Page 30 of Shadow Angel
Shaking her head, Beth pushed the last morsel of delicious steak into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. It gave her time to create a suitable excuse. “Not about risking my life to catch a killer, no. That’s not a problem. It’s like riding a bike, yeah? It’s only, I’ve never been onstage before. Where I used to work out, it was just a room with poles and an instructor. Just me and the girls.”
She noticed Styles’ concerned expression and had a qualm of guilt for lying to him, especially when he’d been so nice to her. Her cheeks heated and she couldn’t meet his gaze. Blushing had gotten an immediate reaction from him, which made her feel even worse. In truth, she’d slipped seamlessly into so many characters in her life, being onstage as Crystal the pole dancer would be one of the easier ones.
“You had a pole installed in the gym, right?” Ryder looked way too interested. “Styles mentioned you like to use it to keep in shape.”
Beth stared at him until his ears turned red. “Yeah, that and working out with Styles. We practice moves more than strength training. I get all that from the pole. It’s harder than it looks. Keeping supple is the key.”
“Are you sure?” Styles ducked his head and stared at her. “This is a big deal and I know some situations get you all riled up. To be convincing, you’ll need to seduce the audience. You know that, right?”
Beth smiled at him. “Yeah, I know the moves. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I can shut people out just like that.” She snapped her fingers.
“We’ll see. Okay, you’ll need some more information.” Styles took a pen out of his pocket and drew a map onto a paper napkin. “The layout is different from Outlaws. The dancers leave from a stage door and walk through a small garden area to the parking lot. Ryder will be in TJ’s pickup parked on a side road off Main where he can see the stage door. I’ll leave just before and be in Beth’s new ride. I’ll drive straight to the cabin, park in the road behind the cabins, and walk through the backyards to get into position. We’ll have our coms. Beth, you’ll make sure to attach yours before you leave your ride.”
Frowning, Beth stared at him. “What ride? I don’t have a ride if you have my truck.”
“You’ll be in Nate’s SUV. It’s ambiguous like your truck. There’s a ton of them all over the counties.” Styles smiled at her. “While you’re sewing your costumes, I’ll take everything you need to the cabin and make sure it’s secure. I’ll recon the area around the cabin and find a place to hide. Ryder is going to park outside a cabin a few doors away. He’ll walk in the front door—it’s unoccupied—and straight out the back and come around and take a position close by. Ryder will be driving in front of you, so as soon as he sees you climb into your vehicle, he’ll take off but will keep you in sight. Any problems, you use your com.”
Beth nodded. “Got it. I don’t figure he’ll try anything tomorrow night. He’s not an opportunistic killer. He’s well organized, so he’ll be somewhere watching. I hope I fall into his range of fantasy women. If so, he’ll follow me home for sure and see if I live alone. I’ll need to stay at the cabin and hope he doesn’t break in and try something. It’s pretty isolated out there.”
“Let him try.” Styles grinned at her. “As soon as you turn out the lights, I’ll give it a couple of hours and then slip inside. I have a key to the back door. I’ll sleep on the lounge. Then Friday night we repeat the same format and see if he bites.”
Relieved they had her back, Beth thought for a beat and then shook her head. “That won’t work. If he does break in, the best we’ll have him on is break and enter. He’s not going to risk attacking me with you there, is he? All this will be a waste of time, and he’ll know we’re onto him.”
“The cabin I’m using is only a hundred yards away.” Ryder’s brow wrinkled into a frown. “Styles can stay with me. It’s furnished.” He looked at Styles. “Take some extra supplies there when you set up Beth’s cabin.”
“Okay.” Styles rubbed his chin. “I’ll leave my backup weapon in the bedside table drawer, just in case you need it. You’ll have your com and I’ll keep mine turned on. I sleep light. If anything happens, I’ll know and come running. I’m sure you can hold him off until I get there.” He glanced at Ryder and smiled. “She fights real hard.”
Beth gave an exaggerated shudder. “If he doesn’t find a way to drug me first.” She pushed both hands through her hair. “I hope you can run fast, Styles. I don’t want to be fighting off a killer intent on sewing me to the sofa.”
