Naked Frame Part 18

"Sounds serious."

"It is." She led him to the couch and they sat down. "You know how I feel about you, Manny. And I think you feel the same way. We're hoping to have a future together, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"Well, the thing is...I have a problem."

"How can I help? Tell me what I can do."

"Okay. You know about how I'm supposed to make a lot of money from the project I'm working on?"

"Yeah."

"Well, there's a man who wants to take that away from me. And that would destroy our future. We need that money."

"So, you want me to go talk some sense into the b.a.s.t.a.r.d?"

"No. I'm afraid talking won't work."

"How about I rough him up? That'll change his mind."

"No. What I need...is for him to die."

Mandibul hesitated. "You want me to...kill him?"

"It's the only way."

CHAPTER 29 - Tuesday, 9:14 p.m.

Cam was taller than your typical supermodel. At 6-foot-4, she was every man's larger-than-life dream Barbie. Some guys were bothered by her angular features. Others were oblivious to the fact that they were being turned on by a transvest.i.te. She would never do anything to burst their bubble. She lived for the fantasy.

But her dreams of a modeling career were history. Cam had become a realist. She was serious about her new work. After her brother, Tony, had failed, Poppa had told him to hand the job over to Cam. She was finally getting chance to prove herself.

And it was going to be so easy.

She had no trouble recognizing Megan. The seat across from the seventeen year-old was available, so she took it. When Cam crossed her legs, Megan noticed her bright red high heels.

"I love your shoes."

"Thanks."

"You must be a model. Or an actress."

Cam smiled. "Both, actually. I'm flying to Dallas for a local commercial shoot."

"So, you live here in New York?"

"Yes. Most of my work is here. But I was free for this thing, so I figured, why not? It might lead to an acting career."

Megan's face lit up. "Wow. That's so cool."

"Now, judging by your accent, I'd say you're a Texan."

"Is it that obvious? d.a.m.n, I've got lose this accent somehow."

"You dang sure better, Missy," said Cam, in her best Texas tw.a.n.g.

Megan's jaw dropped. "That's amazing."

Cam laughed.

"How did you learn to sound like a Texan?"

"You pick it up. It's not that hard. But you've got to be careful where you use it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, a lot of people up here think you're dumb or gullible if you sound southern."

"Really? Thanks for the tip." Megan hesitated. "But I guess it doesn't matter now. I'm going home. And I don't know if I'll ever get to come back."

"Oh, don't say that, Honey. I'm sure things will work out for you."

Megan began to cry, and wipe her eyes. She got up and walked to the restroom.

Cam waited a few seconds, and followed Megan into the restroom. Bending down to look under the stalls, she saw only one pair of shoes. And she could hear Megan sobbing.

Cam slipped back out to the entrance and looked around. n.o.body was approaching. She would knock on Megan's stall door, and the foolish little teen would open it to her new friend. Cam would step inside to console her, place her hands on the sides of Megan's sweet, young head, and give it a violent twist. After balancing the girl's corpse on the toilet, she would walk away, and mark the first notch on her kill belt.

The adrenaline rush was amazing. Cam's body tingled with antic.i.p.ation as she walked to the stall of death. She was about to knock when five college girls ran into the restroom.

Cam turned around and walked over to a sink. She opened her purse and took out her powder. The co-eds would get their business done quickly and clear out. Megan would be unlikely to exit her stall while the cheery babes were in the bathroom.

Cam counted the girls out of the corner of her eye as each one came out of a stall, washed her hands, and left. She was careful to avoid eye contact, not wanting to be remembered as the strange woman lurking in the restroom.

She bent down to look under the stalls. Yes. Only one pair of shoes. Cam hurried to the stall door and knocked.

Megan didn't answer.

Cam knocked again. "Megan?" She needed to do it fast, before somebody else wandered in.

Still no answer.

She stretched to her tiptoes and peeked over the top of the door. "Megan?"

"Do you mind, Lady?"

The girl looking up at her was not Megan. It was one of the college girls. Megan had not been in that stall, but in the one next to it. She had slipped out with four of the college girls. "Dammit."

Cam ran out of the restroom. Megan's plane was already boarding, and she was nowhere in sight. Cam had a ticket, but she was on standby. And the plane was full. But flying to Dallas had never part of Cam's plan anyway. The ticket was just to get her through security.

She watched the plane pull away from the gate.

It should have been so easy.

CHAPTER 30 - Tuesday, 9:26 p.m.

Harvey poured himself another gla.s.s of Pinot Noir. "Yes, 2004 was a very good year." He took a sip.

But, of course, this year would be even better-now that Big Bill was a giant sack of worm food. He sat down in his overstuffed leather chair and gazed at his wall-to-wall bookshelf. He had actually read some of those books. Many were leather bound. None were paperback. Harvey enjoyed bringing dinner guests into his study for a drink, just to impress them with his large personal library.

Catherine was gone for good. She had grown tired of Harvey's late nights and weekends at the office. Never having time for her or their children. She had taken the girls to her mother's house. He would be expecting a call from her divorce attorney.

Harvey would give her whatever she wanted. No long, drawn out divorce. The quicker the better-so he could marry the true love of his life: Kimberly. The very thought of her name raised his blood pressure-in a good way.

Yes, he would divorce Catherine, marry Kimberly, and become the new CEO of Smotherburn Technologies. He took another sip and smiled. Running the company every day. Banging Kimberly every night. What a life it would be.

The intruder wrapped a soft cloth around the head of the hammer and tapped it against one of the panes in the kitchen door. The pane broke and gla.s.s fell to the floor inside. The study was located in the other wing of the house, so he wouldn't hear a thing.

Reaching in through the broken window with a gloved hand, it was easy to unlock the deadbolt and open the door. No alarm would sound. Harvey never set it until bedtime.

Harvey was so busy drinking wine and dreaming of his honeymoon with Kimberly that he didn't notice the tip of the suppressor emerging from the edge of the door frame. He should have spotted the gun aiming at the side of his head, twelve feet away.

But he didn't.

And he didn't feel the bullet when it pierced his temple, pa.s.sed through his brain, and out the other side of his head.

Harvey slumped over. The gla.s.s fell from his hand, splashing red wine onto the plush, white carpet.

On the way out the kitchen door, the killer dropped a small silver item on the floor.

CHAPTER 31 - Tuesday, 9:40 p.m.

As Gabby pulled into Wiley's driveway, his phone rang.

"Melvin?...Well, are you okay? I tried calling you earlier...I see...good...thanks, Melvin. And I'm so sorry I got you into a dangerous situation...okay. Take care."

Gabby ended the call. "He's okay. Just a few bruises. No broken bones."

"Thank goodness. I was really worried about him."

They got out of the car and walked up to Wiley's front door.

Rebecca rang the doorbell.

Gabby peeked in through the sidelight window. "I don't see anybody. Try knocking."

Rebecca knocked on the door.

Still no response.

"Maybe he's pa.s.sed out," said Rebecca.

"It's kinda early to be drunk."

"Yeah, I guess."

Gabby glanced over his shoulder. "Did you see that car slow down as it pa.s.sed by?"

"No."

"I think somebody's watching us. Maybe we'd better get out of here."

"I want to find out if Wiley knows about the contract."

"That's probably what he and Bobby were arguing about."

"So, maybe now he's gone over to confront Kimberly."

Headlights from the road caught Gabby's attention. "There's that car again."

"Okay. Let's go."