All That Glitters
Chapter Two
When the back door slammed, common sense told Rikku to
hide. But the woman in white sprawled on the floor in
Tidus's living room wasn't dead. Her finger had twitched.
Rikku wouldn't leave this unconscious victim at the mercy
of whoever walked through that door. It was her nature
to protect the helpless. Growing up in foster care,
she'd learned to be tough.
From the kitchen, she heard a man's voice. Maybe Tidus? Or
maybe not.
She needed a weapon. From the stand by the front door,
she grabbed an umbrella. With her other hand, she groped
in her purse for her cell phone.
The stranger who entered the living room was handsome.
"Stay back!" Rikku positioned herself between him and his
victim. She punched in 9-1-1. "I'm calling the cops."
Calmly, he reached inside his blazer and pulled out a
revolver.
Her heart stopped. Was it too late to run and hide?
"I need help," Rikku shouted into the cell phone.
"There's a man with a gun."
The handsome man stepped toward her. "Listen, ma'am, I'm not
—"
"Don't move!" She jabbed at him with the point of the
umbrella as she gave Tidus's address to the emergency
operator. "And we need an ambulance. There's a woman
who's nearly dead."
"Not hardly," said a familiar female voice.
Looking over her shoulder, Rikku saw Leblanc Dumont sit up
on the floor, like a vampire rising from her coffin.
Tidus strolled into his living room. As he beheld the
scene, his eyebrows lifted. "Rikku," he said, "I see
you've already met Gippal. He's a professional
security guard."
"Oh." She lowered her umbrella.
From the floor, Leblanc whined, "Tidus, darling, I was
attacked. Don't you care about me?"
While Tidus helped Leblanc onto the sofa, Rikku approached
Gippal. "Sorry," she said.
He grinned. "You had me real scared, ma'am."
She glanced toward Tidus and sighed. Every time she got
close to him, she seemed destined to behave like a
complete moron. The wail of approaching police sirens
and an ambulance confirmed her idiocy. This situation
could only get worse now that the cops were involved.
Breathlessly Leblanc explained, "I came here to surprise
you, Tidus. I had my chef prepare a divine candlelit
dinner for two. She left while I set the table. I heard
a noise and came into this room. I sensed someone behind
me and…" She reached up to touch the back of her head.
"…everything went black."
"Wait a minute," Rikku said. "You were hit on the head?
But there's blood on the back of your dress."
"Oh dear, I hope not. This is a Vera Wang."
Leblanc leaned forward. There was nothing on her back. But
Rikku had seen blood! She looked down at the carpet.
"There it is."
She picked up the piece of shiny red plastic that she'd
mistaken for blood in the poorly lit room. It was shaped
like a sunburst — the calling card for the cat burglar
who was terrorizing the wealthy of Denver.
Immediately, Leblanc checked her ring finger. "Thank God,
the burglar didn't get my blue diamond!"
When Gippal opened the front door for the policemen
and ambulance crew, Rikku left center stage to Leblanc who
protested to everyone and wouldn't allow the paramedics
to touch her. In the midst of this confusion, a neighbor
popped in to see what was happening. With her was Donna
Corsky, who had just arrived for an evening tarot card
reading.
Leblanc demanded, "I want my personal doctor. Someone fetch
me a brandy."
Donna complied, going directly toward the liquor cabinet.
Had she been here before? Did Tidus use the services of
this psychic?
When he caught Rikku's eye and nodded toward the dining
room, she followed him. At the romantically set table,
he paused to blow out the candles. "Let me assure you, I
knew nothing about Leblanc's dinner plans."
"Someone did," she said. "The cat burglar."
"How much do you know about these thefts?"
"Only what I read in the paper. Why?"
"The Benefit Ball is a big temptation for a jewel
thief."
Tidus unlocked the door into an old-fashioned library with
floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Unlike the rest of his
house, this room looked lived-in. The large desk held a
respectable amount of clutter. On the center table was
an ebony rectangular box.
Reverently, Tidus unfastened the hasp and lifted the lid.
"I wanted you to see this before you designed the
decorations for the ball."
Inside the white satin-lined box lay an ornately carved,
golden scabbard. The hilt of the sword was pure,
gleaming gold.
Tidus lifted the scabbard from the case and drew the
double-edged blade. "The Sword of LeFevre, a Frenchman
who came to the Rockies and discovered gold in the
1800s. This scabbard and hilt were fashioned from gold
mined from his strike. The blade is steel, still sharp."
