Catching the Bad Guy (Book Two) (Janet Maple Series) Read online

  “Distract them with questions? Are you out of your mind? Where did you get the bug in the first place? Is this even legal?”

  “From Feds friends. We’ll deal with the legal issues later.”

  Just then Fred turned around, and Dennis wrapped his arm around Janet’s waist, pressing his lips against Janet’s.

  “Excuse me, but here we are,” Fred announced, embarrassed.

  “Thank you,” Janet managed after Dennis’s lips finally lifted away from hers.

  The nerve of the man! What did he think this was, a James Bond movie? Oh, she was going to give him a piece of her mind the moment they were alone. The adamant, cocky, bastard who also turned out to be such a good kisser … Her head was spinning with a mixture of vexing indignation and the intense pleasure that Dennis’s kiss had sent ringing like bells throughout her entire body.

  “After you, my dear.” Dennis motioned at the room entrance with the ease of an experienced imposter.

  “Thank you,” Janet nodded, clenching the tiny metal bug in her fingers.

  She had to get her head together. She’d be damned if she would let Dennis think that he had gotten to her. She was far from being a fan of Dennis’s investigative techniques, but at the moment it did not matter. If she failed to do what he had asked her to do, he might think that she did so because of his kiss, and that was a much more mortifying possibility than the prospect of being fired or possibly even arrested for illegally planting a bug in a public place.

  Janet stepped into the room. It was medium in size, with a large round table set up in the middle of the room.

  “Do you like it, honey?” Dennis asked.

  “It’s lovely!” Janet exclaimed as she twirled her way around the room, fully aware of the skirt of her dress spinning around her legs.

  “Excellent! She likes it!” Dennis repeated Janet’s verdict as though it were an honor of great distinction. “And what is your earliest availability?” he asked Fred.

  “Oh, I’m afraid you’ll have to check downstairs regarding that,” Fred answered. “They keep the schedule.”

  “Very well. And is there access for the handicapped? You see, my grandmother, she can only get around with a walker …”

  While Dennis peppered poor Fred with questions, Janet traced her hand against the wooden paneling. Then, ever so casually, she pressed the bug that she had been holding between her fingers into a tiny crack between the panels.

  Mission accomplished, she thought as an intense torrent of emotions rushed through her. It was a mixture of excitement, fear, and triumph. She had just planted a bug in a restaurant, and she was as cool as a cucumber. Now she understood why Dennis did things the way he did. This was so much more fun than being stuck behind the desk in the office. Not that that made this kind of blatant disregard for the rules permissible, especially when their job was to uphold the rules, but she decided that she would think about that later. Right now she just wanted to enjoy the rush. Ever so discreetly she continued the languid motion of her hand to conceal her heart thumping with triumph.

  “Honey, I think this is it.” She linked her arm through Dennis’s. “We’ll be calling you shortly,” she smiled at Fred.

  “Wonderful.”

  Janet could barely contain her urge to jump up and down as she followed Dennis to the host’s desk. I did it, I did it, I did it! Dennis Walker might have many faults, but there was no denying that he drove her to do things that she normally would never dare to do. Most of the time he drove her crazy but sometimes, like right now, he made her feel really, really good.

  “Did you like the room?” asked the host.

  “Very much so,” Janet replied.

  “Would you like to place a deposit then?”

  Her composure was about to abandon her but Dennis came to the rescue. “We’d love to, but we have to be off or we’ll be late, and my girlfriend’s aunt and uncle are very punctual. We’ll call you to finalize all the details.”

  The host nodded approvingly. “It’s so nice to see close family ties. Whenever you’re ready, but please be sure to give yourself plenty of time in advance. This place books up quickly.”

  Once outside of the restaurant, Dennis shot Janet a congratulatory glance. Her entire being wanted to shout hurray, but she knew better, and followed Dennis silently along the street.

  “That was really great work in there, Janet.” Dennis patted Janet’s shoulder once they were several blocks away from the restaurant.

