A/N: when we left Jessica and Aubrey, they'd just received some scary news about a failed undercover operation. How will that affect their plans for the bonspiel? Read on to find out.
The group was silent for a few seconds, stunned at the news they'd just heard, when Aubrey shook his head resolutely. "Actually, this information doesn't change anything for me. I knew all along it was a bad idea for Jess to go undercover, and this just proves my point." He turned to his girlfriend. "Go pack your stuff. We're leaving."
"Like hell we are!" Stamping her foot defiantly, Jessica shook her finger at him. "Just who do you think you are? You can't tell me what to do with my life, James Aubrey!"
Realizing what was at stake, Booth stepped between them. "Okay, you two...enough!", he roared. "Both of you, settle down!"
His expression told the couple that he meant business, and they both grew silent, glaring intently at each other. "Listen, Aubrey. I totally get where you're coming from…", Booth said quietly. "I do...but if Jessica just up and disappears right before the curling competition, it's gonna be like announcing to the world that she's undercover, and we'll lose another chance at finding out what's really going on with Maxco and Histavark. Not only that, but it'll put ol' Craigie boy on notice, and he won't be so apt to take on another temp at his office."
"Okay, so maybe she doesn't just 'disappear'." Exasperated, Aubrey began to pace the room. "Why can't she become suddenly ill? Like maybe she gets food poisoning…"
"Because that'll look suspicious as well." Jessica sighed as she sat down on the bed. "Alma has already mentioned that the woman she knew as Molly vanished without a trace last year. If I turn up sick tomorrow morning, it'll be too much of a coincidence...two players having issues during this particular bonspiel throws up too many red flags. Craig might not notice, but Alma is smart, and she'll figure out something is up, and since she wants to stay on Craig's good side…"
"...she'll tell him what she suspects." Booth nodded as he turned to Brennan and Aubrey. "Jessica has to stay, and she has to participate in the bonspiel. There's no other way."
"Um...hey, guys?" Genny's voice came over the computer's speaker. "I have some background information on Ms. Reedson, if you want…"
"Sure, Genny...go ahead.", Booth said, directing his attention back to the screen.
"Okay." She looked over some papers at her desk. "The West Virginia State Police were concerned about a spike in meth overdoses and drug related crimes in the Morgantown area, and they'd gotten an anonymous tip about some drug smuggling going on around there as well. The State Police Office noticed that these incidences usually occurred around the same time as the curling bonspiels, especially when Maxco's team participated…"
"How did they make the link between the two?", Brennan asked. "There would normally be very little correlation between those two items…"
"True, but I guess the WVSP guys were leaning pretty hard on the owner of the ice rink where the majority of the bonspiels occur. There's not much to do in the area if you're not a college student, so a lot of people hang out at the rink, and a lot of different stuff changes hands. The guy who runs the place has been really lax in making sure it's all kosher, so the law enforcement boys made it clear...he either gave them the information they needed, or they'd shut him down permanently."
"So the owner of the rink gave them a list of the teams and when they competed, and the WVSP ran correlations with the spikes in drug crimes. Interesting…" Brennan nodded at Booth. "Statistics can be very valuable when attempting to solve a crime."
Rolling his eyes, Booth puffed out a sigh. "Right. Anyway...so they think the Maxco team is bringing the stuff in somehow?" He scratched his chin as he thought through the idea. "I mean, I guess that could happen. They sure loaded a lot of shit into that van, and I guess there's no telling what it all was without digging through every little bit of it."
Genny closed the file and nodded. "Okay, well, maybe you guys can check some of that stuff out. I've got a request in to the WVSP commandant, asking for any case notes or other information he may have received from Trooper Reedson. Since her body was found in Virginia and she was from West Virginia, it'll be easy to make a case for FBI jurisdiction if I need to give him a push. Her body was found almost four weeks after the bonspiel, so maybe she had some time to file a report. It's a long shot…"
"...but it we may get lucky. Good work, Genny. Let me know if you get any more information, okay? Bye." Ending the Skype session, Booth looked at the others. "What do you think? Does drug smuggling sound like something Maxco would even be involved in?"
"I'm not sure." Jessica shook her head as she thought through the last few days at her temporary job. "There wasn't anything unusual in their invoices, except for the ones from Croatia and Turkey." Realizing she hadn't told Aubrey about those, she cringed, wishing she could take her words back.
"There was an invoice...from Croatia...and you didn't think I'd need to know that?" Aubrey was livid. "Is there anything else you 'forgot' to tell me, Jess?"
"Aubrey! Stop that shit right now!", Booth barked. "Listen, you're probably not even supposed to be anywhere near this case, with the possible connection between Maxco, Histavark and that company your dad ran in Croatia, but I looked the other way so that you could be in on this case, and I convinced Stark to do the same. What that means for you is that the less you know about what goes on with CEP, the better it'll be when it comes time to prosecute these bastards! So get yourself under control, or get the hell outta here."
He stopped suddenly when they heard a knock on the door. A muffled voice came from the hallway. "Buck? It's me, Craig...is everything okay in there?"
Silently pointing to the laptop, Booth nodded toward the bathroom. Understanding what he meant, Brennan closed it and put it out of sight as her husband opened the door.
"Hey, Craigie! What's up?"
