The Perfect Murder by Kat Martin
TWENTY-EIGHT
They were back in the town house, Reese making phone calls to bring everyone up to speed while Kenzie paced back and forth across the kitchen floor and Flo distracted herself at the sink, dicing vegetables for a fresh pot of soup.
In the last twenty minutes, Reese had watched Kenzie go from shocked disbelief, to grief, then anger.
She turned toward him and something shifted in her face and posture, a subtle change as her shoulders squared and her back straightened. The worry lines across her forehead smoothed out, and resolve hardened her expression.
“We’ve got less than three days. We know who’s responsible for all of this. We can be in Shreveport in less than three hours. We need to go there ourselves, see what we can find out.”
Admiration stirred emotions Reese couldn’t afford to feel. Her courage and strength impressed him more every day. With admiration and respect came arousal, which he firmly tamped down, but it didn’t make him want her any less. Even with the bruise on her jaw and the skin turning purple around one eye, she was beautiful. And she was determined. She wouldn’t give up until she brought her son home.
Reese had never known a woman like her. Not the tough girls he’d dated when he’d been a teenage delinquent, nor the debutantes after he’d reformed. Certainly not his wife, whom he’d married because he’d wanted a home and family only to discover Sandra’s reasons for marrying him were exactly the opposite.
His mother had been a strong, self-reliant woman. Perhaps that was where he had learned to appreciate those qualities.
One thing he knew, Kenzie was different. Special. It made him determined to protect her no matter the cost and even more determined to find her boy and bring him home.
“Hawk is there,” she continued to argue doggedly, though so far he hadn’t said a word. “By the time we get there, he might have new information. If DeMarco’s behind the kidnapping, there’s even a chance the men are holding Griff somewhere right in Shreveport. Maybe even the casino.”
It was a definite possibility. Of course, the kidnappers could also be in Dallas or anywhere else on the planet.
“I saw the men who took Griff,” she reminded him. “If they work for DeMarco, they might be in the club. Maybe I’ll recognize one of them.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Unfortunately, the kidnappers know who we are. Christ, our photos have been all over the tabloids. They’d spot us the minute we walked through the door.”
Kenzie’s chin firmed. “So we change our appearance, make ourselves unrecognizable.”
Reese just shook his head. It was a crazy idea. Kenzie was battered and bruised and terrified for her son. A half-baked undercover scheme was dangerous at best. “It’s not a good idea.”
Kenzie pinned him with a glare. “I’ll admit my plan isn’t perfect, but we can’t just sit here and wait for something to happen. If we want to find Griff, we have to make something happen.” She clamped her hands on her hips. “I’m going to Shreveport—with or without you.”
Reese’s temper flared. No way was he letting Kenzie put herself in danger. On the other hand, few people had the courage it took to go head-to-head with him. He gave her points for that.
And if the boy was actually there...
A grim look settled over his features. “Fine. Go upstairs and pack your things. As soon as you’re ready, we’re going to Shreveport.”
Taking action—no matter what it was—filled Kenzie with renewed strength, fresh hope, and iron-hard determination. At worst, she was sure they would glean useful information. Maybe Tabby would call with an exact location for the kidnappers. Maybe it would even turn out to be Shreveport. Or maybe she would spot one of the kidnappers.
She pulled herself together in a way she hadn’t been able to since her son had been abducted. She could do this. It was far better than waiting for hours, maybe days till she heard from the men again.
Before they’d gone to see Arthur, Kenzie had applied makeup to cover the bruises on her face. Now she went through her wardrobe, choosing dark blue skinny jeans and a pair of strappy high heels, adding a white midriff top and big hoop earrings. She threw a spare change of clothes into an overnight bag, grabbed a couple of recent photos of Griff, and she was ready.
So was Reese. Now that he had decided to go along with her idea, he settled in to do it right.
They left the town house, headed for Reese’s apartment so he could pack what he needed. On the way, he pulled into a costume shop, where he bought Kenzie a curly blond wig.
With Halloween coming up the end of next month, the shop also carried colored contact lenses, mostly red or neon yellow, but also brown, blue, and green. Reese bought a pair in dark brown. They were going as a rural couple, they decided, from Pleasant Hill, a town east of Dallas they both knew.
At Reese’s apartment, he disappeared into his bedroom while Kenzie put on the wig. In the beveled mirror in the entry, in her tight jeans and high heels, she looked a little like Olivia Newton-John in the movie version of Grease.
She wasn’t sure why Reese was taking so long until he appeared in worn jeans, a pair of battered cowboy boots, and a snug-fitting sleeveless black T-shirt. His eyes, no longer an intense shade of blue, were a deep dark brown. He had buzzed his hair short around the back and on the sides. Combined with the rough, day-old beard along his jaw, it gave him an edgy, youthful vibe.
