Arrested Pleasure (10 page)

"We were double-booked until a bit ago. I'd gone out for a break." She shouldn't let his jabs get to her. "What do you want?" She tried to sound pleasant, but couldn't keep the edge out of her voice. She almost wished she had a customer waiting. She needed an excuse to shoo her unwelcome visitor away.

"Whatever." He brushed away a piece of lint off his expensive woolen suit. "Is there some place where we can talk . . . privately," he added, with a pointed glance at Lola.

"What you want to say can be said in front of her. However"—she glanced down the hallway at the closed doors—"I really don't want any patients to hear this conversation. Come, follow me." She'd take him to her office.

Cassie heard his heavy footsteps behind her. At nearly three hundred pounds, his large frame caused him to wheeze from overexertion. While she didn't care about
him
, she wondered if his suffering health could explain the need to sell his properties.

Or maybe it's just greed.

Opening the door at the end of the hallway, she turned on the light and led him into the small, windowless room. She normally didn't use this office, preferring the light and openness of the reception area. She sat behind the heavy, mahogany desk and watched in silence as Isaiah lowered himself into the chair opposite her.

"Okay, so now we're alone. Again . . . what do you want?" she asked him with ice in her tone. The sooner she discovered the reason for the business call, the faster the conversation could be over.

Isaiah's eyes narrowed at her abrupt attitude. His fleshy mouth turned down.

"You could be a little more accommodating to me. I am your landlord."

Cassie's mouth dropped open.
Yeah, but for how long
? Isaiah made it clear he wanted this whole block torn down and a parking garage put up. Parking lots were easier to maintain and handle than whole buildings with tenants. She missed her old landlord. Not only had he been kind to Cassie, but he truly cared for people. That's why he put in the little "grandfather clause" to control the rent and ensure renters like Cassie and Rosa stayed. But that rule didn't stop Isaiah from trying to force them all out.

"It's been a long—and
busy
—day."

"With an attitude like yours, it's a wonder you're still in business. Of course . . ."

He got a smug look on his face. "That's what I'm here about. You mentioned buying this building. I wanted to discuss it with you."

A prickle of nerves shot up her spine. Not a good sign. Somehow she suspected he wasn't here to let her know he planned to be lenient with her—or back down.

"I'm still working on getting the loan."

"Well, I can't wait much longer. I already have an offer and need to finalize everything very soon."

"But—" Things were going fast, too fast

"I want a signed check in ten days, or I'm selling to the Brighton Company. The first thing they'll do is tear down the building on the east side of you. How easy will it be to keep your customer base when you're surrounded by empty garages?" Isaiah gave her a smirk. "Make it easier on yourself and find a new location."

"No!" He'd have to drag her out kicking and screaming. This was her livelihood, and the chances of finding a new spot to locate Casa de Massage that was as good as this would be impossible.

Isaiah glared at her for a long moment. "You don't have a say in this unless you come up with the necessary funds to buy me out in ten days. On the fifteenth. No later."

"No," she repeated more calmly. "I'm not sure I can get it by then. It takes time—"

"Well, I don't have the time."

He stood and Cassie stared in shock at him. Surely he wasn't serious about selling so soon? Her mind raced wondering how she'd pull it off. The bank needed to let her know
now
if her loaned had been approved. If they turned her down, then she'd have to look elsewhere.

Buy some time.
"I can have it by the end of the month, Mr. Winkler."

He shook his head. "No. The fifteenth, and that's
final
."

Cassie rose to her feet, unable to fathom what to say or do next. "Can't I change your mind? Please. Anything?"

"No. My word is final." His tone brooked no argument. He paused at the threshold. "Oh, and don't be surprised if someone from Brighton stops by to survey the area." He glowered at her. "Good day, Ms. Nichols."

The door shut behind him, and Cassie collapsed to the chair, nearly in tears.

What was she going to do? She couldn't lose Casa de Massage. It was her dream. Her livelihood. She provided a source of income to her employees.

What would she do if she had to close her business?

Chaz eyed Gabe curiously as he walked through the door. "About time you showed up. Did you decide to check out Ms. Nichols again?"