"I was wondering...oh, there you are, Jessica! Alma's been looking all over for you. It's past your bedtime, young lady…" He leered at her as she rose from the bed and smoothed her dress. "Just spending time with your aunt and uncle, I suppose." He glanced at 'Jimmy' before continuing. "You know, I thought I heard you yelling, Buck…"
"These boys...what are ya gonna do with 'em?" 'Wanda' wandered out of the bathroom, wearing her robe loosely tied around her waist. "They was arguin' over somethin' stupid…"
"I was just trainin' Jimmy up proper, okay, Baby." Exhaling heavily, Booth turned to Stephenson and pointed at Aubrey. "Would you believe this boy's a Cubs fan? I mean...he's lucky I let him keep his job. Everyone with half a brain knows the Phillies are the only way to go…"
Stephenson cleared his throat. "I'm not familiar with baseball. My interests are more...cerebral. Curling is a sport that utilizes your intellect as well as strength. It's much better than baseball...or that football stuff."
"You'se shitting me, right?", 'Buck' retorted, unable to contain himself. "Baseball is America's pastime."
'God, what a damn inbred asshole.' Craig gave Buck a pained smile. "You're not the first to tell me that. However, I was raised in Canada, where curling is a more popular sport. Now, may I suggest you two curtail this discussion for now? People are trying to sleep."
Pretending to be embarrassed, 'Jimmy' shrugged. "I guess things got a little too heated…sorry, Craig...Buck."
"Yeah, they did, boy, so now I'm sending you to the showers. Go get yourself cleaned up." Turning to Craig, Uncle Buck nodded. "I'll just walk Miss Jessie on down to her room right this minute so she can rest up…"
"Oh, don't trouble yourself, Buck. I can take her.", Craig responded hastily. "I don't mind…"
'I'm sure you don't, you rich prick.' Booth shook his head. "Nope. I won't be able to sleep right unless I know my Jessie is settled in like she's sposed to be. Come on, Missy…let your old Uncle Buck take you down the hall…"
Frustrated that his plans had been thwarted, Craig smiled weakly. "Very well. Don't forget, Jessica...6:30 sharp for the team breakfast. I'll see you then. Good night Buck...Wanda."
After taking one more long look at Brennan in her robe, Craig turned to leave, wondering exactly where he'd get his thrill for the night. At least he didn't have to deal with Danielle tonight, thanks to his surprise visit to the room she reserved earlier.
"Oh well, at least there's one person who'd always willing. If I try hard enough, maybe I can picture Wanda or Jessica while I'm with her.", the CFO muttered before opening his suite's door.
Oooooooooo
Thanking Booth for walking her to her room, Jessica sighed. "Do you really think I did the right thing when I chose not to tell Aubrey about that invoice? I mean, it was only one piece of paper. I wasn't sure about what to do, but that's what Genny suggested…"
"And she was right, Jessica. If Aubrey had known about that invoice he would've wanted to serve a warrant immediately and this whole operation would've been shot down." Booth smiled as they reached her room. "I know he's upset, but I don't think he's mad at you, really. He's mad at the whole situation, okay? He's a big boy...he'll get over it."
Looking around the hall, he dropped the volume of his voice. "Okay...tomorrow...eyes open, mouth shut. If you find out anything that you think is the least little bit weird, don't ask anyone about it...just send us the info via text, okay? We'll take it from there." Seeing her lip tremble, he put his hand on her shoulder. "You're gonna be fine. We'll be right there with you."
"I know." Jessica tried to smile as if nothing was bothering her, but she failed miserably. "I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Uncle Buck."
"Good night."
Using her key card, Jessica quietly entered the darkened room, hoping to avoid talking to Alma. Unfortunately, she bumped into the woman as she moved towards the bathroom. "Oh, I'm sorry…"
"No problem, honey." Alma smiled and winked at the young woman. "So I guess you and Jimmy had some fun…"
"Well, it wasn't anything special. We took a walk and then we went to my Uncle Buck's room to watch the Michigan State - Miami basketball game. Pretty boring, really…"
"Yeah, I bet, but it's a start. Keep an open mind about that man, Jessica. However, don't take too long to make up your mind or else Lori will sink her immature little claws into him." Drying her hair with a towel, she pointed over her shoulder. "I'm finished in there if you want in."
"Thanks. I'll just get my stuff…" She paused, surprised to see Alma pulling on some jeans and a low cut green sweater that was a size too small. "Why are you getting dressed? I thought it was curfew…"
"It is for you, but I'm the skip, right?" The older woman smiled as she slipped her keycard into her pocket. "I've got an errand or two to take care of. Don't wait up, honey…"
Jessica had a strong vibe about where her roommate was going, but knowing her opinion would be unwelcomed and suspicious, she kept her thoughts to herself. "Okay…be careful, Alma. Jimmy and I saw people who were already drunk because it's St. Patrick's Day."
Alma turned around and smiled. "Don't worry about me, Jessica. I'll be just fine."
Waiting until Alma left, Jessica took out her phone and sent a quick text to her boyfriend. Sorry I didn't tell you everything Superman. Forgive me?
Her answer came a few seconds later. Yeah of course. I'm just frustrated with everything.
Smiling, she responded. Maybe I can help. Are you alone?
Laying back on the sofa, Aubrey, now clad in a t-shirt and his boxers, grinned. I'm on the sofa on the opposite end of the suite far away from Buck and Wanda. Why?
Giggling, she gathered her things and headed for the bathroom, where she quickly stripped off her clothes before grabbing her phone again. I'm getting ready to take a shower...see?
Snapping a nude selfie in the mirror, she wore a naughty smirk as she sent it to him. It only took seconds for him to respond.
OMG OMG OMG Naked Jess is my favorite! Now what are you doing?
