Gemini Men: Caught Part 14

"It all seems too easy," Toni said, unable to get away from the gut feeling that all was not right yet. "It's not like Kara to let everyone worry. I've said from the beginning, she wouldn't disappear and let everyone freak out."

"She did update her FacePlace page," Ethan said. "And I think that if we discovered anything in the past couple of days, it's that there's a lot about your friend Kara that you don't know."

He had her there. Still. "I can't helping thinking there's something more going on."

"You know, Toni, sometimes things aren't nearly as complicated as you'd like to make them."

She didn't need her genius IQ to tell her he was talking about more than the situation with Kara. The remembered feel of Ethan's hands on her skin, his tongue between her legs, his long, thick c.o.c.k sinking into her as he whispered s.e.xy, dirty things in her ear hit her in a hot rush.

Uncomplicated? Maybe for him.

She stayed quiet for the rest of the trip, leaving him to fly in silence while she considered Kara's actions from every angle. Toni was a rational, logical person, sometimes to a fault, but she couldn't get away from the niggling doubt that something was off here. All the evidence pointed to the simplest explanation: Kara took off for a few days and finally deigned to call.

So why couldn't she let it go?

When they landed, Ethan offered to drop her off before he headed to Jerry's.

"h.e.l.l, no, I'm going with you."

"Toni-"

She cut him off. "I know Jerry doesn't like me, but I want to talk to him face-to-face."

"Fine." He flipped open his phone and made a call to his brother, telling him to meet them at Jerry's house.

"What's she doing here?" Jerry asked sharply when Toni followed Ethan into his office. Another man was already there, a man who could only be Ethan's twin brother, Derek. While they weren't identical, the resemblance was strong enough to inspire a twitter of interest. Nothing compared to the raging torrent of hormones unleashed when she got within touching distance of Ethan, but a woman would have to be dead not to find Derek Taggart attractive. He was as big and muscular as his brother, his shoulders nearly spanning the back of the armchair he occupied. His short-cropped hair was lighter than Ethan's, more gold than brown, and his eyes were deep, dark, intent.

Like Ethan, Derek's skin was darkly tanned from time spent outdoors, and his features had that same sculpted-in-granite look. He and Ethan had the same sharp cheekbones, blunt chins, and wide, sensual mouths. But while their looks were similar, their demeanors couldn't have been more different. Where Ethan was all flirty warmth and easy smiles, Derek radiated quiet reserve.

Ethan introduced them, and Derek took her hand in his powerful grip. His smile was nothing more than a slight quirk of his lips, and he studied her with an intensity that made her shift from one sneakered foot to the other.

Toni realized with a sinking feeling that Derek knew exactly what had gone on between her and his brother.

But now was not the moment to wallow in humiliation over what she'd allowed to happen with Ethan.

She turned her attention to Jerry, who glared at her, not bothering to disguise his dislike. "I made Ethan bring me," she said, not backing down from his hooded look. "Since I hauled my a.s.s all the way to Vegas on Kara's behalf, I thought I deserve to see her message myself."

"Fine." Jerry fiddled with the keypad and pa.s.sed over his phone.

Toni read the message on the display while Ethan read it out loud over her shoulder.

"Dad, sorry I didn't call went to a friend's house at the beach be back in a couple days. Don't worry. Love you."

Toni checked the caller ID, verifying it was sent from Kara's phone. Jerry had probably done that himself, but she wanted to be sure. "What friends of hers have beach houses?" Toni asked.

"I don't know," Jerry said. "In any case, you don't need to worry about it. You saw for yourself, she's fine. There's really no more reason for you to be here."

"But there are things we should discuss," she said, "Kara's recent behavior, the people she's been hanging out with." She couldn't believe a man like Jerry, one who expected such perfect behavior from his children, would let things like the FacePlace profile and photos on Toby Frankel's Web site slide. "We should talk to her, consider installing software that will monitor her online activity."

