Page 109 of Trace of Doubt
“I see why Denton is in love with you. You have many admirable qualities and compassion for others, but don’t substitute courage for the role of a fool. And don’t get yourself killed before you and Denton can have a life together.”
I smiled and kissed his cheek.
Alone in the hotel room until an early morning flight, I called Marissa and updated her on my travel plans.
“What are you wearing?” she said.
“Jeans, yellow T-shirt, short dark wig. Are you picking me up?”
“No. Someone who works for me.”
Walking into a trap crossed my mind, a reminder of prison life. “A need-to-know basis?”
“That’s how I operate.”
Supper held no appeal, but I needed food for strength. I ordered vegetable beef soup and bread, but the taste escaped me. I tried to sleep. A useless endeavor. The circles beneath my eyes resembled craters. Sometime after midnight I drifted off. At 4:45a.m. the alarm sounded.
Showtime.
Denton texted me with emojis, one with praying hands.
Infiltrating a money-laundering operation frightened me when my knowledge of how it worked resided in games played long ago and online research. I couldn’t right any of Marissa’s wrongs—or even my own—but I could do my best to stop the crimes.
After exiting the aircraft in Miami in the central terminal, I bought coffee and watched the clock. The acid burned my stomach, and I dumped it. Forty-five minutes later, a text instructed me to walk to the west walkway that crossed to the Dolphin Garage from TerminalD.
I sighed, longing for the days and weeks ahead to speed by. Denton claimed working my way into Marissa’s confidence might take months. The scales tipped in her favor. She possessed the skills and experience of the operation. The contacts and analysis of when and how to move the money and the intricate, underhanded methods were second nature to her. Could I ever match her in a new game of wit?
I recognized my driver instantly from the photo Denton had shown me in the hospital. Eli Chandler. Thick brown hair and large eyes scrutinized me. Although physical attractiveness meant nothing in Marissa’s line of work, I saw him as eye bling for her vanity.
“We meet again.” I faced him squarely. “Are we on the same side?”
A wide smile and arctic-white teeth greeted me. “At the moment.”
I’d met his kind before in female form. He could kill me and walk away, easily done with a weapon hidden under his jacket.
We crossed the walkway to the Dolphin Garage. Were FBI agents watching me in case Eli pulled a gun? We stopped at a black Mercedes.
“Get in.”
We drove to the North Coconut Grove area of Miami, light-years from Mom and Dad’s neighborhood back in Sharp’s Creek, Texas. Eli slowed in front of a gated condo complex, several stories–high white stucco trimmed in terra-cotta. Eli pressed in a series of numbers, and the gate opened. The driveway led to a parking garage where he wound the car to the top parking area and parked.
So far I’d escaped death.
“You’ve known Marissa for many years, even worked at the bakery for a while,” I said.
He shut down the Mercedes. “We had good times before and while you were in prison.”
“But now I’m out and I’m a whole lot smarter than you are.”
66
Marissa lived in a world beyond my wildest imagination. But not a fairy tale. Her penthouse overlooked the bay, and the skyline had a million-dollar view. The interior design of white, cream, glass, and chrome oozed with sophistication. Perfectly staged. Perfectly decorated. No hint of personalization. The penthouse resembled what I once had envisioned as my own. I shared those ideas with Marissa, and she’d stolen every detail. Instead of irritation, I felt a deep sense of pity. Could it be my sister always took from others?
Eli opened a glass door from a large open living room, dining room, and kitchen onto a balcony. He gestured for me to step through to the massive area where a light breeze bathed my face. Marissa sat in a robe beneath a canopied table, her attention devoted to something on her phone, or so she wanted me to believe.
“Good morning,” I said.
She lifted her head and smiled. Even without a hint of makeup,she rivaled the beauty of her surroundings. “Hey, Sis. Glad you’re here. Join me and let’s chat.” She nodded at Eli. “Thanks for picking up my sister.”