She giggled as she turned on the water. My phone isn't waterproof, so you'll have to pretend like you're here with me. Imagine rubbing the shower gel over every part of my body…down my back...over my breasts and my tummy...on my ass...
He groaned as he remembered what her beautiful body felt like under his touch, becoming even more aroused as he looked at her nude selfie again. Hearing vaguely familiar muffled sounds from behind the closed bedroom door only made him more frustrated.
'Booth has Dr. B to drive his truck...I want Jess to drive my truck, damn it. She's really good at it, too.' Aubrey typed another message to his girlfriend. C'mon Jess. Not fair.
He waited a few minutes, but there was no response. Jess?
Sorry...I was in the shower. Took me longer than normal. I was thinking about your hands being between my legs and the way you kiss me all over as the water flows over us. Makes me sooo hot...I'd be down on my knees for you in no time with your hands in my hair while I make you feel so good...
Wiping the steam from the mirror, she took another selfie. Look...I'm all nice and clean…
"Oh no, you're not...you're my dirty girl.'', Aubrey muttered to himself. Glancing at the closed door of Booth and Brennan's bedroom, he pulled up the sheet over his boxers. A few strokes was all it took to send him over the edge with a loud grunt and a sigh.
In the other room, Brennan looked towards the door. "What was that?"
"Probably Aubrey having some phone sex with Jessica. Don't worry about it." Fondling his wife's breasts tenderly, he quirked an eyebrow at her. "How about you taking another ride on the Buck Truck?"
"An excellent idea…" She quickly straddled him, laughing as she ran her hands down his well muscled chest. "I'll drive."
oooooooooo
Jessica entered the dining room at 6:30 sharp the next morning. Still feeling nervous after what she'd heard about the disappearance her predecessor, she made a conscious effort to project the persona of a carefree young woman.
Shouldering the bag that held her curling gear, she filled a plate at the breakfast buffet and looked around the room for a seat. The room was full, with several other teams eating at the same time, but she spotted Lori and Sandra sitting at a table in a corner, and headed back to join them.
The two girls were giggling as they hunched over their phones, barely acknowledging Jessica as she greeted them.
"Oh, hey, Jessica.", Lori finally said, laying her phone aside. "Are you really gonna eat all that?"
Looking at the scrambled eggs and slices of bacon on her plate, Jessica shrugged as she buttered her toast. "Well, yeah. I always eat stuff like this for breakfast, especially before I compete. I'll need the protein to keep me going today. Anyway, who knows when we'll have a chance to eat lunch? Why? What do you usually have?"
"We never eat breakfast. We just have munchies all day long...chips and soda...stuff like that...whatever we can find to give us a little 'pick me up'. If we ate stuff like bacon and eggs, we'd tip the scales toward the heavy side. " Sandra smirked at Lori. "Jessie must be magic if she can eat all that and stay so tiny."
Lori nudged Sandra and laughed. "She must be real active...too bad she couldn't get active with Jimmy like I did last night. That man is so hot." Offering Jessica a fake smile, she continued. "Jimmy and me had lots of fun...just the two of us in my room after curfew, if you know what I mean..."
But not nearly as much fun as 'Jimmy' and I had last night after curfew. Trying not to laugh at the young woman's obvious lie, Jessica nodded as she bit into a piece of bacon. "Well, good for you." As she sipped her tea, she glanced around the room. "Where's Alma?"
"Probaby with Craig." Sandra laughed as she turned back to her phone. "They think we don't know that they're sleeping together, but it's pretty obvious to everyone."
"Really?" Jessica pretended to be surprised. "I hadn't noticed…"
Lori scoffed sarcastically "Seriously? You're sharing a room with Alma, right? What time did she get in?"
Jessica hesitated for a few seconds. "I don't know. She said she had to run a couple of errands last night, and she hadn't returned by the time I went to bed...about 10:30 or so...and when I got up this morning, she wasn't there, but I just assumed she'd left already to work on things for the bonspiel."
The two younger girls looked at each other and laughed out loud. "I bet I know what her errands were.", Lori said. "What do you think, Sandra? She probably helped Craig out last night, right?"
"Stop it, Lori. I think that's so gross. I mean, why would he want to fuck Alma, anyway? She's so old and flabby…"
"You're just jealous because you want him to be your very own sugar daddy, right?" Lori gestured for Jessica to lean closer. "Sandra's been boinking Craig on a regular basis so she can get stuff from him…you know, money...fancy clothes...booze...pills...things like that."
"It's more than that! Quit making it sound so cheap!" Sandra glared furiously at Lori. "He loves me…he wants me to be happy and have everything I need, that's all."
"Yeah, right...that's why he's been humping Alma…"
Sandra was furious. "Listen, Lori...he told me that he does that to keep Alma happy and quiet, because as head of Accounts Receivable, she knows things which would hurt the company if they got out. She's also been threatening to leave the curling team. He's doing the best he can for all of us."
Surprised, Jessica pretended to concentrate on her tea as she listened to the girls argue. That doesn't add up...what would Alma know that could hurt Maxco so badly?
"I think Craig is just feeding you a load of bull, Sandra. He's just stringing you along like he does with Alma and the other young girls he picks up at work or at these bonspiels." Lori puffed out a disgusted sigh. "He's so not worth it…"
"You're wrong, Lori! Once he fixes everything, he can let Alma quit the team and tell her to shut her face or he'll fire her. Besides, you have no room to talk, because when he flirts with you, you flirt right back with him."