"How I address Kara's behavior is a private matter," Jerry said. "And if I need help keeping track of her, I'm confident Gemini can a.s.sist me."

"But Ethan and I have been working together on this-"

"But I didn't hire you," Jerry said. "My ex-wife did. And if you don't mind, I have some things I need to discuss with Ethan and his brother that are confidential."

"I got a ride with Ethan," Toni said, grasping at straws, but not ready to be shunted off so quickly. Not when she was even more sure than ever that Jerry had something to hide.

"I'll have Manuela give you a ride," Jerry said, already pushing the intercom b.u.t.ton.

Toni looked to Ethan for support, only to find him nodding to Jerry.

"Derek and I need to discuss some modifications to the security system," Ethan said. "It's not appropriate for you to listen in."

"But Kara's not even home yet."

"You no longer need to concern yourself with my daughter," Jerry said sharply. "Consider this case closed."

"As you said, you didn't hire me, your wife did. And until she tells me otherwise, I'll consider myself on the clock. I'm sure Ethan feels the same way."

Ethan sank down in a wingback chair next to the one Derek sat in. "Toni, Kara contacted her father saying she's fine. As far as I'm concerned, the investigative part of my job is finished." He turned to say something to Derek, his tone too low for her to overhear.

Just like that, he was blowing her off. Ignoring her as if what she said didn't matter, as if what happened didn't matter.

Derek looked up, locking eyes with Toni. Beneath the intense focus of his gaze, Toni caught a glimpse of something else. Her hand clenched convulsively at her side as she recognized what it was. Pity. Derek felt sorry for her. He knew she'd slept with Ethan and thought she was hung up on his brother, like the legions of women who had come before.

She bit her tongue, resisting the urge to set Derek straight. She might have given in to temptation, but she was too smart to fall for a guy like Ethan.

"Fine," she said and turned to walk out of Jerry's office. Heavy footsteps followed her down the hall.

"Toni, wait."

"Ride's waiting," she said, as she rounded the corner and saw Manuela waiting with her keys and purse. "I need to get my stuff from your car."

He followed her out and unlocked the car. "Toni-"

"Don't worry Ethan, I get it," she said as she removed her laptop case and her overnight bag from the trunk of his BMW. "Case closed, see you later. But I still think Jerry's hiding something, and I'm going to find out what it is, whether you like it or not."

His hand on her arm stopped her as she turned to walk away. Even that slight contact was enough to send blistering heat through her as she fought back memories of the previous night. He was so close, his woodsy, earthy scent teased her nostrils and she could see the pulse pounding under the skin of his throat. The same skin she'd tasted last night. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Ethan," Derek called from inside the house, "Jerry wants to get started.

"I'll call you," Ethan said, not letting go of her arm.

Toni pulled away from his grip and made a scoffing sound in her throat. "Don't bother."

Toni seethed the entire ride home, where she picked up her car, and all the way to Marcy's. She didn't know what p.i.s.sed her off the most. That Ethan accepted Kara's text message as the end of the story, or that he dismissed her with a "don't let the door hit you in the a.s.s" after she'd been the one to discover Kara's secret online life and track down Toby Frankel.

Or it could be because last night he'd given her several of the most intense o.r.g.a.s.ms of her entire life, and now he was treating her as if they'd gone out for pizza.

She pulled into the parking lot of Marcy's townhouse complex, hoping Marcy had heard from Kara, too. If so, Toni would be willing to dismiss her suspicions as a result of being too close to Kara and letting memories of her past make her paranoid. In any case, she needed to talk to Marcy about keeping better tabs on her daughter.

So far, Marcy hadn't returned any of Toni's calls. Not entirely unexpected, since Marcy regularly liked to sleep in, depending on how hard she'd hit the chardonnay the night before. Toni banged on the door for five straight minutes until it finally opened to reveal Marcy's thin face dominated by huge, bloodshot eyes.

"Did you find her? Is she 'kay?"

Toni stepped back and concealed a grimace. Marcy smelled like she'd been swimming in a wine barrel. "She texted Jerry this morning and said she was with a friend. She didn't call you?"

