Part 10 (2/2)
”I'd estimate they'll want to move before the month's out. I'm surprised they haven't already. All I can think of is maybe they had some trouble with the information? From what I can tell, Larson is scrambling. It looks like he screwed up somewhere.”
”His loss, our gain.”
”His loss might be more than he bargained for. He's always been small potatoes. This screwup, whatever it is, might cost him more than he'd imagined.”
”Has a hit been ordered?”
”Not yet, but my narc seems to think it's in the works.”
”Can you use that?”
Jesse considered. ”Maybe. I've made contact with Larson online in a few different venues using different personas. He must have something else going on, though, since his online activity level is a lot lower than his M.O.”
”Like you said, he's scrambling. Maybe he's busy trying to rebuild his info?”
”Or trying to recover it,” Jesse mused. He had to nail down what had been handed off to Audra. Once he did, he'd have the evidence he needed to pull the guy in. Audra too, unfortunately. As far as he could tell, though, she hadn't had any further contact with Larson.
At Shale's look, Jesse shook his head and indicated the file. ”Either way, he's on shaky ground.”
”The shakier the better. See if you can set something up with him. Get his trust, see if he'll turn.”
”Turning on anyone connected with Du Bing Li Du Bing Li is dicey. I'd have to have some d.a.m.ned good incentive.” is dicey. I'd have to have some d.a.m.ned good incentive.”
”If he did screw up, his a.s.s is on the fast track to dead. That might be all the incentive you need.”
Jesse nodded. It might. He'd see if he could come up with a little more, though.
”You nail the Walker chick yet?”
Didn't he wish? Jesse mentally groaned at the memory of Audra's body beneath his on the couch. The slide of her flesh against the slick leather. The feel of her exploding around his fingers. d.a.m.n.
”Not yet, but the evidence is building. Her business partner is over in China. So far, she's met with a few different lingerie distributors, which is in keeping with the lady's business. Nothing hokey until yesterday, when she had a meeting with a new company. A little digging and I found out they're a money laundering front for the Wo s.h.i.+ng Wo Wo s.h.i.+ng Wo triad.” triad.”
Shale nodded, obviously unsurprised. Unlike Jesse, who had been a little shocked to have the evidence drop into his lap that easily. He wanted to think it was too easy, but he was pretty sure that was the l.u.s.ting side of his brain talking, not the cop side.
”Did you track the money?” Shale asked, tapping the printout of Simply Sensual's bank account and the large sum deposited the previous week.
”Not yet, except that it came from an offsh.o.r.e account.”
”Both women have clean records, though. They're probably new,” Shale mused.
While his boss focused on the file, Jesse didn't inform the captain that he'd broken into Audra's sealed juvie record. His superior would have no interest in the fact that Audra had been arrested for breaking into a dog pound.
Jesse, though, was fascinated. The woman was a ma.s.s of contradictions. Sweet as h.e.l.l, and equally hard. Funny and s.e.xy, and now this humanitarian side? All he could think about was their date on Thursday night. If only he could break the case before then. Because it was going to be pure h.e.l.l resisting her otherwise.
Jesse had never found a woman who appealed to him on so many levels. It was as if she was the answer to all of his most tempting dreams.
It was going to suck when he had to arrest her.
8.
”HEY, AUDRA. You look whipped.”
Audra glanced up from the counter, where she'd spread her designs, trim and the ugly tie the geek had tossed at her that night in the club, to see Isabel let the boutique door swing shut behind her.
”Hang on,” she muttered. ”I've almost got this design just right.”
Sure, Natasha wanted to stick with the tried and true. But if Audra had to make up design boards to present the exclusive designs these distributors wanted to see, why not offer an interesting option?
She'd woke that morning from a hot dream where Jesse had tied her to the bedposts. All morning, she'd been trying to get the wild dominatrix idea out of her head. She hadn't been able to pull it from dream to reality until she'd spied the b.u.t.t-ugly tie draped behind her desk. As soon as she'd seen the strip of tacky material, something had clicked. It was the color, the vivid garish rainbow, that she'd used for the wrist straps. The way the straps contrasted with the s.e.xy black leather really made the design pop. It looked even better on paper than it had in her imagination.
She smothered a naughty grin. It wasn't that she was trying to get her own way by ignoring Natasha's wish to stick with the sweeter stuff. It was just that she felt sure she knew what was best for her her designs. Wasn't that what a head designer was for? designs. Wasn't that what a head designer was for?
”Party hard this weekend?” her friend asked. ”You look like you haven't slept in days.
Dropping her pencil on the counter, Audra rubbed her burning eyes and glanced at the clock. It was only Monday morning and she was ready for the weekend. She'd been in this seat since six and her brain felt as if it were going to explode. She flexed her stiff shoulders and wished for just a thirty-minute nap. She swiveled to face Isabel and pasted a cheeky smile on her face. It was all she could do to keep it there when she got a good look at her friend's face.
”What's wrong?”
Isabel's lip jutted a little, and she tucked a black curl behind her ear as she shrugged. She flicked a finger down the peach lace of a chemise, then met Audra's eyes.
”I lost the account.”
Her mind went blank for a moment. Audra started to ask what account, and then it hit her.
”The mall?” At Isabel's morose nod, she forced her stiff body off the stool and came around the counter. ”What happened? You were meeting with the manager, right?”
”Right. This morning.” Shoulders slumped, Isabel made her way toward Audra.
Her eyes still on her friend's face, Audra moved to grab a Red Bull from the minifridge behind the counter and handed it to her.
”Here, a shot of energy should help you shake it off. Then you can tell me the details.”
Still droopy, Isabel popped open the can as she glanced over the sketches spread across the counter.
”See,” she said with a sniff. ”These designs are like us. The sweet florals are me. The leather and studs are you. Even if it does have those freaky-looking wrist bands.”
Her brow wrinkled. What the h.e.l.l was Isabel babbling about?
Audra looked at her little bit of rebellion. The leather teddy, complete with ugly-tie-inspired wrist restraints. Who knew such a blight against design as that piece of neckwear could inspire such a hot idea?
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