He settled a battered straw cowboy hat on his head and tugged it low on his forehead. The handsome executive was gone, replaced by a Southern country boy. He should have looked ridiculous. Instead he just looked hot.
As difficult as things were, as terrified as she was for her son, a wave of heat washed through her that had nothing to do with the near ninety-degree weather outside. It lasted only an instant, followed by a shot of guilt, then fear, when she thought of Griff and what he might be suffering.
Kenzie forced the fear away. If she wanted to find her son, she had to stay focused. Had to keep her mind on the job she was determined to do.
Reese’s deep brown eyes ran over her head to foot. “You look amazing. Considering the reason you’re dressed that way, I’m glad you can’t read my mind.”
She almost smiled. “I can’t believe you cut your hair.”
He shrugged, moving the black T-shirt that hugged his sculpted chest and revealed mouthwatering biceps. “Not a great job,” he said, “but it’ll grow back, and I don’t think anyone’s going to recognize either of us now.”
“Where’d you get the hat and boots?”
Reese just smiled. “Actually, they’re mine. I was wearing them the last time I came back from the ranch.” A place he and his brothers owned in the Hill Country, though Reese didn’t go there often.
“Maybe when this is over,” he said, “the three of us can fly down and I’ll teach Griff to ride.”
Her throat tightened. Would they really be together that long? “He’d love that.”
Serious again, Reese tipped his head toward the door. “We need to get going. We still have to pick up the rental car.”
A black Ford F-150 pickup. Top-of-the-line, with a powerful engine and fancy chrome wheels. It fit their image but wouldn’t really stand out in a town like Shreveport.
Reese turned to grab the overnight bag he had set on the floor and she caught a glimpse of the falcon’s head on his spine, barely visible above the neck of the T-shirt. The tips of the bird’s wings appeared on his shoulders. He looked good. Better than good. But not the least like Reese Garrett, CEO of a billion-dollar corporation.
An hour later the pickup was on its way to Shreveport. Tabby still hadn’t phoned with a location for the origin of the kidnappers’ call, but Kenzie remained hopeful.
And Hawk was there. She hadn’t met Jason “Hawk” Maddox, just talked to him on the phone, but Reese trusted him, and Kenzie trusted Reese.
She leaned back in the seat of the truck and said a prayer that they would find her son.
There were half a dozen major casinos in Shreveport, plus Harrah’s Louisiana Downs, a casino and racetrack on the east side of town.
ID was required for a hotel room these days and unlike in his criminal youth, Reese no longer had a fake ID. So instead of staying at the casino hotel, he’d made online reservations for a one-bedroom family suite at the Holiday Inn downtown, fairly close to the Pot-of-Gold. He was just turning into the parking lot when his burner phone rang. Chase was on the line.
“What’s up?” Reese asked.
“Heath Ford came to see me. He’s looking for you. Wasn’t able to find you at your office or on your cell.” Big surprise.
“What’s he want?”
“He wants to talk to Kenzie. She’s not home and her grandmother isn’t coughing up her whereabouts. He figures she’s with you. He says if you don’t bring her to the station, he’s putting a BOLO out on both of you.”
“Fuck.” Reese pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine, put the phone on speaker.
“My guess,” Chase said, “Heath’s found out about the life insurance policy—the three million dollars that goes to Griff.”
“Christ, more trouble we don’t need.”
“It was only a matter of time.”
“Can you talk to him?” Reese asked. “Get him to hold off a couple of days?” When Kenzie looked at him with those big golden-brown eyes, everything inside him tightened. “Kenzie has family in Dallas. She isn’t going to run away.”
“Where are you?” Chase asked.
“Shreveport. Hawk’s in town. Guy named Sawyer DeMarco is behind the kidnapping. Owns the Pot-of-Gold casino. Arthur Haines owes DeMarco big money.” He went on to explain how it all fit together, Lee Haines’s murder, the extortion, Daniel Haines, and the gaming permits.
“The mob involvement ratchets up the danger,” Chase said. “You should have called.”
He’d planned to. Things were moving way too fast. “We’re talking now. I’ll call if we come up with something new.”
“Kenzie’s with you?”
“She’s here.”
“I’ll try to get Ford to hold off as long as possible. I’m not far away if you need my help. Both of you stay safe.” The line went dead.
“Let’s go.” Reese checked them into the hotel and they carried their bags and laptops up to room 310. The third-floor suite was high enough for protection and close to the stairs in case they needed to leave without being seen. As soon as they were settled, he phoned Hawk and gave him their location.
“Haven’t heard anything more from the kidnappers. Figured if we’re here, there’s a chance we’d learn something useful.”
