CHAPTER 1
“Don’t let my husband be killed. Please, Hope!” The woman pressed her hands on the desk and leaned over. Protecting people is your business, and you’re the best.” Her voice cracked, and she pulled a tissue from a small white purse and wiped her eyes.”
Hope scooted around the desk and hugged her cousin. “Tell me what’s happened.”
“Someone set our garage on fire and shot at us!” Ruth Austin sank into a chair.
Hope’s face flushed. Diamond Security protected high-profile, high-risk clients. She wasn’t going to allow anyone to harm her own family. “Where’s Leonard?”
“He thinks I’m overreacting, so he’s waiting downstairs.” She tossed a hand toward the front of the building.
“Wait here. I’ll get my business partner.” Tall and slender, Hope Diamond had short blond hair, and her eyes were deep blue. Her lips, which normally tipped up at the ends suggesting a smile, were pinched together.
She returned with a bald, mahogany-skinned man, who had just turned fifty. He wore a white shirt, tie with vintage cars, and was carrying a blue mug of steaming coffee with a whiff of cinnamon.
“Ruth, this is Frank Madison. He’s a combat veteran and the best protection guy in the business.” She turned to Frank. “Ruth’s father and my dad are brothers.”
“Two diamonds, eh?”
Hope took Frank’s cup. “I’ll keep this for you. Ruth’s husband, Leonard, is downstairs. Would you ask him to join us?”
Ruth touched Frank’s arm. “Our car is parked in a twenty-minute zone.”
“No problem. We’ll park it in our lot. Be back in a jiffy.”
“Come with me, Ruth.” Hope took her to the conference room. Sunshine streamed through the windows, and Hope set Frank’s coffee on the oak table.
Ruth had the same slender build as Hope, but her light brown hair was long, and her eyes were misty blue behind fashionable glasses. Her jacket and skirt had a hot designer look. The jacket’s classic Dior lines came alive with the bold color patches of Thebe Magugu and topped a short A-line skirt, similar to what Courrèges was showing. Afashionista herself, Hope frowned at not recognizing the designer of Ruth’s outfit.
“May I get you a drink? Coffee, tea, soda, or something stronger?”
“A glass of water, thanks.”
Carrying in a carafe of water and glasses, Hope met Frank and Leonard at the doorway. A tall, thin man, with long, loose arms, brown curly hair, and eyebrows that reached above his horn-rimmed glasses, Leonard sidled around the oval table and sat in a leather chair beside his wife. “We shouldn’t be bothering you, Hope. We’re not in the same league as your celebrity clients.”
She smiled. “You’re in a league all your own, Leonard. You’re family. Tell us why you’ve become a target.”
“A target?” Leonard sighed. “That’s Ruth’s idea.”
“Tell them about your whistleblower’s case.” Ruth folded her arms.
“It’s not a case yet. I was frustrated and printed out some whistleblower forms. I filled them in, but I haven’t turned in anything yet. They’re sitting on my desk.”
“I’d still like to hear why you filled out the forms.”
Leaning on the armrests, Leonard faced Hope. “I work for MOS—Moons of Saturn. I’m an accounting clerk, and MOS works on military projects. I came across an invoice for a quantity of parts, but the invoice had no packing slip connected to it. That’s a flag that the goods were never received.”
“What action have you taken.” Frank sipped his coffee.
“On three occasions, I talked to the purchasing agent—that’s Gilbert Melrose—who ordered the parts.”
“What did he say?”
Leonard held up a finger. “First, the packing list had been misplaced. Second, the company was shorthanded, which was why they didn’t answer my calls and emails. Finally, he’d contact the firm himself. So far, I haven’t heard anything, and he dodges me whenever I head in his direction.”
“Was the invoice paid?”
“According to the printout, yes. I tried to find why it went through the system, but the computer folks haven’t figured it out and don’t seem interested in admitting to any glitch.”
“How much money are we talking about?”
“A good $45,000.”
Hope turned to Ruth. “Tell me about the fire.”