Marcy shook her head and blinked hard, trying to clear away the cobwebs. "I didn't hear the phone." She turned and hurried up the stairs, her wraith-thin form listing to the right.

Marcy muddled around her living room until she found her phone. She scrolled through the caller ID, squinting and studying each number so closely Toni had to fight to keep from s.n.a.t.c.hing the phone out of her hand. When Marcy shook her head, Toni took the phone from her and checked the call log herself, to be sure.

Toni pulled her own phone out, compulsively checking her messages, confirming that Kara hadn't contacted her either. The niggling feeling that all was not yet right strengthened in force.

"No e-mails, nothing?" Toni asked, grasping at straws, and she knew it. Still, she had Marcy check her messages, just in case.

"I don't understand," Marcy said as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "Kara told Jerry she was fine. Why are you still so worried?"

Toni motioned for Marcy to sit down at the kitchen table before taking the seat across from her. "In the past few days, I found out some stuff about Kara, things she's involved in that none of us had any idea about." She told Marcy about the partying, the photos, her involvement with Toby.

Marcy's already pale skin leached to gray and she raised weary hands to her face. "I should have seen this. So much has happened. The divorce. And we put so much pressure on the kids." Her voice trailed off as she stared off into the s.p.a.ce past Toni's shoulder. "I jus' don't know what to do anymore." Her words were still a little soft around the edges. "But do you think she's in trouble, still?"

Even if Kara was partying on the beach somewhere, she was still in trouble as far as Toni was concerned, but she knew what Marcy meant. "Do I think she's in danger, right this second? I don't know," Toni said. "But I can't shake the feeling that we're missing something." Toni got up and poured herself a cup of coffee, trying to figure out how to explain it to Marcy when she couldn't get her own head wrapped around it. "Do you think it's weird that she contacted Jerry and no one else? Not you, not any of her friends, not Manuela, when she usually checks in with her?"

Marcy took another long swallow and visibly tried to focus. "I don't know. I guess. They've had their issues lately, but then, so have she and I," she said with a watery laugh. "Why does it matter?"

Toni shrugged. She didn't really have any idea either, other than the fact that she didn't like the way Jerry didn't meet her eyes the whole time she was at his house. Then again, she'd been the one to confirm his adultery and find that offsh.o.r.e bank account. Toni didn't really blame him for not wanting to be best mates.

Still, it bugged her how this all conveniently wrapped itself up with a neat little bow, and Jerry the only one holding the proof.

But if Kara was still missing, why would Jerry try to cover it up, especially after hiring Ethan?

Maybe Ethan was right. Some things weren't that complicated.

"I wouldn't have any idea what's going on with Jerry and Kara," Marcy continued. "I barely had a clue what was going on when we were married." She gave Toni a sheepish look. "I know what you're thinking. But I didn't drink this much before..." her voice trailed off. "But Jerry was always keeping secrets, even before the affair."

The tiny hairs p.r.i.c.kled on the back of Toni's neck. "Secrets?"

"He was always having meetings, secret phone calls. At first I thought it was another woman, but that didn't happen till later. And you know that account you found?"

Toni nodded.

Marcy leaned close and spoke in a whisper, even though there was no one around to overhear. "I have no idea where that money came from."

Toni pulled her eyebrows into a frown. "I don't follow."

"I had an accountant go over everything. All of his paychecks, bonuses, stock options, you name it. That money didn't come from GeneCor."

"Then where do you think it came from?"

"Maybe he was moonlighting, maybe he was selling drugs." Marcy barked out a laugh. "You helped me get my cut." She raised an eyebrow and toasted Toni with her coffee mug. "That's all I care about."

"You really think Jerry was doing something illegal?" It was probably nothing. She was definitely being paranoid.

Marcy stiffened, instantly sobering. "You don't think this has anything to do with Kara? She's fine, right? She wrote and said she's fine."

