Elite Operatives: Demons Are Forever Part 23

"I'm sure you can cope on your own."

"It's not the same without your constant b.i.t.c.hing." Chase knew what Jack was doing. She didn't want Chase to be alone, and frankly she didn't want that either. "Call Reno so we can get out of here."

Jack dialed the number and got the address in seconds. After she'd disconnected, Jack said, "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"I know you...like her."

"I just wanted to screw her. I'm over it." Thirty minutes later they had broken into the apartment of Gigi, aka Francine Shelhorn. The place looked more like a young girl lived there than a woman. Posters of hot young actors like Zac Efron and Shia LeBeouf were tacked on the wall, and stuffed animals covered every corner of the tiny messy apartment.

"How old was she again?" Jack asked.

"Nineteen."

"Just a kid. Runaway, apparently, since no family has come looking or asking."

"Most of them are."

"At least tell me you like them older," Jack said.

Chase ignored the comment. Although the girls she paid were well over that age, she wasn't in the mood to talk about her acquired s.e.x life. "Pull on your latex gloves. It's only a matter of hours before this turns into a proper investigation. I'm going to have Pierce call it * 178 *

in." She knew the police often took their time looking into missing prost.i.tutes unless someone with pull made the call.

Jack slapped her gloves on and ran one finger over the surface of the dining table. "From the looks of it, no one's been here in weeks." She opened the fridge. "Everything in here has a pulse." Chase went to the answering machine. The red light signaled messages. Thirty, according to the display. She pressed Play . Several of the calls were from men and, from the context, regular johns. A few women left innocuous messages about parties or other things, and her landlord reminded her the rent was overdue.

Then Heather's voice filled the room. She'd left ten messages in all, each showing increasing concern for Gigi. The final one said, "Gigi, it's me again. I finally broke down and called the police.

Are you in trouble? I know you never want to involve cops, but I'm worried. Just call me, okay?"

"She sounds sincere," Jack said.

"She probably stopped calling the cell number after it went dead. That's why only the three calls."

"d.a.m.n. We're running around in circles here. Just when we think we have a lead."

"These messages don't clear her," Chase said.

"I know, but it doesn't sound like she sold her friend to Dario.

And why report her missing if she was involved? Sure, it was anonymous, but why alert them to Gigi at all?"

"I don't know, but we need to get some answers soon." Chase checked her watch. "We should get going. She gets off in an hour." They did their usual routine at the Garment District, with Chase watching from the restaurant across the street while Jack waited by the back corner of the building. Since Heather's next appointment with Dario wasn't until the next day, they fully expected her to go straight home, or perhaps visit her brother to deliver the novel.

When she didn't emerge a few minutes after five as antic.i.p.ated, they began to worry.

"Maybe she's working late," Jack said. "Think you should try her cell?"

"Let's give her a few more minutes. She could be caught up-"

* 179 *

"Here she comes. Hey, she's changed."

"Changed? How?"

"She ditched the pantsuit and pumps she arrived in. Must have a dress on under her coat, and now she's in high heels."

"Is she-"

"d.a.m.n. She's hailing a cab," Jack said.

"I'm going for the car. Don't lose her." Chase disconnected and hurried to the parking lot, praying Jack would be able to get her own taxi before Heather got away. The crush of rush-hour traffic should help in that regard, though it wasn't going to do her any favors in catching up to them in the rental.

As she neared the exit to the lot, she dialed Jack. "Where are you?""Heading north on 8th Avenue, near Central Park. I think she's going to the brownstone."

"Okay. I'm leaving the lot now and headed that way. Let me know if she goes elsewhere."

Jack called her back a few minutes later. "Yup. We're at the brownstone. I'm in the van firing up the equipment."

"Be there in a couple minutes." Chase ditched the rental in a no-parking zone, her only option unless she wanted to circle for hours, and jogged to the van.

"Dario's a day early," Jack reported once she got inside. "He was apparently already here when she pulled up."

"What'd I miss?" Chase put her headset on. The monitor showed Heather sitting on an armchair in one frame. She was wearing a short emerald c.o.c.ktail dress and matching heels. The adjoining frame of the watcher's room was dark as before.

