Hooked

that moment, Darlene got off the elevator. She started walking toward them. Tawny recognized her pinched expression, and if Darlene knew talkative Marsha, she had every reason to be afraid.
    “Hi, Darlene,” Marsha said.
    Tawny reached across, took Marsha’s arm. “What was her name, Marsha?” she said quietly. “The dead girl. It’s important.”
    Something about Tawny’s tone must have alerted Marsha, and she answered in a hushed voice. “Sarah Marshall. Sweetest girl on the planet. They fished her out of the harbor a couple of weeks ago. Must have been a client, but she was careful who she took up with. I can’t imagine how it happened. I turned her account over to her parents. Sad.”
    “What’s sad?” Darlene asked.
    “Oh, I was telling Tawny―”
    “Nothing important, Darlene.” Tawny let out a slow breath as she interrupted her new friend. “Just getting to know each other.”
    Marsha studied Tawny for a fraction of a second and got a knowing look in her eye. She changed the su bject. “About the Holocaust movie I saw. So sad I could barely contain myself. I don’t know why I go to those things. Those poor people. Some of my parents’ relatives.”
    “Must be awful,” Darlene said with barely a hint of sympathy.
    Tawny could tell Darlene didn’t give a rip about the Holocaust or Marsha’s people or anything else. Then Tawny’s cell rang. She pulled it from her satchel. Walsh. Not now . She’d call him back when she got out of there.
    “Aren’t you going to answer?” Darlene asked.
    “I’ll get it later. Nothing important.”
    Darlene glared at her suspiciously. “I’m going to grab a can of Coke and head home. I’ll pick up something to eat on the way. I’m starved.” She grabbed her drink and said goodnight.
    After she left, Marsha said, “You want to tell me why you did that?”
    “You don’t know me, but trust me, okay?” She watched the younger woman size her up. “Please.”
    “If it were anyone other than Darlene, I probably would have said something. But I don’t like her, never did, and I’m a good judge of character. I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t want to know.” She checked her watch. “It’s almost time for your appointment. You’d better go.” Marsha got up. “I have a feeling we won’t see each other here again, will we?”
    “I don’t know. Maybe not. But I have your card.”
    Marsha turned a slanted eye to study Tawny. She drained her wine, picked up her tote, and left the ballroom without another word. Tawny watched her leave. That was close, she thought. She got the information she came for. Time to get the hell out of Dodge. Screw the appointment.
    Tawny hoped she didn’t run into Colin on her way out. She’d head for the door, and if Charles made a stink, she’d run. She got to the second landing and ran right into Benny.
    “Tawny, just the person I wanted to see.”
    “I’m a little early, Benny. I was going to step outside for a breath of air, then head for the room.”
    “Nonsense. I’ll escort you. You can relax there. Your appointment is waiting. He was early too.”
    He cinched her arm and led her to the same room she occupied Monday night. He opened the door. She didn’t see anyone. Must be in the bedroom. She guessed this guy was strictly business, leaving the expensive bottle of Dom Perignon in the cooler without opening it. A plate of hors d’oeuvres and a vegetable tray with three different dips sat on the table. Benny must have realized she didn’t eat caviar, because she didn’t see any.
    He stood there, watching her.
    Trapped!
    She should have kept going instead of allowing Benny to take control. She’d wait until he left and sneak out. Resigned, she put her satchel in the closet and walked into the bedroom. Empty. “I thought you said my appointment was already here.”
    “He is,” Benny said. “May I introduce Benny Cooper, Ms. Dell.”
    Tawny almost laughed until she saw Benny was serious. “Benny, we had a deal. No freebies for the boss.”
    “That’s right. This is no freebie. Your money is in your mailbox, courtesy of tonight’s client, Benny Cooper.”

Chapter Thirty-Three
    The Unexpected Client

    A n ominous feeling settled on Linc as he and Dennis drove back to the city. The description of the black man standing around Rick Martell’s office didn’t ring a bell, it gonged. “Dennis, when you were running down the people who worked for Cooper, didn’t you mentioned the