Toni reached out a hesitant hand and laid it over Marcy's. "You're right. I'm sure she's fine."

She wasn't sure about anything, except for the gut-deep feeling that Jerry was up to something.

Luckily, she had all the tools at her disposal to satisfy her curiosity about Jerry Kramer. Within a couple of hours, she knew every cell phone call he'd made and received in the past ninety days. Kara's number was there in black and white, posting a message at seven-oh-three this morning.

And the money. In addition to the offsh.o.r.e account Toni had found when Marcy first hired her, Toni found a new account set up under BioEnterprises, LLC, based in Cyprus. The account had received several deposits in the last six months, totaling nearly five million dollars.

And there were pending transactions as well, from other brokerage and money market accounts. Big transactions, as though Jerry was transferring all of his a.s.sets into one single offsh.o.r.e account.

As though Jerry was getting ready to run.

After Toni left, Ethan and Derek finished modifying Jerry's security system so each person now had a personal security code. As Ethan had explained to Jerry, he'd set it up so that whenever Kara or her brother, Kyle, entered or exited the house, Jerry would receive a message on his BlackBerry.

Ethan hadn't bothered to tell Jerry that they'd also rigged the system to alert Ethan whenever Jerry came and went, or that Derek had hidden a GPS tracking device in the glove compartment of Jerry's car.

Jerry was definitely hiding something. Even without Toni's planting the seed of suspicion, Ethan had picked up on Jerry's skittish vibe, the way his gaze kept slipping when they asked when Kara was coming back. And when Jerry had protested the new key codes, asking why they were necessary, as far as Ethan was concerned that was the nail in the evidence coffin.

"Your daughter took off without telling you. Don't you want me to try to help you prevent it from happening again?" Ethan had asked, deliberately not looking at Jerry when he answered.

Lots of people could keep a poker face, but few could keep a poker voice. Ethan knew what to listen for, the tones, the inflections, the careful way a person spoke when he was hiding something. Jerry displayed them all.

Ethan didn't know if it had anything to do with Kara's disappearance, but his gut was telling him he'd better find out. He was equally sure Toni was busy sniffing Jerry out, but she hadn't returned any of the calls or texts he'd sent her since she'd left Jerry's p.i.s.sed as h.e.l.l and convinced Ethan was blowing her off.

Frustrated that she couldn't get past her personal bulls.h.i.t to give him a call back, Ethan enlisted Derek to help him work out some of his frustration.

Two hours later, they were still at it, sweating through their T-shirts and gym shorts as they squared off on the mats. All three brothers had trained extensively in hand-to-hand combat and sparred regularly to keep their skills sharp.

"If Danny finds out we're spying on a client, he's going to be p.i.s.sed," Derek said. The muscles of his torso flexed as he balanced on the b.a.l.l.s of his feet, ready to fend off Ethan's charge.

Not to mention they could lose their license if Jerry found out and lodged a complaint. But that wasn't enough to stop Ethan from following his gut, and his gut agreed with Toni. Not that Jerry's behavior had given any weight to his hunch. Twenty minutes after Ethan and Derek had left, they had tracked Jerry to his office building. He hadn't left since.

Ethan feinted right and swung his fist at Derek's midsection. Derek blocked the blow and kneed Ethan in the right thigh. "I have valid concerns about our client's security," Ethan said, ducking to avoid Derek's punch. "In order to a.s.sure his safety, I have to know his whereabouts at all times."

"Yeah, but usually our clients know what the h.e.l.l we're up to."

"Minor detail. Besides, Toni's right. He's up to something."

Derek gave a brief nod and nailed Ethan with a jab to his chest that stole his breath, then sidestepped to the right to avoid Ethan's answering blow. "Speaking of Toni. She's pretty hot, but not your usual type." He grinned and dodged as Ethan's closed fist whizzed past his head. "Hey, we said no faces!"

Ethan flexed his fist and blew a drop of sweat off the tip of his nose.

"I guess this means I owe Danny fifty bucks," Derek continued when Ethan didn't respond.