"Traffic slowed me down. So, no, I didn't visit Cassie."

"You're on first name basis with her now? I should've guessed that. You two seemed cozy when I spotted you together in the doorway."

Ignoring Chaz's innuendo, Gabe poured himself a cup of coffee and took a sip.

Strong and hot, the caffeine added to the tension inside him. On the way back to the precinct, he'd tried to get her out of his mind, aware she was under investigation, but he couldn't forget the way she'd looked and how badly he wanted to kiss her again. His libido peaked whenever he got around her.

Gabe sat down and got right to the heart of the meeting. "Did you find out anything from the other therapist?" He glanced at the name on the paper. "Dani is her name, I believe."

Chaz assessed Gabe, not answering his question right away. Maybe deciding whether he wanted to press further about his relationship with Cassie. Hell, even he didn't know where they were headed.

"Yeah, Dani," Chaz said finally. "She seems nice. Definitely smart." He sat back in his chair and chewed the end of his pen. "She didn't do anything out of the ordinary.

Gave a massage—a very pleasant and thorough one, I might add. Good talker. I asked her if she did anything else besides massages, and she offered to give me a pedicure."

He chuckled and scratched his jaw. "I tell ya, I'm almost tempted to get one, but I figured the wife would notice and want one herself. Can't have your spouse asking too many questions when you're supposed to be working undercover."

Gabe smiled. "Maybe once we're done with the investigation you can check into a couples massage and pedicure."

"Maybe." Chaz shrugged and picked up the report on his desk.

Gabe read further. "This says Dani has been with Casa de Massage from the onset. From what I can tell, she and Cassie are good friends."

"She mentioned Ms. Nichols was more than her employer. They seem real close."

Chaz paused. "You didn't answer me the first time. Things must have gone pretty well for the two of you if you're on first name basis with Cassandra Nichols, huh?" He studied Gabe for a minute. "I also sort of got the impression the two of you were acquainted with each other before today. You wanna spill?"

What could he tell Chaz? That he'd met Cassie a few nights ago but wasn't aware of her name until today? That he'd been intimate with her in ways that just stopped short of having sex with her? Would past contact reflect on his ability to do an impartial job?

He glanced at his partner. "Well . . . uh . . . sort of." He took another sip of the coffee that tasted like cardboard and shoved the cup aside. "We—Cassie and I—have a mutual acquaintance in Gavin Jericho. She recently showed up at Gavin's house thinking he still lived there." He shrugged. "I didn't learn her name or what she did until today." Not from lack of trying. He hadn't gotten a chance that day because she'd run out before he got off the phone.

"Shocked the hell out of you both, then?"

"Yeah, tell me about it." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I was lying on my stomach with the lights dimmed while she massaged me. It wasn't until she came back after I turned over did we both get a glimpse of each other for the first time."

"Not often you cause a woman to scream when she sees your face." He snickered at Gabe's glare. "Seriously, though, I wonder why Ms. Nichols seemed upset when she realized you were her customer."

Gabe shrugged. "Who knows? She may be one of those who doesn't give massages to people she's acquainted with."

"Hmm . . ." Chaz pondered that explanation. "If you only met once, how does that qualify as an acquaintance?" He raised his eyebrows, as if to challenge Gabe with a logical comeback to that question.

A knock on the door saved Gabe. Sean Ackerland, another detective, popped his head in the entryway, a relieved expression on his face when he spotted them. "Hey guys, I hoped you two would be here." He stepped inside.

Glad for a reprieve from the inquisition, Gabe shoved the reports inside the folder and closed it. "Hey, Sean. What's up? Haven't seen you around here in a while."

Sean settled in the chair opposite Gabe and nodded. "Yeah, I'm doing break-ins and such on the west side. Usual stuff."

Chaz grunted. "I hated that beat. Boring. I could do the job in my sleep."

"I agree. I'm hoping for a change in another month or two." Sean paused as he glanced back and forth between the two men. "While you two were out, we got a soliciting complaint. I just happened to be at the desk and ended up talking to the complainant. Thought you guys would be interested. It's a real shocker."