Leonard put his hand on Ruth’s arm, but she pushed it away. “A fire started in our garage two nights ago. Fortunately, our neighbors noticed smoke. Carlos pounded on our door, and his wife called 911. If it hadn’t been for them, we may have slept until it was too late.” She sniffled and pulled out a tissue.
“The fire department wrote it off as an accident. Nothing to fuss about.”
Frank shook his head at Leonard. “I saw the bullet hole in your car window. I wouldn’t call that nothing to fuss about.”
Ruth nodded. “That’s why I’m here. We were driving home last night. When we turned into the driveway, a car screamed by. Somebody shot at us! The loud bang nearly gave me a heart attack.”
Hope gulped. “You could have been killed.”
Leonard put up his hands. “It was probably kids shooting off an air rifle. Our streetlights have been shot out more than once.”
“It was a bullet.” Frank pointed his cup at Leonard. “I spent enough years with Special Forces to recognize a bullet hole when I see one. Plus, air rifles don’t make a loud bang.”
Hope tapped her fingers. “What are your plans over the next few days?”
“I’m invited to an event MOS is holding on the Iris of the Seas cruise ship. Ruth is coming with me.”
“When does your ship leave?”
Ruth lowered her eyes. “Tomorrow.”
Frank rubbed his scalp with the heel of his hand. “A fire and a shooting are no coincidence. Someone is serious about hurting you, and they could be on the ship. I’d advise you to cancel your plans.”
Leonard put his hands on his knees and hunched forward. “I’m not ducking out based on two incidents that could easily be a coincidence. Sorry to disagree with you, Frank. Besides, I doubt the attacker will be on the ship.”
Silence lowered on the room like a lid pressing down over a steaming kettle. Hope shifted in the chair. “Does anyone in the company know about the whistleblowing?”
Leonard swung a leg over his knee. “I work in an open cubicle. The disclosure forms are on my desk for anyone to see.”
Hope locked eyes with Frank. He apparently understood her message and nodded.
“I disagree that the attacker won’t be on the ship. It could well be an employee. If you insist on going on the cruise, Frank and I will come, too.”
“Thank you!” Ruth let out a breath.
“It’s up to you if you want to come.” Leonard’s teeth caught his lower lip. “I don’t think it’s necessary.”
The sun reflected off Leonard’s glasses. Hope stepped over and twisted the rod to close the venetian blinds. She sat down, and her eyes settled on his. “Protection is a two-way avenue of trust between our clients and our agency. You must be all in, or we cannot take on as a client. The risk would be unacceptable.”
Leonard glanced at Ruth. Her eyes glistened. He jerked up and put an arm around her shoulder. “All right. I’d be foolish to turn down help from Diamond Security. What about fees? We won’t accept charity.”
Hope smiled. “I’m pretty sure I can arrange a family discount.”
Ruth reached over and squeezed her arm.
“Let’s talk about tonight.” Hope brushed a hand through her hair. “We operate a safehouse for clients. I’d like you to spend the night there.”
“We’ll have to go home and pack,” Leonard said.
“No, that could be dangerous.” Hope poured water into a glass. “The safehouse will have everything you need. A husband and wife live on the premises. They trained in Israel and are a trusted part of our team. Frank will drive you home in the morning.”
“We’ll do anything you say.” Ruth hooked her arm through Leonard’s.
“I’ll put your cellphones in the safe,” Frank said. “We can’t risk calls in or out of the facility.”
Ruth took hers out of her purse and handed it to him. She held out her hand. “Yours, too, Leonard.”
Frank turned to Hope. “I’ll get Tony.”
A seasoned operative, Tony Manera was a handsome, young Italian with a warm manner who had served with Interpol. He shrugged into a suede jacket and said he’d be happy to drive Ruth and Leonard to the safehouse.
Ruth picked up her purse but hung back. “Hope, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help.”
“I’m happy to help. Come on. Let’s catch up with the guys.”
Hope had purchased the red brick building in West Hollywood a year ago when the staff had outgrown the small quarters in Beverly Hills. The building exuded the faded charm of old Hollywood, with oak flooring, casement windows, and ornamental molding.