“I don’t figure having a permanent smile will do much for your reputation either.” Ryder grinned at her and, when she just stared at him, dropped his gaze, ears pinking. “Just sayin’.”
Turning to Styles, Beth held up one finger. “Just one more thing before we go? As this may be my last supper with you guys at TJ’s, I’m ordering a slice of pie.”
THIRTY-THREE
THURSDAY
The day began blustery and cold. Snow clouds grayed the sky. The moment Beth had opened her eyes, time seemed to be moving faster than normal. It seemed to take forever for her to sort through the crates and boxes Styles had carried up to her apartment looking for suitable materials and accessories. Before she started sewing, she needed to become Crystal for the photographs required to advertise her appearance at Tempters. After carrying a barstool from the breakfast bar into her bedroom to use for staging the photographs, she selected a honey-blonde wig, red stilettoes, and a suitable costume. The manager of Tempters had agreed to display them in the foyer and on his webpage along with Beth’s performance times, and also shout about her being the new attraction over social media. The killer would be searching for a suitable victim and she’d be sure to get his attention. She spent a great deal of precious time applying her makeup to change her face shape and accentuate her eyes and mouth. Although her blue eyes looked bigger, she selected contacts in a rich turquoise to make her eyes resemble a manga cartoon character. For the final touch, she added clip-on brilliant white teeth. They puffed out her top lip and gave her a dazzling smile. Happy with her transformation, she pulled the drapes together and turned on all the lights in the bedroom. After perching on the edge of a barstool to display her legs, she called Styles from the sitting room. “I’m ready.”
His reaction was as she’d hoped. His eyes widened and his pupils dilated. She’d attracted his male animal and he prowled around her almost like a predator. She smiled her best seductive smile and used a deep sultry voice to add to the illusion. “Well, will I fool them?”
“Oh man, that’s freaky.” Styles gaped at her. “I’m starting to believe you’re an alien shapeshifter.” He walked around her rubbing his chin. “Wow! You’re the real deal. Even up close, I’d never recognize you. Those eyes, holy cow, they’re mesmerizing.”
Waving him away, Beth kept up the slightly breathless voice but added a dash of sarcasm just so he knew it was her beneath the mask. “Don’t get carried away, Styles. Just take the darn photos so I can wash off this makeup and get the costumes made.”
“Your voice.” Styles shook his head slowly. “It’s perfect. It sure doesn’t sound like you.” He took a ton of images and then showed them to her.
Scanning the images, Beth nodded. “Okay, use numbers five, eleven, and fifteen. They’re just what they need and show off my eyes real good. Get them to the manager of Tempters ASAP so he can get them up into the foyer. You don’t have much time. You’ll need to get my overnight bag and that bag of groceries on the counter and your stuff over to the cabins and then hightail it back here.”
“Gotcha.” Styles looked around the room. “I’ve arranged the basics for a night’s stay. All you’ll need is your costumes and makeup. I’ll be back in time to drop them by Nate’s place when you’re done.”
Beth waved him away. “Great! Get at it, the clock is ticking. Don’t forget to gas up the vehicles.”
As Styles headed for the elevator, she made plans for the rest of the morning. She’d need a few costume changes to cover both nights. The manager of Tempters had surprised her. He was very happy to get a dancer for free for potentially two nights. She’d made arrangements to be onstage for two ten-minute sessions. This was a shorter time than most of the other girls but long enough to get attention. She didn’t need to be too exhausted to fight if the need arose. It would be long enough for her to view the crowd for their potential suspects. Her private dance with Styles would happen after her last dance and they’d compare notes in an effort to discover who they might be expecting at the cabin.
After sewing her costumes, she showered and washed her hair. They would have dinner as usual at TJ’s before she slipped out and went with Nate. Once there, she’d wait ten minutes and, taking Nate’s SUV, would head out to the cabin to transform into Crystal, pole dancer extraordinaire. Tension built as she sipped a glass of wine. Just the one, with a light meal, would relax her. Beside her, Styles checked his watch and gave her a nod. It was time to go. A few seconds later Nate joined them. Beth smiled at him. “Ready to go?”
“Sure.” Nate stood and smiled at Styles. “Catch you later.”