"You did? What's the kicker?" Gabe had pretty much seen everything during his time living in Portland and the previous seven years he worked down in San Francisco.

Nothing shocked him anymore.

"I heard you guys were investigating that massage place on Front Street."

Both Gabe and Chaz shot up in their chairs and exchanged glances.

"What'd they say?" Chaz was the first to ask.

"Thought that'd get your attention." Sean gave a smug smile. "Guy comes in and says the owner of the place personally offered to have sex with him."

"What? When?" Gabe sharply asked. He felt Chaz's gaze flick to him. "I don't buy it," he told him. "The story doesn't add up. How about you?"

"I didn't get taken care of by Ms. Nichols myself. You did." Chaz's eyes narrowed. "Wonder when this all came down?" He turned his attention back to Sean.

"Yeah, what's the name of the complainant, and what did he say?" Gabe asked.

Sean glanced at the papers in his hand. "A Morton Chandler from Salem. Says he went in for a massage earlier today, and Ms. Nichols offered to do him right there in the room."

"Do him? Do what? That doesn't mean anything," Gabe retorted. He couldn't see Cassie offering sex to a stranger. She gave pleasure, but not in the way a hooker did.

Gabe's own thoughts slammed back into him. Damn. He'd practically had sex with her in Gavin's backyard. He rubbed the side of his face.
Fuck
. Why couldn't he have met Cassie under normal circumstances?

"The place does appear legit from what I observed," Chaz remarked. "But I was only in the spa once, and we did get interrupted." He sent a meaningful glance at Gabe.

Ignoring Chaz, he asked Sean, "When did this alleged incident happen? We were both there this afternoon and nothing appeared out of the ordinary."

Scanning the report with his fingers, the other detective read off the information.

"This morning around eleven. She told him she needed the money. He says he turned her down and left. Here, you guys can have the copy of the report. The guy's phone number is in the document." He laid the paper on the desk.

Gabe stared at it, his mind racing. Two things struck him. Cassie had mentioned today being busy and how could she have found time to offer more than a massage.

Secondly, she'd also mentioned having financial problems. Did this mean she'd go to any lengths to earn money? He inwardly groaned. She could be operating a side business just to get some fast money. As much as he liked her and didn't want to believe it, did he really know enough about her to make a judgment?

"Hmm . . . Interesting," Chaz remarked, finally picking up the damning piece of paper. "Well, Banks, what are we going to do now? Guess Casa de Massage needs a closer look."

Gabe shook his head, not wanting to believe she was capable of illicit behavior.

He stared at his coworkers. What should he do?

"You could go back and gain her confidence," Chaz said. "Find out if she offers you, uh, some extra goodies for a bit of cash."

Gabe narrowed his eyes at Chaz. Was he suggesting . . . ?

But if there needed to be a further investigation, and he didn't do the job himself, someone else would be assigned. It'd be up to him to prove whether the allegations were true or not. His gut tightened at the thought of her being a high priced hooker.

Gabe hoped to hell she wasn't. He remembered how hot she felt in his arms. And dammit, he wanted a repeat.

He made his decision and nodded at the two detectives. "You're on. I'll make another appointment at Casa de Massage, with Cassandra Nichols as my massage therapist."

* * * * *

A steady rain fell outside as Cassie stared out the window. The steady drizzle of precipitation that had been falling all day had already caused several clients to cancel.

With the loss of revenue, dark clouds hovered over her head as heavy as the ones in the sky.

She turned to Lola, who was playing solitaire on her computer. "You can go home. No sense in you sticking around." Cassie nodded toward the treatment rooms.

"Becki has one more appointment. I think I'm going to close early today."

Lola gazed at her with concern. "Did you hear from any of the banks you contacted?"

"No." Cassie sighed and sat down at her desk. "I'm almost ready to call up my father and ask for help." She opened her computer to the financial records. Time to check again and decide exactly what kind of financial position she was in. Not that they'd changed from yesterday.

"You're aware he'll add conditions."

"I know Lola, but not much anything I can do unless I want Casa de Massage to fold completely." She heard a squeak of a chair and Lola touched a hand to her shoulder.