He slashed the air, and the sword whistled. "It's to be
auctioned off at the ball."
Rikku watched as Tidus parried and thrust at an invisible
opponent. The gold highlights in his hair matched the
shimmer of the hilt. "Elegant," she said.
"The owner's nervous about letting this treasure out of
his sight. That's why I have Gippal with me."
"May I touch it?" Rikku reached out.
He gave her the sword. The hilt was still warm from his
touch. Golden heat radiated up her arm and spread
through her entire body.
"I thought the sword might inspire you," he said. "For
the decorations. Maybe some French stuff. Lots of gold."
Her gaze met his. An undeniable electricity sparked
between them. "I'm inspired," she said.
"There was another reason I wanted to see you, Rikku. I
need major redecorating to make my house suitable for
kids."
"But you're a bachelor." A confirmed and notorious
bachelor.
"I've applied to be a foster parent."
She swallowed hard. Could Tidus Clarendon possibly be more
attractive? Handsome. Dashing. And sensitive, to boot.
"This was the kind of home I dreamed about when I was a
kid. I grew up in foster care." Rikku confessed.
"I know."
Though her past wasn't a secret, her upbringing wasn't
common knowledge. "What else do you know about me?"
"You have a juvenile criminal record for shoplifting.
You put yourself through college, majoring in art
history. Before I hired you, I had you checked out,
Rikku. You're the woman I want…for this job."
Before Rikku could reply, the library door was opened by
Gippal. "Excuse me, sir. The police are taking
statements. They'd like to speak to Miss Huffman."
* * *
After her interview with the cops, Rikku drove straight
home, thinking about what Tidus had said. She was the
woman he wanted...for the job. Did he want her in other
ways? What might have happened tonight if Leblanc hadn't
interfered? For hours, Rikku invented possible scenarios.
The candlelit dinner. The personal tour of his house,
including the bedroom.
Before going to bed, she took her cell phone from her
purse to recharge during the night. The phone wasn't
properly closed. It looked like something was blocking
the catch. She flipped it open.
Leblanc's diamond ring fell into her hand.
To be continued...
Chapter Two
When the back door slammed, common sense told Rikku to
hide. But the woman in white sprawled on the floor in
Tidus's living room wasn't dead. Her finger had twitched.
Rikku wouldn't leave this unconscious victim at the mercy
of whoever walked through that door. It was her nature
to protect the helpless. Growing up in foster care,
she'd learned to be tough.
From the kitchen, she heard a man's voice. Maybe Tidus? Or
maybe not.
She needed a weapon. From the stand by the front door,
she grabbed an umbrella. With her other hand, she groped
in her purse for her cell phone.
The stranger who entered the living room was handsome.
"Stay back!" Rikku positioned herself between him and his
victim. She punched in 9-1-1. "I'm calling the cops."
Calmly, he reached inside his blazer and pulled out a
revolver.
Her heart stopped. Was it too late to run and hide?
"I need help," Rikku shouted into the cell phone.
"There's a man with a gun."
The handsome man stepped toward her. "Listen, ma'am, I'm not
—"
"Don't move!" She jabbed at him with the point of the
umbrella as she gave Tidus's address to the emergency
operator. "And we need an ambulance. There's a woman
who's nearly dead."
"Not hardly," said a familiar female voice.
Looking over her shoulder, Rikku saw Leblanc Dumont sit up
on the floor, like a vampire rising from her coffin.
Tidus strolled into his living room. As he beheld the
scene, his eyebrows lifted. "Rikku," he said, "I see
you've already met Gippal. He's a professional
security guard."
"Oh." She lowered her umbrella.
From the floor, Leblanc whined, "Tidus, darling, I was
attacked. Don't you care about me?"
While Tidus helped Leblanc onto the sofa, Rikku approached
Gippal. "Sorry," she said.
He grinned. "You had me real scared, ma'am."
She glanced toward Tidus and sighed. Every time she got
close to him, she seemed destined to behave like a
complete moron. The wail of approaching police sirens
and an ambulance confirmed her idiocy. This situation
could only get worse now that the cops were involved.
Breathlessly Leblanc explained, "I came here to surprise
you, Tidus. I had my chef prepare a divine candlelit
dinner for two. She left while I set the table. I heard
a noise and came into this room. I sensed someone behind
me and…" She reached up to touch the back of her head.
