating men?”

  Lucien laughs at that. Thankfully he doesn’t suspect I already know who his girlfriend is. Keeping that information to myself might come in handy. I’ll wait and see. It’s good to keep some secrets.

  “No, she doesn’t have a job. She was left quite a bit of money from her family, so she doesn’t have to work. Her time is her own to do with as she pleases, so it appears her only job is to date men.”

  He has a sense of humor. Nice. As I am nearing the end of our interview, it occurs to me I have no idea what Lucien does. I want to know if he’ll be one of those guys who tries to pay me in trade or if I can actually get some uni-chits out of him. I won’t take this case if he’s broke. Charmer or no, uni-chits are the only way I’ll work for him.

  “I should ask you what you do, Lucien, and also let you know that my rate is fifty uni-chits per hour plus expenses, including any outfits I may need to buy if I have to go undercover.”

  “The money won’t be a problem. In fact, I’d like to pay you more than that so you can put all of your other cases on hold for a few days and focus solely on mine. How does double your rate sound?”

  I have to stop myself from jumping up and hugging the man. He is going to be a good client, but I want to know where he got his money. If it’s stolen or from selling drugs, I can’t work for him. My good reputation is important for my business. As if on cue, my stomach gurgles, reminding me I may have to lower my standards. I hope he didn’t hear that. I couldn’t stand the embarrassment, plus a grumbling stomach is unprofessional. Don’t want to appear too needy.

  “I still want to know what you do for a living. It might be pertinent to our investigation.”

  “I’m the CEO of PharmiCor. We research and manufacture pharmaceutical drugs for the cure of all sorts of diseases. I’m one of the good guys.”

  FML. I could have charged so much more. And that cinches it. A gorgeous, single, rich CEO who is full of himself? There’s no way I’d ever want to date this guy. But he’ll be good for business, so I have to pretend I think he’s wonderful. Also, he technically does sell drugs, but I think exceptions can be made for CEOs.

  “That’s very impressive. Okay, I can start on your case today. How long would you like me to follow Miss Spion?”

  He stares at me for a few moments too long, taking in my face and the only other part of me he can see: my breasts.
Seemingly satisfied by what he sees, he speaks.

  “How about two weeks? That should give you more than enough time to gather information,” he says. “But there are a couple of other things I need to tell you. It won’t be as simple as watching her go in and out of her apartment. She hasn’t been seen for two days.”

  I raise my eyebrows in surprise at this. The last time I watched her was five days ago. What happened after that?

  “Oh, and one other thing, I want to come along while you look for her.”

  And there it is. The catch. What is he playing at? I’ve never had a client come along. Is this his way of saying he doesn’t trust me? If so, why is he here? This situation is getting out of control. I need to assert myself right now. I can’t have an amateur slowing me down while I work.

  “Before we go any further, I need to ask: Why did you come into my office this morning? It’s obvious this isn’t your part of town. And now that you’ve pointed out my eviction notice, you’re clearly aware that business isn’t good right now. So what’s the deal? How did you find me?”

  There’s that smirk again. I want to slap it off that handsome face of his. That would surprise him. Stay calm, Lily.

  “Do you remember Officer Grant Mitchell? He and I went to high school together. Whenever I have a problem for the police, he’s my go-to guy.”

  This catches me by surprise. I haven’t thought of Officer Mitchell in a long time. “That still doesn’t answer my question, Mr. McAvoy.”

  “Uh oh, you’ve reverted to Mr. McAvoy,” he says, leaning forward and smiling. “When I called Grant up about my missing girlfriend, he told me about you and the murder scene you helped him with. I’m sure you remember. It was near that same building Jennifer resides in. Apparently you made a huge impression on him. Not just because you are a beautiful woman, but also because of your ability to pick out clues. He’s been following your career and told me you’d opened a private investigator business. After he gave me your information, I decided to look you up. I trust Grant’s ability to read people. He’s rarely wrong.”