"He's our boss, you moron. I just play along before I walk away as fast as I can. He could be my grandpa, so you can have him. Yuck! Besides…" Lori gave a sidelong glance to Jessica. "I've got Jimmy. He's a little on the lean side, but his arms are all muscle, and that moustache...it felt soooooo good last night..you know, when he gave me the big 'O'? Yeah, it was amazing..."
'Yes, it does feel good...and he knows how to use it to give me a great 'O'. Too bad that's something you'll never get from him, Lori, especially if you're wearing that overstuffed bra while you're slobbering all over him.' As much as Jessica detested Lori and her lies about Aubrey, she bit her tongue as she continued to listen to the girls gossiping.
"Craig's older, but he's very open to whatever I want to try.", Sandra said suggestively. "However, he does have an issue with getting me to that big 'O', so I just throw a few screams in now and then to make him feel like he's the man. If I can't find someone to finish me off, I do it myself."
"So our boss can't finish the job? That should tell you something, Sandra. You know...like find a guy our age…"
"Shut it, Lori. Craig is doing what he has to do and it won't be forever. I just need to be patient, because he told me yesterday that he would rather fuck me than her any day..."
"Lower your voice!", Lori hissed. "They just came in…"
Jessica looked over her shoulder just in time to see Alma and Craig enter the room. They were obviously trying to look like they hadn't come in together, but without much success. Jessica cringed slightly as she noticed Alma was wearing the same clothes she'd been wearing when she'd left their room the night before.
After getting her meal, Alma waved as she saw her team sitting together, and walked over to join them. "Good morning, girls. Sorry I'm late...I had to resolve a scheduling issue, but it's all good now."
Soon Craig strolled up to their table. Setting down his plate, he pulled up a chair, placing it so that he was sitting close to Jessica. "Good morning, Darlin'. Sleep well?" He reached under the table and put his hand on her knee. "I'm looking forward to spending some time with you this evening. Perhaps your Aunt Wanda could join us…"
"Um...excuse me." Quickly rising from her chair, Jessica pointed to the buffet table. "I'm gonna go get some of that melon…"
Inhaling sharply, Jessica counted to ten as she picked up a plate at the buffet. If that son of a bitch tries to grope me one more time, he may lose a hand. Picking up a fork, she walked back to the table, stopping behind Sandra's chair. "So what's the plan for our line up?"
Alma stirred some sugar into her coffee and then pulled a tablet out of her bag. Touching the screen, she showed a diagram to her team. "Sandra's gonna be lead and Lori's gonna be second. Jessica is vice, of course. We might flip-flop one and two from game to game. We'll see how it goes."
She gazed at the young women with a serious expression. "You girls are gonna need to concentrate while we're on the sheet. There's a lot of good teams at this bonspiel, and the competition is gonna be fierce...first place may come down to a point or two."
Seeing them nod, Alma continued. "So...no cell phones out during a game, and no food, either. You can have drinks. Keep your chit chat to a minimum so you can hear any directions I'm giving." She glanced at the man sitting across from her. "Craig? Is there anything you want to add?"
He gave the team an oily smile. "I want us to put forth our best effort this weekend. Our goal is to win back the trophy from Histavark. If you're successful, there will be some very nice bonuses in your paychecks, so go out there and do your best!"
"Um...okay." Jessica nodded as she picked up her bag. "So when do we need to head for the rink?"
"Let's meet out by the van in ten minutes." Alma checked the time on her phone. "So...seven."
"Okay." Jessica pointed towards the hallway. "I'm just going to duck into the restroom. I'll be out in a few minutes."
Watching the intern walk away, Craig licked his lips. "That little girl is a cutie…"
Alma grunted loudly. "Keep it in your pants, buddy. I don't want your bad habits to throw her off her game. She's good, but she's liable to be nervous with all your pawing at her, okay? If you want to win, you need to control yourself."
"Oh, okay." He reached over to pat Alma's hand, but she withdrew it quickly. "You know you're my number one girl, Alma…"
"Right." Shaking her head in disgust, she got up from the table. "See you later."
He chuckled as she left him. He was having fun, juggling all these women. No way he'd ever settle for just one when he could have three or four...or maybe more, if he could get Wanda to take the bait.
This was going to be a very interesting weekend.
Oooooooooo
The short trip to the rink seemed to take hours as Jessica listened to Lori and Sandra giggle for the whole trip. They seemed to talk incessantly without ever actually saying anything. Lori in particular was caught up in describing how charming 'Jimmy' was. "He has such a cute butt...and he's smart, too. He wants to have his own refrigeration business someday…"
Jessica struggled to remain calm, trying not to listen, but ignoring Lori just seemed to make her talk louder about her most favorite subject.
After staring out the window for several minutes, Jessica decided she'd finally had enough. After all...that's my fiance she's talking about...I'm the only one who knows how cute his ass is...WHOA! Fiance? Where the hell did that come from?
Laughing to herself, Jessica shook her head. Maybe he'd be her fiance one day, but that wasn't the most important matter at hand. First she was going to try setting Lori straight.
Turning to the girls, Jessica coughed quietly to get their attention. "So, Lori...Jimmy's quite a bit older than you are, isn't he? Uncle Buck told me that he's 33...almost fourteen years older than you are."
Not getting Jessica's point, Lori made a face. "So?"
"Well, I mean, he's nice and all, but I bet he doesn't like the same kind of music you do, and he probably doesn't have the first idea about how to use SnapChat and Instagram. "
"I don't care." Lori stuck her nose in the air. "He's smart...he can learn…"
"Maybe, but think about it...a guy his age who isn't married...and he doesn't have a girlfriend...what does that tell you?"
