A Finder's Fee (23 page)

Jablonski snickered. “What? You think Guthrie is the only one with listening devices? Look, you’re in with him up to your eyeballs. You help us, we make that go away. You could be exactly what we need to bring Guthrie in.”

“I plan on paying him back the money I owe him today. That’s why I set up the meeting. He won’t be doing any more advertising for my mayoral campaign. You do what you want with him. I’m cutting my ties.”

Agent Moore shook his head. “We have something else in mind, Mayor. We want you to continue your relationship with Guthrie. We need information to stop the flow of illegal weapons coming in through this area of the country.”

“Guthrie doesn’t make contact with little people like you who don’t play his game,” Jablonski said. “I don’t know why he’s taken a shine to you, but it’s good for us.”

Their plan didn’t sound like a healthy idea to me. I wasn’t going into witness protection in Idaho when it was over. I knew I’d made some mistakes, but I wasn’t willing to jeopardize my life, or Gramps’s life, for them.

“I’m sorry. You’ll have to arrest me. I’m not playing games with Dillon for your sake. I’ll be glad to hold one of the illegal weapons, as long as it’s new. I can give you all the information you need.”

“Is that a joke?” Jablonski laughed. “You get lucky one time with the badge and that makes you a psychic?”

I snatched his hat off of his head and concentrated. “This was made in China, of course, in a small shop out in the country. You bought it, and Agent Moore’s hat, at a convenience store in Morehead City as you were on your way here. You spilled your strawberry Slushie on it, a little on the left side. You don’t really like strawberry, but they were out of blueberry.”

“That’s impressive,” Moore said. “Unfortunately, we can’t use that in a court of law. We have to follow procedure if we want our conviction to stick.”

“What about if I find out where the weapons are being brought in and you can call it an anonymous tip? I know you people use that all the time.”

Jablonski looked uncertain. “We’ve worked for two years on this case. Any whiff of crazy stuff could get the whole thing thrown out.”

I shrugged. “That’s the best I can offer. If you arrest me, you lose the whole thing.”

My heart was pounding even though I sounded rational and calm. I wasn’t sure how far these two were willing to go. I didn’t want to go to prison, but that might be preferable to being dead.

“We’ll have to clear it with our superiors.” Agent Moore put away his badge. “In the meantime, don’t burn any bridges with Guthrie when he gets here today.”

“I won’t.”
I can always do that later.

“We’ll be listening,” Jablonski reminded me.

M
oore put his hat back on, and the two of them slipped
out of the shop. I hoped Dillon wasn’t watching Missing Pieces. If I’d noticed something off about the men, he’d probably pick them out as government agents right away.

I walked around inside the shop, trying to calm down. It was a strange feeling knowing someone, or several someones, were listening to everything that went on here.

What was Dillon listening for? Was he worried I might not sell him the third bell when it came in, or did he always listen in on the people he knew?

It didn’t surprise me that Dillon might be smuggling guns into the country. I had an idea of what he did, if not exact knowledge. He scared me, but he was like a sand flea—hard to shake off. I knew I needed to cut all ties to him. Once I’d paid him off, that should be it, at least until the third bell came into my possession.

I realized I was standing in front of some old formal gowns when Maggie surged excitedly to the front.

“These are so lovely.” She touched them carefully. “Could we try just one on? I never wore anything like this in my life. Please, Dae? Then you can go back to all the killing and killers in your life.”

“All right.” I gave in, distracted. “Let’s do it.”

I let her take over while I stayed in the background, worrying about Dillon and the ATF. I was determined not to get involved in that investigation. No good could come of it, like Gramps always said.

It didn’t take Maggie long to take everything off and put on a lovely pink gown with plenty of silver sequins. She made
ooh
ing and
aah
ing noises as she found some matching shoes and even an old rhinestone tiara. She started dancing around the shop, making sure she watched at herself in every mirror she passed.

It was a very odd feeling to let it go on that long. The short spurts where she’d surged in before were so brief, they were hardly noticeable—except for the aftermath.

This was like being swallowed by life—a life that wasn’t mine. I knew I could step forward at any time, so I didn’t panic. Otherwise, I was sure I’d be trying to claw my way out of that prison.

The front door opened at exactly three
P.M.,
and Maggie turned to face Dillon.

For a few moments, we couldn’t switch places. I tried to push forward. Maggie was still in control. She panicked too, not sure what to say or do.