  “Thanks.” Janet had to exercise all her self-control to keep the disappointment she felt out of her voice. Was that all it was to him? Work? The intensity of his kiss still lingered on her lips and in her thoughts. A kiss like that could not have been just work, but then maybe to a man like Dennis Walker it was precisely that.

  “You were pretty good in there yourself. So what do we do next?”

  “We wait and listen.”

  “Wait for what?”

  “Wait to see if our plan has worked. And if it has, we listen to what we’re going to be able to hear through the bug that you planted. I have to say, when you made your skirt spin around you back there, I thought that poor Fred fella’s eyes were going to pop out. Excellent move. I think you’re a natural.”

  What about your eyes? Janet wanted to ask, but instead she remained silent and merely nodded in agreement.

  “So, your place or mine?”

  “What do you mean?” Janet blurted out before she could catch herself. Of course she knew what he meant. Your place or mine to listen to the stupid bug she had planted. Suddenly, she did not give a hoot about Muller, Finnegan, or even Kingsley. As far as she was concerned, the whole case could go down the drain; but she could not very well say that to Dennis, so instead she said, “Mine. This way I won’t have to worry about finding a dog sitter for Baxter.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll bring snacks.”

  Janet finally remembered the question she had been dying to ask Dennis all along. “How can you be sure that we got the right room?”

  “I can’t be sure, but it was our safest bet with the amount of time we had to get it done. Laskin had mentioned that Finnegan usually books a private dining room, and this was the smallest room at the restaurant. Granted, if you or I tried to book a room that seats twenty-five people for a dinner of three, we’d be told to get lost, but Finnegan holds far great clout than we do. Still, there’s a chance that I was wrong, and he’ll end up sitting in the general area, in which case we’re screwed. But we could not very well go running all over the restaurant planting bugs. Besides, I only had one bug. The Feds are real stingy when it comes to sharing unauthorized resources.”

  “I hope you picked the right room. Otherwise, I’ve just put on the greatest performance of my lifetime planting that bug for nothing.”

  “It wasn’t for nothing, Janet.” The tone of Dennis’s voice made Janet look up, but he quickly switched topics. “I’ll see you tonight, partner.”

  “See you later.”

  Partner. The word made Janet want to seal her ears shut. To be fair, there is nothing offensive about the word partner in general, but when a man a woman likes a lot more than just a work partner uses it to address her, it is downright infuriating.

  ***

  As he watched Janet walk away from him, Dennis Walker was a knot of conflicting emotions. Part of him wanted to rejoice in the successful operation Janet and he had just pulled off, while another part of him wanted to kick himself for being such an idiot. Partner? Why on earth did he call her that when partner was the last thing he wanted her to be, especially after that kiss.

  He would have liked to say that the kiss had been part of the cover-up, but he knew better. There were pretend kisses with lips barely touching, and then there were sexy, passionate kisses that swept you into a tide of desire. The kiss he had shared with Janet Maple was of the latter kind. The truth of the matter was that he had wanted to kiss her for a while—ever since he had first laid his eyes on her in the office of Bos
toff Securities, to be precise—and today marked the limit of his longing. When he saw her in that red dress, her lips juicy and shiny, her eyes demurely lowered under her long, rich lashes, he snatched his moment. Of course there had been a risk of her slapping him and ruining their entire operation, but he had counted on Janet’s work dedication, and he had been right. In fact, he was quite certain that the reason that Janet allowed him to kiss her stemmed from motivation that had to be greater than just work dedication. After all, not only had she allowed him to taste the softness of her lips, she had let his tongue caress her mouth and had answered him with equal passion. He had barely had the presence of mind to pull away from her and remember the task at hand. But now there was no danger of him jeopardizing their mission. After the way he had just acted, he was certain that his chances of getting closer than partner distance to Janet were close to nil.

  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.

  Chapter 25

  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.”