Municipal Blondes
24
Guardian Angel
JETLAG HIT ME big time and I had three cups of coffee thick enough to cut with a knife before I got in my rental car and headed southeast. I got a fast car and drove too fast all the way from Zagreb to Split on the A1. The mountain pass wasn’t as bad as I expected but spooky as hell. A five-mile tunnel. Before I took off, I sent a quick text to Jordan to let him know where I was headed. I want him to know, but I don’t want him to get there before I do.
The big lie
It took over five hours to get to Split. Then I decided to enhance my wardrobe a little before continuing to Island Brac where Angel’s villa is. I doubt she knows I have the information on her location. It was part of the details Dag left in his accounting files from when he transferred money for Simon. This place was nowhere near where the money was transferred but Dag didn’t let that stop him from locating it in Simon’s files. The guy was almost as devious as me. Damn him for dying!
But if Dag located it, it shouldn’t surprise me that Brenda knew about it and could track down Angel as well. Nothing is safe from prying eyes.
It’s as cold here as in Seattle, though I don’t think it’s going to snow for Christmas. I’d like to be home by then.
With new clothes and a full belly, I caught the 45-minute ferry to Island Brac.
It was a short trip from the terminal to the villa. When I saw it, I thought I’d reached a dead end. The villa is near the center of an immense stone structure with an iron gate separating it from the street not far from the marina. I wasn’t sure how I’d get in until I walked up, pushed the gate and listened to it creak open. It wasn’t locked. That needed to change.
I walked up the stone steps to a massive front door and knocked.
Angel opened the door after a few moments and I don’t know which of us was more surprised to see the other. I assumed there would be servants; she assumed I was anybody else other than me. We stared for several heartbeats the both broke out in a grin.
“Deb! How did you…? Why…? I don’t know what to say!” Angel said.
“You could start by inviting me in. It’s cold out here.”
“Come in! God, it’s good to see you! It’s only been, what, two weeks and already I miss everyone.”
We went into the house and I started to see what an immense place it was inside. It was an older structure but had been completely modernized inside. The furnishings were impeccable, of course. I wondered how much of it had been prepared in advance and how much Angel had done in the two weeks since I last saw her. I couldn’t tell but I had a feeling the place had been prepared a long time ago.
She offered me a club soda and we sat in the living room to chat.
“So, what have you been up to since we last spoke? I was so panicked back then, I wasn’t thinking straight. You should have come in disguise. You’d have been able to fool me completely, showing up here. I’d have never guessed it was you.”
“You didn’t,” I said. “But collecting on the bet isn’t what brings me here. Brenda and the Committee know you’re here and I think they suspect you may be sheltering a guy who is a threat to them.” Angel blanched. “I couldn’t call you, so I came to warn you. They’re sending someone in to clean up loose ends.”
I expected Angel to ask who they thought she was sheltering. I intended to expose how I’d fooled her as James Whitcomb and at least we’d have a good laugh about that. But instead she jumped up from her seat and headed for the door. Before she got there, it swung open and a man walked through.
“I heard,” he said, catching Angel in his arms. “And who is this lovely creature?” He stepped out around Angel to look at me and I caught my breath. I’d only seen photos of him but even though he now wore a full beard and his hair was dyed coal black, I recognized him from the pictures in Brenda’s bedroom I was looking at the very-much-alive ghost of Simon Barnett.
“You!” I gasped. “It’s you they’re after, not me! You are supposed to be dead!”
“Isn’t it wonderful, Deb? I didn’t know until I arrived here and he was waiting for me,” Angel said. “I was as surprised as you. Only, I think I was pretty furious first.
“Not half as furious as I am,” I exclaimed. “You let Dag die thinking he’d killed you. How could you do that? How could you use him and destroy him, you bastard? I’ll kill you myself!” I was a little out of control. I looked for something I could attack him with but came up empty. I just stood there shaking.
Angel crossed the room and wrapped her arms around me and pulled me down to the sofa. I was so angry I was shaking and tears were streaming down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Angel held me and I completely went to pieces. It was several minutes before I finally came down and saw Simon sitting in a chair opposite me, calmly sipping his drink.
“How could you?” I asked weakly. “Once a betrayer, always a betrayer.”
“I didn’t mean to,” Simon said quietly. He actually hung his head. “Either time. You must be the assistant he was so enamored with. Angel told me about you. It’s Deb, right?” I nodded. “Please believe me when I say I didn’t expect Dag to die. He was the only person other than Angel I trusted. I thought sure he’d break the code on the thumb drive and then when he busted the Committee, I’d contact him and come out of hiding. I didn’t realize he was that sick. I thought we had time.”
“He died thinking he’d pulled the trigger that killed you. Brenda told him the code on the GPS set off the bomb in your plane.”
“He did do that,” Simon said. “I found the bomb before I took off. That oaf Oksamma didn’t have much subtlety. I knew that plane like the back of my hand. I inspected it completely every time I flew. It was wired to blow up when someone accessed the GPS. I could have blown myself up if I’d switched it on once I was airborne. Once I realized Brenda was that serious about getting rid of me, I reset the trigger and flew in low over Cuba. I bailed out and let the plane explode. I’m still hurting from the twisted ankle but I have friends in Cuba who took care of me. When I heard Dag was dead, I gave up and headed for the villa here. I figured sooner or later Angel would show up. Then here she was, telling me the Committee was trying to track down whatever evidence I’d left behind and she ran.”
“Well, get ready to run some more,” I said. “Brenda held a meeting of the Committee in Belize and said she was sending someone dependable out to finish the job. I thought she was talking about finishing me and I came to warn Angel.”
“Why would anyone want to finish you?” Simon asked. I looked at him for a long time.
“For one thing, I’m the one who broke the encryption code on your thumb drive.” I thought I’d seen everything but Simon blew half his drink out his nose and dropped the glass on the stone floor where it shattered.
“I’ll be go-to-hell!” he exclaimed, jumping up and wiping himself off. Angel scurried to the kitchen to get a broom and towels. So domestic. “You mean you tracked down all four tattoos? You figured out the sequence and secondary encryption? I figured Dag was the only one in the world who could break that! You did it?”
“Apparently I’m not as dumb a blonde as I look,” I snarled.
“You are smarter than Dag looked,” he said, “and that fucker was the only certified genius I ever met.”
At the mention of Dag’s name, I felt tears leaking out of my eyes again.
“Oh, JFC! Don’t go crying again. I’m sorry about Dag. I really am. And I’m damned impressed with you. I wish we’d gotten you on the inside sooner. You could have run the whole operation on the Condo,” Simon said. Some compliment. I didn’t even acknowledge it.
“Well, I guess you don’t need me now,” I said standing. “Message delivered. You’re on your own. Brenda’s sending someone to make sure you’re really dead this time. Good luck. I can’t believe I thought she was after me.” I turned and headed toward the door.
“Deb, wait!” Angel said. “Honey, don’t leave. Please stay with us tonight. If you still feel you have to go in the morning, I’ll help make arrangements. You know, I’m a travel agent.” She grinned at me and held out her arms.
Maybe it’s just because I’m so tired, jetlagged, stoked on caffeine, and emotionally strung out. I let her convince me. I’m in one of the villa’s eight bedrooms, having had a big meal and a glass of wine. I’ll sort the rest out tomorrow.
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