Читать книгу Ultimate Romance Collection - Rebecca Winters, Amalie Berlin - Страница 66

Nine

Swan had just finished the last of her inventory when she heard the knock on her shop’s door. Crossing the room, she peeped through the blinds to see who it was. A smile touched her lips as she unlocked the door. “David, I didn’t think I’d see you until Friday.”

He glanced around her empty shop before looking back at her. “I finished work early and remembered you saying you were working late tonight doing inventory. I wanted to make sure you got home okay.”

That was really nice of him. “You didn’t have to do that.” But she was glad he had. They had spent Monday together celebrating Memorial Day. He had arrived at her place for breakfast and then they’d walked to where the start of the parade would take place.

After the parade, they’d gone to the island festival marketplace where various vendors had lined the streets with booths and a huge Ferris wheel. They had taken one of the boat rides around the islands and had ended up eating lunch on Key Largo.

She had thought about him a lot since Monday, remembering in explicit detail how he’d made love to her before leaving.

“I know you said Jamila would be off today,” David said. “What about your tattoo guy? Is the parlor closed on Wednesdays as well?”

“Yes, but Rafe dropped by earlier. He was expecting a shipment of more ink to come in today but it didn’t. He wasn’t happy about that.”

“He wasn’t?”

“No. He said there was a particular shade of blue he was expecting.”

Flipper nodded and checked his watch. “Ready to go?”

“Yes, I just need to grab my purse from my office.” She was about to turn to get it when there was another knock at the door.

“Expecting anyone?” David asked her.

“No. I’ll see who it is.”

She walked to the door and David went with her. After glancing out of the blinds, she turned back to David and smiled. “It’s Jamila and Horacio.”

She unlocked the door. “Jamila, hi.”

“Hey, Swan. Horacio and I were in the neighborhood and I remembered you would be here late. I thought we’d drop by to say hello.”

Swan smiled at the man with Jamila. “Horacio, it’s good seeing you again.”

“Same here, Swan,” he said in a heavy accent that Swan always loved hearing.

“And this is my friend David Holloway. David, you already know Jamila. This is her friend Horacio Jacinto,” Swan said, making introductions.

The two men shook hands. Swan wondered if she’d imagined it but she thought David had tensed up when he’d seen Jamila and Horacio. “Nice meeting you, Horacio,” David said. “I can’t place your accent. Where are you from?”

“Portugal.”

“Nice country,” David said.

“Thanks.”

“I hope you’ll leave before it gets too late, Swan,” Jamila was saying.

“I will. David came to make sure I got home okay.” Usually whenever she worked late, either doing inventory or making her jewelry, she would catch a cab home even though she lived only a few blocks away. But since David was here, she would suggest they walk. It was a nice night and she would love to spend more time with him.

“We’ll see you guys later,” Jamila said. “We had dinner at Marty’s Diner and now we’re going to Summer Moon for drinks and live music.”

“Okay. Enjoy. And I hope to see you again the next time the ship ports, Horacio,” Swan said.

Horacio smiled. “I hope to see you as well.”

After they left, Swan went to her office to get her purse. She returned and noticed David was standing in the same spot where she’d left him, staring at the door. “Are you all right?”

He turned to her. “Yes, it’s just that Horacio looks familiar and I was trying to remember when I might’ve seen him. Maybe I’ve run into him before, here on the island.”

She nodded. “That’s possible. He’s a chef on the Century Cruise Line that docks here once a week. Whenever it does, he comes ashore and meets up with Jamila. I think I mentioned that to you.”

“You did, but I could have sworn I saw him a few nights ago. Sunday. After leaving your place.”

Swan shook her head. “It wasn’t him. The ship didn’t arrive in our port until today. But you know what they say about everybody having a twin.”

He chuckled. “You’re probably right, but I’m sure you don’t have one. I’m convinced there’s not another woman anywhere who is as beautiful as you.”

Swan knew better than to let such compliments go to her head, but she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips. “You, David Holloway, can make a girl’s head swell if she’s inclined to believe whatever you say.”

“I hope you do believe it because I spoke the truth.” He took her hand in his as they headed for the door.

* * *

Flipper pulled out his phone the minute he walked into his hotel room later that night. He’d felt it vibrate in his pocket when he was walking Swan home but figured it would be a call he needed to take in private.

Swan had invited him inside but he’d declined, telling her he had a ton of paperwork waiting on him back at his hotel. That wasn’t a lie. He’d begun rereading all those naval intelligence reports to see if he could determine why those investigators had failed to do their job and instead intentionally went after Swan as a scapegoat.

He checked his phone and saw Nick had called and Flipper quickly returned the call. “What do you have for me?”

“More than you counted on. All I can say is whoever handled that investigation did a botched-up job.”