Running their hands along antique bannisters, the two women hurried down the broad staircase and out the back exit. A gray, concrete structure, the garage was open on the street side, but the smell of grease and oil hung in the air. Three teenagers were jostling one another on the sidewalk. A man in a gray jogging suit was staring into the garage, but he hurried around the corner. A woman pushing a baby stroller was corralling a toddler. A horn sounded, and Ruth jumped.
“That’s Fred. He’s one of us.” Tony took Ruth’s arm and led her to a black SUV.
When Ruth and Leonard were buckled in, Hope helped Ruth fit the goggles and earphones of a wearable virtual cinema into place. “You can enjoy a movie or video game during the drive.” The cinema prevented clients from identifying the safehouse location.
Although the safehouse wasn’t far, Tony would drive around the city to ensure he wasn’t followed, a skill he perfected in the winding byways of Europe.
Back in Hope’s office, Frank frowned. “We need a third operative. I didn’t want to alarm Ruth, but she was with Leonard during both attacks.”
“You’re right.” Hope tapped her teeth with a knuckle. “Let’s bring Lucy. She’ll be good for Ruth. Ask her to make our cabin reservations as close to Ruth and Leonard as possible.” Lucy was the firm’s newest agent. Hope had taken her under her wings after her parents died in a car crash. They swam laps together and went to the same martial arts center. Lucy was a black belt in Judo, and Hope was a black belt in Karate.
Frank folded his arms. “You know we can’t take guns on board the Iris of the Seas.”
“This case scares me, Frank. We have no time to assess the risk, check on potential assailants—and all the other stuff we do to ensure our clients’ safety.”
Frank took her hands. “Hope, you got into this protection racket against all odds. It’s a man’s business, and you kicked butt. Ain’t nobody gonna hurt Ruth and Leonard while Diamond Security is on the job.”
He let go of her hands, and she laughed. Thanks for chasing away my demons.”
“You know I’m fine if family discount means pro bono.”
“I know, Frank, but Leonard needs skin in the game. I’m nervous as it is, and if he bulks on cooperating, we could face a disaster.” She took a breath. “Something else is bothering me. It’s silly, but I can’t shake the idea.”
“I’m listening.”
“I was blown away by Ruth’s outfit. It looked like a couturier number costing $5,000. That seems extravagant for Leonard, and Ruth doesn’t work. Is there an angle here other than whistleblowing? As you noted, Ruth and Leonard were together during both attacks.”
“I don’t think the idea is silly. It’s a point to keep in mind.” He smiled and stood up. “Relax, we’ve had tougher cases. Think of the fun we had at Secret Sands.”
“We’re lucky the L.A. papers didn’t pick up that story,” she chided as he left.
A month ago, Diamond Security had protected four billionaire women at a secret meeting in the Navajo Nation. What should have been a routine security assignment turned into a week of anything but routine. The protection business hangs on a fragile thread of trust. The death of a client can snap the thread and sink the business.
Hope leaned back and smiled. It was in the desert that she had met FBI agent Matt Dennison. The chemistry between them was very strong, and she had fallen in love with him. At least it felt like love at the time. He claimed he felt the same way and was planning to move to Los Angeles. A frown clouded her face. She was passionate about her business and was considering expanding. The idea of marrying and settling down made her nails curl.
When she confided her feelings to her dad, he told her it was important to do the right thing. She couldn’t allow Matt to move out here expecting to marry her if that wasn’t her intention.
She couldn’t dodge the issue any longer. She hated the feeling of being deceitful and cowardly. As much as it would hurt, she would break off their relationship as soon as she returned from the cruise. Tears came to her eyes, and she wiped them away.
Her phone rang, with Tony’s voice on the other end.
She took a breath. “Any problems delivering the packages?”
“A friend joined us leaving the building. I left him at Olvera Street. We’ve been at Mama’s twenty minutes. Shall I hang around or call it a night?”
“Good job, Tony. Call it a night. Next week, you’ll cover for me.”
“You can count on me. Ciao.”
Shivering, Hope rubbed her arms. Ruth and Leonard must have been followed from their house. The danger was real.