"I don't know...maybe he just hasn't found the right girl yet. Maybe I'm the one."
"Or...maybe he has some serious mama issues...or maybe he does something stupid with his money. Refrigeration techs make pretty good salaries...maybe he gambles or he drinks a lot…"
Somewhat less confident, Lori shrugged as she thought things over. "Well, it's not like I'm gonna marry the guy…", she whined. "I just wanna have some fun…"
Jessica smirked as she turned back to the window, testing a theory. "As old as he is, I hope he can stay awake long enough to show you a good time. He may be one of those guys who falls asleep before you get that big 'O' you've been craving...you might be left very unsatisfied."
Pouting now, Lori's shoulders slumped. "But he is so cute…"
'She didn't confirm the orgasm Aubrey has supposedly given her already. She can't even keep her lies straight.' Smiling, Jessica laughed out loud. "So are baby pigs...but I wouldn't want to keep one forever."
Lori was quiet for a moment before perking up. "Hey, you're just saying all that stuff because you're jealous, since he wants me now instead of you. You blew your chance, Babe. Jimmy's mine, so get over yourself and quit talking crap to make him look bad."
Jessica turned to the young woman and shrugged. "I'm just making a few points, Lori, but suit yourself."
"You're just jealous.", Lori pouted. "Well, too bad…I got to fuck him last night and I'm going to fuck him tonight, too. He wants me because of my nice breasts and ass, since I'm not stick thin with tiny boobs like you. You snooze, you lose, and trust me, he's already forgotten about trying to get into your pants."
'Aubrey loves my breasts because they're just enough to fill his hand. This woman is crazy. I think Lori is Karen's long lost twin. Yikes. ' Jessica shrugged off Lori's rant. "If believing all that makes you feel better, then go ahead. No skin off my ass."
Irritated at Jessica's easy comeback, Lori leaned forward, ready to do battle. "Your opinion doesn't matter, newbie. You're just mad because Jimmy wants me now and Craig fucked Alma instead of you."
Jessica took out her phone and made a show of reading it. "You've already said that twice, Lori, and Sandra is the one who is currently boinking our boss, not me."
Stunned by the older woman's lack of reaction, Lori stammered. "But…you're just jealous..."
Turning her head, the intern wore a look of indifference. "Yeah, got that the first two times you said it, Lori. Now if you don't mind, I want to put my focus on today, okay?"
Ignoring the daggers the young woman was shooting her, Jessica looked out the window with a small smile on her face.
Oooooooooo
Maxco's team got to the arena about 7:30 that morning. The tournament didn't officially start until ten, but several teams were already on the ice to warm up and work on strategies.
After checking in with the tournament director, Alma led her team down to the lane where they'd be practicing, a different one than the night before. As they stretched, she reminded them of their duties, stressing once again the importance of winning the trophy.
"I want that bonus, girls. I need the money…", she said as she walked down to the house at the end of the lane.
"Why? Aren't you getting enough from Craig?", Sandra asked sarcastically. Ignoring the surprised looks from her teammates, she stood with her hands on her hips. "Maybe you should give up on him and find someone else to fuck in your spare time."
Alma squared her shoulders as she turned to face the young woman. "And maybe you should shut your damn mouth, Sandra. I don't care what you think you have going on with Craig. You work for my division, and I can have you out on your ass in no time if I want. Now, enough of that shit. Are you gonna play or not?"
Withering under the older woman's stern glare, Sandra nodded meekly. "I'll play...for now."
"Good." Pointing to the rack of stones, Alma turned to Jessica. "Let's start by having you throw some guards."
"Okay." Lining up in the hack, Jessica aimed at the spot that Alma indicated, but the stone went whizzing past it and out of the house. "Holy crap!"
The skip was shocked as well, "Whoa! That was way too much weight on that throw! What's going on? I thought you knew what you were doing."
"I do...I'm just a little excited, I guess." Jessica felt a mixture of surprise and embarrassment as she saw how badly she'd missed the button. "I'll try again."
Picking up another stone, she did some quick calculations. These stones were about 25 percent lighter than the regulation curling stones that she was used to, so she'd need about three quarters of the normal force. Making the adjustment with her next throw, she came a lot closer to the target.
"That's better." Alma smiled, gesturing towards the rack as she pulled out her phone. "Okay...you girls practice throwing and sweeping for a few minutes. I need to return a call."
Leaning on her broom, Jessica watched as Lori sent some stones down the lane. It was frustrating to see how easily Lori hit the correct locations, but, as Jessica reminded herself, these girls were used to the stones. Glancing around the arena she wondered if members of the other teams were having any problems with them.
Another thought occurred to her as she swept the ice ahead of Sandra's stone. What was it Booth had said last night?
If you find anything the least little bit weird, don't ask about it...just text us.
Did that apply to lightweight curling stones? She'd made a point not to ask Alma any more about them, but did she really need to text Booth and Aubrey? Was that what Booth meant?
Unfortunately, there wasn't time to contemplate that decision. Alma was back and ready for them to work on some game strategies.
Oooooooooo
Standing by the door of the party bus, Craig was determined to find a way to sit next to Wanda so he could at least cop a feel. She was so stacked...and those perky boobs waving in his face were just too hard to resist. The problem was what to do about her oafish husband.
The team members' relatives had met at the lobby so they could take the bus. Muttering to himself, he watched as Lori's parents and Alma's older sister boarded. What a bunch of hillbillies. Sandra's cousin was another story. Hmm...a little older, but still cute. Maybe we can keep it all in the family.