Finally she fell back on what she knew best. She curtseyed and smiled. “Hello, sir. Welcome to my fine establishment. I am certain you will find many wondrous things here. I am Dae O’Donnell, and I will be happy to serve you in any way.”

“Dae.” He nodded, glancing around the shop. Two of his men came in with him. They stayed by the door, looking out at the Currituck Sound. “How’s it going? I like the dress. It suits you.”

Maggie warmed to him like a flower turning toward the sun. “Thank you, kind sir. I am happy you find me appealing. May I fetch tea for you?”

Dillon got a look on his face that told me he’d begun thinking of other things besides business. This wasn’t good.

“You know, I’ve always found you attractive.” He trailed one finger down Maggie’s arm. “I kind of hoped you might feel the same about me.”

At that awkward juncture, I was able to replace Maggie as the primary resident of my body. “Thanks for coming.”

“Of course.” He sat back in his chair and pulled himself together. “Is there something I can do for you?”

I made tea, and Dillon took off his coat. Of course, I was trapped in the pretty pink gown. I ignored it and tried to act like I always did around him. I hoped it would throw him off on Maggie’s performance and keep him from figuring out that the ATF was listening.

We chatted about my sale of the Lucian Smith estate articles. It was as though we were good friends or longtime business associates. Dillon might be a smuggler and a killer, but most of the time, he seemed like everyone else.

“I want to give you this from the sale.” I handed him the envelope with five thousand dollars in it to repay the loan he’d given me. I wasn’t sure how that was playing on the ATF listening devices, but I believed the only way not to act suspicious about them being there was to be myself.

“You didn’t have to do that yet.” He still looked in the envelope anyway and handed it to one of the men he’d brought with him. “You know you didn’t have to pay me back at all. I know what it’s like to be a struggling business owner. You should let me help you out.”

“I appreciate it, but I’m not made that way. You should know that about me by now.”

He smiled. “As a matter of fact, it’s one of the things I admire most about you. You have integrity in a world where that doesn’t exist much anymore. If you’re comfortable paying me back after your big sale, I’m good with that. Just know that I’m here to help if you need me again.”

When I talked to him, it was hard to imagine him being the monster I knew he was. He was very good at saying all the right things, and he was so smooth. We also shared a love of history and antiques. It was something I’d never been able to share with anyone else.

I listened as he told me what he’d been doing the last few days. His handsome face was so alive and charismatic. I felt sorry for him and wished I could tell him about the ATF. I knew it was the wrong way to feel about him. I couldn’t help it.

“There’s one more thing we need to talk about, Dillon. You have to stop running those ads. You don’t understand that this is a very small town. People might not like what they think Mad Dog did, but that ad on the water tower is over the top. I think there may be some voters who won’t vote for me because of it.”

“I’m sorry. I haven’t even seen it.”

I pointed him in the right direction on the boardwalk so he could see it. His face got angry. “I didn’t tell that moron at the ad agency to do anything like this, Dae. I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be fine in the election anyway. Most people don’t vote for a man in jail.”

I thanked him and didn’t mention that Mad Dog was out, at least for the time being. I’d learned the hard way that telling him anything made him get involved. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to end our relationship, as I’d promised the ATF agents, I didn’t want to add to it either.

We went back inside, sat down on the burgundy brocade sofa and finished our tea. Dillon told me he had a surprise for me too and beckoned to one of the men by the door to bring it over.

“I’m not going to tell you what it is.” He smiled as I took the package. “You’re good at guessing. Tell me what you think.”

I opened the box carefully and looked inside. It was a very old pocket watch, which I could see was no longer working. I put on a pair of white gloves to examine it.

“It looks like it’s had some saltwater damage but it’s been restored.” I turned it over and peered into the inner workings. “The hands are stopped at eleven forty-three. Good craftsmanship. Silver, I think.”

“Yes?”

I couldn’t help the swell of excitement that swept through me when I realized what I was holding. I didn’t need to touch it without my gloves to know its history or value.

“It’s from Jamestown, isn’t it? I’ve read about it, of course, and seen pictures of it. It stopped exactly when the earthquake hit that swallowed the town in the 1600s. Then it was washed underwater for years until divers found it. How in the world did you get it?”

The city of Jamestown, near what is now Guadeloupe, had been a pirate’s den for many years. It was known as the wickedest city in the world, until the day it was swallowed by a strong earthquake followed by a tidal wave. The whole place was all but destroyed in a single day.

“I knew you’d appreciate it. I’m financing some underwater excavation down there off the coast. You know, millions of dollars in pirate treasure was either washed away or buried in the sand that day in 1620.”