“Could turn out to be a good idea,” Hawk said. “With DeMarco involved, it’s possible the kidnappers are holding the boy somewhere in the area.”
Kenzie stood so close, Reese could feel the jolt of hope that ran through her body. Sliding an arm around her waist, he eased her against his side and kissed her cheek.
“Anything new on the shooter?” Reese asked. “After talking to Arthur, it’s clear Haines’s killer must work for the mob, just like you figured.”
“I’ve got a meet with one of my informants later tonight. He’s got something. I’ll let you know what I find out.”
“I’ll leave a key for you at the front desk. We’re in suite 310. There’s a sofa in the living room if you need a place to crash.”
“Thanks.”
The call ended and Kenzie went to the window to stare off toward the river. Reese tried not to think how sexy she looked in her tight jeans and blond wig. But he was a man and he wanted her. Add to that, this was Kenzie, and everything about her appealed to him.
His groin swelled. It wasn’t the right time, but his body didn’t seem to care. He forced himself not to glance at the bedroom door.
“Come on,” Reese said. “Time to go to work.” Setting a hand at her waist, he urged her out of the hotel room.
They made their way into the warm, humid night and loaded into the pickup, Reese stashing his .45 in the glove box. The big Ford engine fired up, and he pulled out of the lot. The casino wasn’t far, but they were driving instead of walking, keeping their options open in case they needed to leave in a hurry.
It was dark as he drove down Texas Street toward the river. Up ahead, the Pot-of-Gold sat to the left on the water’s edge, the casino shaped like an old-fashioned riverboat docked near the bank. The hotel tower next to it was twenty stories high. The entire property glowed with neon lights—crimson, emerald green, electric blue, all reflected on the surface of the river, creating a stunning rainbow of temptation for hopeful gamblers.
Reese parked the truck, locked the glove box, and helped Kenzie down. As he pushed through the front door of the club, the sound of bells ringing and the whirl of slots greeted them.
“You play blackjack?” Reese asked.
“I like to play, but I haven’t gambled much. I can’t afford to lose.”
Reese took his wallet out of his back pocket. “You can tonight.” Taking her hand, he pressed a wad of bills into her palm.
Kenzie shook her head, moving the heavy blond curls that hung past her shoulders. “I can’t take your money.” She tried to give it back. “If I play, I’ll just lose. I’ve never been a lucky gambler.”
Reese inwardly smiled. He’d never known a woman who refused to take his money. “Consider it the cost of information. With two of us gambling, we can cover more ground.”
She hesitated a moment more.
“Think of Griff,” he said, and her fingers closed around the bills.
“Let’s head for the blackjack tables. We’ll play together for a while, then split up and you can wander the floor, see if you can spot either of the men who took Griff.”
The plan was simple: gather information but don’t be obvious about it. He was trusting Kenzie to handle her part of the job. Considering the possible danger and being the controlling bastard he was, it wasn’t that easy to do.
Especially not as he sat at the blackjack table next to her and watched the other three men at the table ogling her pretty breasts. The bare midriff and tight jeans showed off her curves, and every time she moved, he caught a glimpse of cleavage. So did the men.
Reese managed to play a few decent hands. Kenzie seemed to get the hang of it fairly quickly and he smiled at her growing stack of chips. The female dealer fanned the cards faceup on the table and left on a break, and a new dealer arrived, a man this time.
“I want to try my luck somewhere else,” Kenzie said, casting Reese a meaningful glance. Time to wander the floor, keep an eye out for the kidnappers while digging for information.
The fat man on the end stool eyed her lewdly. “Don’t go, sweet thing. You’re my lucky charm. I’ve been winning ever since you sat down.”
Reese’s jaw tightened as Kenzie slid off the stool.
“Sorry, big guy.” She flashed him a phony smile. “Gotta use the ladies’ room.” She batted her lashes at the men at the table. “Maybe I’ll see y’all later.”
Reese pulled her close. “Stay out of trouble, darlin’.” The words came out with the soft Texas drawl he’d been born with but long ago discarded.
Kenzie flashed him a smile. “See ya later, honey lamb.”
Reese couldn’t stop a grin. When Kenzie leaned down and kissed him full on the mouth, he felt a rush of heat that slid all the way into his groin. The woman was his Achilles’ heel. He still wasn’t sure what to do about it.
He watched the sexy sway of her hips as she walked away, then played a couple more hands, collected his chips, and left the game. He told himself to let her do her job while he did his, but she hadn’t been gone ten minutes before he began to worry. What if she spotted one of the kidnappers and the wig wouldn’t be enough to keep the guy from recognizing her?
Reese began a calculated wander of the casino floor in search of her.