Tapping his foot impatiently, Craig finally smiled as he saw the Moosejaws and their sidekick Jimmy approaching the bus. Wanda looked especially attractive in the Maxco tee shirt that he'd handed out to all of the supporters. It was pulled tight across her bosom in such a tempting manner…
Climbing up the steps of the bus, he waited until she boarded and then followed her to her seat, plopping down next to her with a grin. "Good morning, Wanda. You look nice today."
Brushing her curls over her shoulder as she smacked her gum, 'Wanda' barely acknowledged him. "Good morning, Mr. Stephenson."
"Now, Wanda…" He sidled closer, putting his arm around her. "I've asked you many times to call me Craig…"
"Sorry. I was taught to respect my elders. It's just a habit, I suppose." She bit her lip to keep from laughing at his irritation. Pulling away, she smoothed her shirt. "I'm excited about seeing Jessie play with her team…"
"Hey...you putting the moves on my wife?" A very angry Buck Moosejaw glared down at Craig. "I think you'd better keep them hands to yourself, Craigie!"
"I was just trying to help her adjust her seatbelt." Craig reached around Wanda to find the clasp. "Safety first, you know…"
"Yeah, well, you'll be a lot safer if you move to a different seat, don't ya think?" Crossing his muscular arms across his chest, Buck was not in a mood to argue. "Well?"
Seeing the massive guns on the oaf, Craig decided that perhaps a new seat was a viable option. "No problem. I'll just move across the aisle. There we go." Sitting down next to 'Jimmy', he sighed. I'll just have to wait until later…
Oooooooooo
It was one in the afternoon, and so far the tournament hadn't gone as well for Maxco's team as they'd hoped. Alma had made several mistakes as skip, which had cost them a win against a team they should've beaten easily. The normally calm woman seemed nervous, much to Jessica's amazement.
With their next contest starting at 1:45, the team had been given a lunch break. At first Jessica considered joining her family in the stands, but that was going to be inconvenient. Instead she ordered a chili dog and some tater tots and found a table in a corner. She figured that Sandra and Lori wouldn't want to talk to her anyway.
As she sipped her water, she thought over the matches this morning. She'd actually been surprised at how well both of the younger women had played. The two of them could've played with any club in the area, and would've done their teammates proud. That told Jessica that the girls had been recruited for their curling skills as well as their looks.
It still didn't make any sense to Jessica. As much as she liked curling, she had never been a part of a club that was as hyper competitive as Maxco's team was, especially since curling, in general, was so well known for the sportsmanship that existed between teams . The fact that the company was willing to pay bonuses if they won a bonspiel just emphasized that difference. Yeah, she got Stephenson wanting to beat his cousin's company, but it was more than that. Why was it such a big deal to win some stupid trophy? It wasn't like they were a bunch of third graders needing participation awards...
Anyway, once she got used to the weight of the stones being different, she had played well, much to her satisfaction. She'd gotten into the competitive spirit, wanting to win the event, but it was going to be an uphill road if they were going to take home that trophy.
She wondered if all the stones were as lightweight as theirs. Their lanes today were different than the one she'd practiced with Alma last night and there were no complaints from their opposing teams, which led to one conclusion. There might be a fix in somewhere, but the question was, was it with the rink, with another team, or with someone else they were unaware of?
Glancing at her phone, she smiled when she saw that she'd gotten a 'good luck' text from Aubrey. After hesitating for a minute or two, she sent both him and Booth a message.
Something weird has come up. The curling stones don't feel right. Too light and the handles wiggle. Also, Alma is very nervous...making lots of mistakes.
She hit send, hoping she'd done the right thing. Eyes open, mouth closed…let them know about anything weird. So far, so good.
Picking up her trash, she left to get ready for the next match.
Oooooooooo
Hearing the text alert, Booth checked his phone. His brow furrowed as he showed Brennan the message from Jessica. "What the hell does this even mean?"
"I don't know why Alma is nervous, although Jessica is correct. The skip has played poorly today." Seeing his glare, she quickly continued. "Curling stones are made by a Scottish company named Kays. They have to weigh between 17.24 and 19.96 kilograms."
"English, Bones..."
"No...Scottish." As her husband sighed loudly, she realized what he meant. "Oh...English units. They weigh between 38 and 44 pounds."
Booth moved his hand to prompt her. "...and…"
Brennan arched an eyebrow at him. "If the stones were lighter than normal, it would cause a significant change in their trajectory when they were thrown. However, I believe Jessica's knowledge of physics has been quite useful in allowing her to make corrections in her technique. She has been able to apply Newton's second law, F = ma, to her advantage, meaning that lighter stones require less force, and it appears that she has thus far been able to compensate quite well for any deficit of mass that might exist in the projectiles."
"Well, of course she has...she's our niece, ain't she?" He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Easy on the sciencey stuff there, Wanda…"
"Oh…" Clearing her throat loudly, 'Wanda' nodded. "Yep, our Jessie sure is smart…"
Hearing noises below them, Booth saw Aubrey coming back from the concession stand carrying four chili dogs, a tray of nachos, a double order of fries, and a 64 ounce soda. "Say, Jimmy...thanks for buying lunch."
"I didn't buy nobody's lunch. Get your own, Buck." Grinning, he passed the french fries to Wanda, much to Buck's displeasure. "Wanda gave me some money." Sitting down next to Buck, he handed him a chili dog. "Here...I can only eat three of them anyway…"
"Thanks.", Buck responded in a snarky tone. "You're such a good guy." Elbowing Aubrey, Buck nodded to the bleachers directly across the rink from them. "Hey, look...remember that guy we saw with Craig last night? He's sitting over there, see?"