"Nothing much. He's been complimenting her on how beautiful she looks."

They both went quiet and listened in.

* 180 *

ChaPter nineteen.

Heather wished Dario would stop with the effusive praise about her appearance, which always preluded their appointments. Sure, he was more polite and civil about it than most of the johns she picked up to entertain him, but such compliments did nothing for her. She wanted him to get on with whatever this whole "talk" thing was about so she could just go home. She was still raw from the despair, guilt, and self-loathing that had put her in tears last night.

"I'm happy you could make it on such short notice," Dario said."I try to accommodate you if I can."

"I appreciate that, Amber. I wanted to see you tonight because there's been a change in my schedule."

"Oh?"

"I am expected to make another business trip this week."

"I see," Heather said. "Have you informed Direct Connect about the changes?"

"I have. I also asked for permission to make you an offer."

"All right," Heather said warily.

"I would like you to accompany me to China."

"I don't think I can-"

"We would leave this Friday and return Monday." Dario continued as though he hadn't heard her. "You will be generously rewarded."

* 181 *

"It's not about money," Heather said. "I don't feel comfortable going away with someone I don't know, let alone have never even seen.""What are you afraid of? Don't you trust me?"

"It's simply a matter of not knowing you." Heather didn't want to offend him; he was an important client. But she was astonished he might think she could ever trust such a man. "Aside from that, it would be impossible to get the time off on such short notice."

"Your employer has already agreed."

"I don't mean Direct Connect."

"I know who you mean."

Heather was stunned speechless by the implication. She knew he could see the shock on her face.

"I talked to Robert this morning," Dario said, referring to her boss at Cesare Ch.e.l.line Fashions. "He was most compliant."

"How do you know about my work?"

"I know a lot about you, Heather." So he knew her name, where she worked, and what else? This was a whole new kind of violation, one she was unprepared for. She got up and walked to the two-way mirror. "How do you know?"

"Acquiring what you want is simple, if you want it enough."

"What you want?" Heather repeated. "I don't understand where you're going with this, Dario, but my personal life was never part of the deal."

"I reserve that term for business. My interest in you is purely for pleasure."

"This conversation is making me very uncomfortable" Heather turned her back to collect herself.

"What troubles you, Heather? My proposal or the fact that I know who you are?"

"You have no idea who I am." The response came out sharper than she intended, but she was having a hard time controlling her rising anger.

"Excuse my poor choice of words," Dario said with his usual unctuous politeness. "I was merely referring to the facts."

* 182 *

"Did you think you could blackmail me into accepting your offer?"

"Of course not. I don't want you to do anything against your will. I've been very careful to respect you." Respect me? The guy pays to watch me have s.e.x.

"I want you to come with me only if you wish to."

"a.s.suming I agreed, which I don't, " Heather replied, "I'd be doing it for the money, not because I wanted to."

"Which wouldn't be any different from what you do for me every week."

"Then realize what I do here has nothing to do with what I want."

"I can't completely agree with that statement," Dario said.

"Unless, of course, you are here against your will. Does someone force you to entertain me, or is it something you choose to do?"

"I do it because I have to."

"And why do you have to?"

"That's none of your business."

"Is it because you want to help your brother?"

"What?" she fired back, too loud. He indeed knew everything about her, and the realization both disgusted and frightened her.

"I'm sure it is. In which case, you do this work because you want to help him. You do it because you want to keep him alive. Do you see how necessity can make you want?"

"Who the h.e.l.l do you think you are?"

"Someone who wants to help you. All I ask in return is your company."

"Why me? I'm sure you know plenty of women who'd be happy to oblige."

"You're beautiful, smart, and compa.s.sionate. The ideal woman to keep me company and make me look good. And, no, I don't a.s.sociate with women of your caliber."

"What does that mean?" Though she knew how ridiculous it was to place any credence on a john's opinion, she couldn't help feeling offended.

* 183 *

"I don't know any other woman as painfully beautiful as well as bright."

She knew it was meant as a compliment, but the sentiment disgusted her.

If he was so clued into her life it was only fair that she ask him about his. "Is Dario your real name?"

"Yes."