Or they did the job they’d been expected to do, Flipper thought. “I guess there’s a reason you feel that way.”

“Yes. That ink you sent to be analyzed isn’t what it’s supposed to be.”

“It’s not ink?”

“Yes, it’s ink, but coded ink. When applied to the skin as a tattoo, it can be decoded by a special light. It’s my guess that’s how the classified information is leaving Swan Jamison’s shop—with people’s tattoos and not with any of her jewelry. Guess where the ink is being shipped from.”

“Swan mentioned from some place in California.”

“Yes, that’s right and the distribution company is a few miles from the naval base in San Diego. That means someone on the base must be passing classified information that’s being shipped in the ink.”

Flipper frowned. “And because Rafe Duggers is conveniently including Swan’s stones with each shipment, it makes sense for her to be suspect.”

“Right,” Nick agreed. “Someone is setting her up real good, Flipper. They are definitely making her the fall guy.”

Flipper wondered who in naval intelligence had targeted Swan and why. “I have another piece of the puzzle I need you to check out.”

“What?”

“The guy who was with Rafe Duggers two nights ago. The one I told you he was arguing with. I saw him today.”

“You did?”

“Yes. He came into the shop when Swan was closing up. His name is Horacio Jacinto and he’s Jamila Fairchild’s boyfriend.”

“That’s interesting. I’ll find out what I can about him,” Nick said. “I wonder if Ms. Fairchild knows what’s going on or if she’s being used as a pawn.”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to make sure I keep an eye on all of them.”

“Be careful, Flipper.”

“I will.”

A few hours later, after taking a shower, Flipper was sitting at the desk in his hotel room suite when his cell phone went off. Recognizing the ringtone, he clicked on and said, “What’s going on, Coop?”

“You tell us.”

Us meant Bane, Viper and Mac were also on the phone. “I guess Nick called you guys.”

“Yes, he called us earlier today,” Bane said. “What’s going on with Swan Jamison sounds pretty damn serious. Don’t you think it’s time to call the CO?”

Flipper ran a hand down his face. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was close to three in the morning. “If Nick told you everything, then you know it’s an inside job at the base. There’s a traitor somewhere and until I know who I can trust, then—”

“You know as well as we do that you can trust our CO, Flipper,” Viper said. “Once you tell Shields what you’ve found out, if he suspects Martin or Levart of any wrongdoing, he will know what to do.”

“Yes, however, the three of them share a close friendship. What if the CO is blinded due to loyalty?”

“We’re talking about our commanding officer, Flipper. Shields would turn his own mother in if he thought she was betraying our country. You know that.”

Yes, he knew it. But still... “I don’t know if Martin or Levart is really involved. Like Shields, they are Swan’s godfathers and I would hate to think they are shady. I just know it’s an inside job and right now I’m suspicious of just about everybody.”

“We figured you would be, so open the damn door,” Mac said.

Flipper frowned. “What?”

“We said open the door,” Coop said, knocking.

Flipper heard the knock, clicked off his phone, quickly went to the door and snatched it open. There stood his four best friends.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“What does it look like?” Mac asked as the four moved passed Flipper to enter the hotel room.

“We figured ten pairs of eyes were better than two,” Bane said, glancing around. “Besides, we need to keep you objective.”

“But what about your families? Viper, your wife is having a baby!”

Viper chuckled. “And I plan to be there when she does. According to Layla’s doctor, we still have a couple of months, so I’m good.”

“And our families are good, too,” Coop said. “They know we look out for each other and they agreed we should be here for you.”

“Teri is glad I’m gone,” Mac said, grumbling. “Maybe when I go back, she’ll have a new attitude.”

“Or maybe you’ll have one,” Bane said, frowning at Mac.

“Whatever,” Mac said, picking up the hotel’s restaurant menu book. “Is it too late for room service?”

Flipper closed the door and drew in a deep breath as he watched the men gather around the table, already rolling up their sleeves, ready to help him figure things out. They worked together as a team and he would admit that whenever they did so, good things happened.

“There’s something all of you should know,” he said, getting their attention.

They glanced over at him. “What? No room service at this hour?” Mac asked in a serious tone.

“That, too.”

“What’s the other thing we should know, Flipper?” Viper asked, sitting back in the chair he’d claimed as soon as he came in.

Flipper leaned against the closed door. “Investigating Swan Jamison is no longer just an assignment for me. It’s become personal.”

The men nodded. “And you think we don’t know that, Flipper?” Coop asked in a steely tone. “That’s why we’re here. Someone is trying to frame your woman and we’re going to help you find out who and why. But first things first. You know what you have to do, right?”

Flipper stared at the four men. Yes, he knew. Instead of answering Coop, he picked up his cell phone from the table and placed a call to his CO.