Aubrey was too distracted to notice. Jessica's team was getting ready to play a group of young guys from Pittsburgh, and one of them was chatting up his girlfriend, leaning in way too close as he stared at her breasts.
"Who does that bastard think he is...making time with my fiancee like that?", he muttered. "She's taken, and he'd better back the hell off or I'll put a cap in his ass…"
"What? Did you say something?", Booth asked.
"Er...no." Realizing that he'd spilled his guts out loud, Aubrey took a deep breath. Yeah, so I guess I want to get married, but this isn't the time to think about that... "So what were you saying about Craig?"
Booth nodded his head over across the aisle. "The guy sitting with him...he was one of the guys with Craig last night at the bar, and they had that serious conversation…"
"Hm. That's probably not a coincidence. Oh...they're looking over here." Booth offered a small wave, and Craig begrudgingly waved back. Pulling out his phone, Aubrey casually looked at the time before taking a picture of the men sitting across from them. "I'll send this to Genny and see if she can find something out about him."
"Good idea. Oh, look...Jessica's team is getting ready to play." Standing up in the bleachers, Uncle Buck waved his arms wildly. "Go get'em, Jessie!"
Blushing at the commotion, Jessica waved back. She offered Alma an apologetic grin. "He's kinda noisy."
Alma only grunted as she moved to the end of the sheet. "Come on...let's beat these suckers."
%%%%%%%%%%%
"So that is her? The one you mentioned?", Ivan asked. "At the end down there?"
"Yep, that's Alma." Craig sipped his beer before he continued. "It needs to look like an accident. I'm listed as a beneficiary on her life insurance, and I can't take the chance that her death could be linked back to me. Both Josip and Phil recommended you. They said that they'd used your services in Croatia...that you'd know how to handle this."
"Yes...I've done some work for both of them. This accident can be arranged, but it will cost more."
Unconcerned, Craig shrugged a shoulder. "How much?"
"Fifteen thousand for a car accident. Slip and fall at home is twenty."
"A car accident will be fine."
"When?" Ivan looked at the calendar on his phone. "Tonight?"
"No...not tonight! I need her to win this bonspiel for me." Craig cleared his throat. "Sometime within the next two weeks, but don't tell me when you're gonna do it, so I can act surprised. And make sure that there's no doubt it's an accident. The last one your boys took out was too obvious. Everyone knows that woman's death was a murder. Phil was surprised at how fucked up it was. He said you guys usually do better work."
"She was clever and almost got away, so they had to go to plan B." Ivan chuckled slightly. "Do not worry. They no longer work for me. I fired them permanently."
"Good." Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a thick envelope. "Eight thousand. Don't count it here. The rest after the accident."
"Very well." Ivan stashed the envelope and got up to leave. "Good to do business with you."
"Yeah." Grimacing as Alma made another silly mistake on the ice, Craig nodded. She had become a liability, and liabilities were dangerous in a situation like his. With Alma gone, there would be one less thing for him to worry about.
Oooooooooo
Jessica was exhausted, but somewhat relieved. After winning their afternoon matches, the team had moved into third place, and their point differential was looking pretty good. There was still a chance for them to win the tournament, but they would have to play flawlessly on Sunday.
The women piled their gear into the back of the van and drove in silence back to the hotel. After a few minutes, Alma coughed softly. "I'm sorry I let you down, girls. I got some upsetting news this morning, and my mind has been elsewhere instead of concentrating on the matches. I'll do better tomorrow."
"Craig's gonna be pissed about how bad we did.", Sandra stated in a matter of fact tone. "I'm not looking forward to what he has to say."
"I'll take care of Craig." Alma glanced at Sandra in the rearview mirror. "Anyway, he won't be mad at you, honey. It was my fault...I know that."
The van entered the hotel's parking lot at 6 o'clock, and the party bus followed close behind. The players and their families quickly disembarked and gathered around Craig in the lobby to hear his instructions for the evening.
"Okay...you're all on your own for dinner. This hotel offers room service, and there are several restaurants in the area. I want you all in by ten...no exceptions. Team breakfast at 6:30 tomorrow morning. See you then."
As the group broke up to go their separate ways, Craig grabbed Jessica's hand. "Maybe you and I could go to dinner tonight, honey…"
Grinning bashfully, Jessica shook her head. "I can't, Mr. Stephenson. I've had too much excitement for one day. Besides, I promised to spend the evening with Uncle Buck and Aunt Wanda. We're going to order some pizza and watch a couple of movies, but I'll be in by curfew.
As angry and frustrated as he was, Craig still forced a smile. "Don't worry about it, Darlin'. I'll see you later." He watched her walk away and chuckled to himself. She'd be in her room by ten, and after making sure Alma was otherwise occupied, so would he.
Oooooooooo
"I should've known." Booth laughed as he picked up an empty pizza box. "Aubrey polished off a whole pizza by himself."
"So? I was hungry. I didn't have very much lunch." Turning up the sound on the television, Aubrey sat down on the sofa and put his arm around Jessica. "Hey, wanna pretend we're at the movies and make out?"
"Superman! I can't believe you said that in front of my boss!"
"No, it's Black Panther, and trust me, she knows we make out." He winked at Brennan, who laughed at his antics. "Anyway, after that guy was flirting with you at the bonspiel today, I think I need to reestablish my territorial rights."