“That’s awesome.” I could barely keep my voice from squeaking with excitement. This was the find of a lifetime. I envied him at that moment.

He sat forward and took my hands in his. “Come down there. You can keep whatever you find. I’ll pay for everything. I want someone to share this with. You might be surprised by how many people don’t even know about Jamestown.”

I was tempted. I even thought about the ATF listening in. They’d probably like it if I went with him. I could only imagine all the remarkable things he’d find. I wanted to see them all. I didn’t even care about bringing them home with me.

Shayla told me once that the devil comes in all types of disguises. Surely Dillon was the devil tempting me almost beyond my capacity to say no. What harm could there be in going down there with him for a week or two? I could come back and live my life normally after it was over, except that I would have had this extraordinary experience.

“I’d like that.” I sighed. “But I can’t. You’ll have to bring some pieces back to show me.”

“Why not?” His grip on my hands tightened. “You and I are two of a kind when it comes to finding lost treasures, Dae. We could have a great time and we’d be able to talk for years about the experience. I want you to come with me. We’d be good for each other. Let me show you.”

I knew he was too close when I could see the tiny flecks of brown in his blue eyes. Dillon was an attractive man who understood my weakness for finding lost things. He leaned forward and carefully kissed me in much the same way that I had opened the box with the watch in it—not sure what to expect.

It wasn’t romantic so much as something emotional he could do to seal the bargain. I certainly didn’t think I was his usual type of woman, but he was excited about looking for treasure with me.

At least that’s how I rationalized it.

“Come on, Dae. You can close up the shop for a few months. Hell, bring your grandfather if you need to. There’s good fishing, and I have a boat down there.”

“I can’t, Dillon. I have the election coming up, and the shop. I can’t leave. I have responsibilities. I guess it goes along with who I am.”

I purposely didn’t mention Kevin. I wouldn’t want Dillon to consider him an obstacle, especially one he should get rid of. It seemed likely Dillon might know about Kevin, since he liked to figure out things about my life. I wasn’t going to make him think my feelings for Kevin would hold me back.

He sat back and let go of my hands. I could see he didn’t take rejection well. I might have ruined our relationship by not agreeing to go with him.

“Don’t say no right now. Think about it. We’ll talk again. It will take years to find everything. Even if you can’t do it right away, I can wait for the time to be right.”

I was surprised and flattered by both his proposal and the fact that he didn’t get angry and storm out of the shop. I wished he wasn’t a killer and a smuggler. He was an interesting man. We could have been good friends.

“I’ll think about it,” I promised with a smile. “Thanks for asking me anyway.”

He got up and put on his coat. “Keep the watch. I’ll update you on our progress with Jamestown. I probably won’t see you again before the election. Good luck. Let me know how it turns out.”

I told him I would and watched as one of the men went out on the boardwalk and looked both ways before Dillon set foot outside the shop. The second man followed him out of the door, repeating the same watchful movements.

It was a reminder to me that Dillon and I might have a love of history in common but our lives were very different. I knew the ATF agents had heard everything. Maybe they’d even figure out some way to use what they’d heard to trap him.

It was out of my hands. Dillon had chosen this life for himself.

The shop door opened again a few moments after they’d gone. It was Kevin. “Was that who I think it was?”

“It was Dillon Guthrie, if that’s who you mean. I’m really hungry. Are you hungry? Let’s go down to Wild Stallions and eat.”

“It’s too early for dinner, and I’m more interested in what Guthrie was doing here.”

“I think we should go. We’ll get a better table.”

“Like that?” His gaze went up and down on my pink ball gown.

“It’ll only take me a minute to change.” I ran back and put my street clothes on in the storage room while he waited. I looked at myself in the mirror, and Maggie smiled back at me.

“You are a fortunate woman, Dae. So many people love you.”

I was terrified that Kevin would say something that would make the ATF come down on him too. I ignored Maggie and grabbed my pocketbook as I propelled us out of the door. “Let’s go over there anyway. I’m
really
hungry.”

• • •

W
e sat in Wild Stallions, and I explained why we had to
leave Missing Pieces to talk and why Dillon was there—except for the part about me owing him money. I still thought Kevin wasn’t ready to know about that.

“Dae, you should have untangled yourself from him a long time ago.” Kevin’s tone was low and angry. “I’m not surprised the ATF wants to use you to pull him in. You’d be very attractive bait.”

“I didn’t agree to what they wanted, but I offered to touch one of the guns he’s smuggling.”