"…everything went black."
"Wait a minute," Rikku said. "You were hit on the head?
But there's blood on the back of your dress."
"Oh dear, I hope not. This is a Vera Wang."
Leblanc leaned forward. There was nothing on her back. But
Rikku had seen blood! She looked down at the carpet.
"There it is."
She picked up the piece of shiny red plastic that she'd
mistaken for blood in the poorly lit room. It was shaped
like a sunburst — the calling card for the cat burglar
who was terrorizing the wealthy of Denver.
Immediately, Leblanc checked her ring finger. "Thank God,
the burglar didn't get my blue diamond!"
When Gippal opened the front door for the policemen
and ambulance crew, Rikku left center stage to Leblanc who
protested to everyone and wouldn't allow the paramedics
to touch her. In the midst of this confusion, a neighbor
popped in to see what was happening. With her was Donna
Corsky, who had just arrived for an evening tarot card
reading.
Leblanc demanded, "I want my personal doctor. Someone fetch
me a brandy."
Donna complied, going directly toward the liquor cabinet.
Had she been here before? Did Tidus use the services of
this psychic?
When he caught Rikku's eye and nodded toward the dining
room, she followed him. At the romantically set table,
he paused to blow out the candles. "Let me assure you, I
knew nothing about Leblanc's dinner plans."
"Someone did," she said. "The cat burglar."
"How much do you know about these thefts?"
"Only what I read in the paper. Why?"
"The Benefit Ball is a big temptation for a jewel
thief."
Tidus unlocked the door into an old-fashioned library with
floor-to-ceiling bookcases. Unlike the rest of his
house, this room looked lived-in. The large desk held a
respectable amount of clutter. On the center table was
an ebony rectangular box.
Reverently, Tidus unfastened the hasp and lifted the lid.
"I wanted you to see this before you designed the
decorations for the ball."
Inside the white satin-lined box lay an ornately carved,
golden scabbard. The hilt of the sword was pure,
gleaming gold.
Tidus lifted the scabbard from the case and drew the
double-edged blade. "The Sword of LeFevre, a Frenchman
who came to the Rockies and discovered gold in the
1800s. This scabbard and hilt were fashioned from gold
mined from his strike. The blade is steel, still sharp."
He slashed the air, and the sword whistled. "It's to be
auctioned off at the ball."
Rikku watched as Tidus parried and thrust at an invisible
opponent. The gold highlights in his hair matched the
shimmer of the hilt. "Elegant," she said.
"The owner's nervous about letting this treasure out of
his sight. That's why I have Gippal with me."
"May I touch it?" Rikku reached out.
He gave her the sword. The hilt was still warm from his
touch. Golden heat radiated up her arm and spread
through her entire body.
"I thought the sword might inspire you," he said. "For
the decorations. Maybe some French stuff. Lots of gold."
Her gaze met his. An undeniable electricity sparked
between them. "I'm inspired," she said.
"There was another reason I wanted to see you, Rikku. I
need major redecorating to make my house suitable for
kids."
"But you're a bachelor." A confirmed and notorious
bachelor.
"I've applied to be a foster parent."
She swallowed hard. Could Tidus Clarendon possibly be more
attractive? Handsome. Dashing. And sensitive, to boot.
"This was the kind of home I dreamed about when I was a
kid. I grew up in foster care." Rikku confessed.
"I know."
Though her past wasn't a secret, her upbringing wasn't
common knowledge. "What else do you know about me?"
"You have a juvenile criminal record for shoplifting.
You put yourself through college, majoring in art
history. Before I hired you, I had you checked out,
Rikku. You're the woman I want…for this job."
Before Rikku could reply, the library door was opened by
Gippal. "Excuse me, sir. The police are taking
statements. They'd like to speak to Miss Huffman."
* * *
After her interview with the cops, Rikku drove straight
home, thinking about what Tidus had said. She was the
woman he wanted...for the job. Did he want her in other
ways? What might have happened tonight if Leblanc hadn't
interfered? For hours, Rikku invented possible scenarios.
The candlelit dinner. The personal tour of his house,
including the bedroom.
Before going to bed, she took her cell phone from her
purse to recharge during the night. The phone wasn't
properly closed. It looked like something was blocking
the catch. She flipped it open.
Leblanc's diamond ring fell into her hand.
To be continued...