"Sure." Patting his knee, Jessica snuggled up next to him. "I told that guy to get lost...that I had a boyfriend…"
"Now if we could only convince Craigie of that." Booth laughed as he picked out another slice of pizza. "That guy's disgusting."
"He is, but I only have to work with him a couple more days and this will all be over." Glancing at her phone, Jessica made a face. "I need to go...it's ten."
"Pretty stupid to have a curfew for grown women…", Aubrey grumbled.
"I know. Just part of being on a team." She gathered her things and headed for the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Do you want Uncle Buck to walk you home?"
"No, I'll be fine. Good night."
Oooooooooo
Smiling to herself, Jessica walked down the hall to her room. It was nice to spend time with Booth and Brennan. They really were like family to her, and she enjoyed their company. She could imagine spending time with them after she and Aubrey were married…
I really have to stop thinking like that… Scolding herself, she took her keycard out of her pocket and walked into the darkened room. "Alma? I'm here. Why are all the lights off?"
"To make it more romantic." Dressed in only his boxers, Craig came out of the bathroom. "It makes for a better ambience, don't you think?"
"Wow...Mr. Stephenson, this is totally inappropriate…" Looking around the room, Jessica bit her lip. "Where's Alma, anyway? What if she comes in and you're dressed...or not...like that?"
"Oh, don't worry your pretty little head about Alma. I sent her and her sister Edna out for a night on the town. They're gonna go see the Chippendale Dancers, so they'll be back late. Alma didn't want to miss curfew, but her sister begged her to go, and she finally gave in. Believe me, that's the closest Edna will ever get to a man". He leered suggestively at Jessica, moving closer to her. "That leaves plenty of time for you and me to get better acquainted."
"I think I'm as acquainted as I want to be, thank you. How did you even get in here?"
"Danielle gave me a copy of the keycard for this room and for the room where Lori and Sandra are staying, in case of emergencies…" He licked his lips as he edged closer. "And the emergency is that you're setting me on fire...God, baby...you are so damn hot with those long legs, your dark hair, and that hot as hell ass. You need to come over here and rescue me…"
'Ugh...this is not good…' Jessica backed away slowly. "No way, Mr. Stephenson. You need to get dressed and leave...now...or you'll really have an emergency when I break your arm..."
"Nonsense, Darlin'. We're just gettin' started…: He reached out to touch her hand. "There we are...nice and gentle...ol' Uncle Craig won't hurt you. He just wants some lovin'..."
As Craig moved closer to her, there was a pounding on the door. "Jessie? It's me, Jimmy...you left your jacket in Buck's room…"
"Get rid of him!", Craig hissed. "Damn hick. I wished I'd never laid eyes on that skinny son of a bitch."
Pretending to comply, Jessica threw the door open. "Jimmy...I'm so glad to see you…"
Stepping into the room, 'Jimmy' came nose to nose with a nearly naked Craig. "What's this guy doing here, Jessie? I thought you had a curfew."
"Um...he was looking for Alma, but she's not here. He was just leaving, right, Mr. Stephenson?"
"Well, I don't know about that." Frustrated that his plans had been ruined, Craig was spoiling for a fight. "I want to spend time with this young lady, and you're not gonna stop me."
"Yeah, but she may not want to spend time with you." Reining in his anger, the younger man clenched his fists as Craig refused to back down. "Fine." Turning to Jessica, he was deadly calm. "Jessie, go get your Uncle Buck."
"Oh, Jimmy...do I have to?" She cringed in mock horror. "I don't think that's a good idea. You know he's got a real bad temper. Remember that guy in Baltimore who looked at me funny? Uncle Buck beat the shit out of him…and he even used some of that stuff he learned as an Army Ranger."
"Well, it looks like someone else is gonna have the same thing happen to him if he doesn't get his ass out of here right now." Glaring at Craig, 'Jimmy' continued angrily. "The lady doesn't want your company, so if you know what's good for you, you'll get your shit together and leave."
Remembering how well muscled and altogether threatening Buck Moosejaw was, Craig decided that maybe he needed to get out of the way. "Right. Okay, I'll leave. After all, like Jessica said, it was merely a misunderstanding." Babbling away, Craig picked up his slacks and stepped into them, pulling up the zipper and grabbing his belt before throwing on his shirt. "I'll see you tomorrow, honey." Rushing past them, he fled through the open door. "Good night."
Sighing in relief, Jessica threw her arms around Aubrey. "Thank you…"
"Jessica, we need to call the police about that bastard. He might've really hurt you."
"Nah. I could've taken him without a problem. He thinks he's a great lover like Casanova, but he's actually more like Homer Simpson. Not a threat." Hearing his aggravated sigh, she rolled her eyes. "Okay, we'll call the police next week. Happy?" She smiled suggestively as she caressed her boyfriend tenderly. "Alma's going to be gone for several more hours. We should use our time wisely on this nice queen sized bed."
He shook his head, grimacing in disgust. "I'd love that, Jess, but 'Jimmy' is going to meet Lori in a couple of minutes. She's gonna sneak out and we're going for a quick walk around the grounds." Seeing that his girlfriend was unhappy, he held up his hands in surrender. "I know...I know...but 'Jimmy' is a player who is getting ignored by Jessica, okay? I promise, nothing will happen."
He gave Jessica a kiss. "And after all, if anyone has a reason to be suspicious, it's me, right? You were the one who had a practically naked visitor...OUCH!" He rubbed his arm where Jessica had pretended to punch him. "Look...when this case is over, me and you are gonna take a long weekend just for ourselves, okay? We won't even take our phones…"
"You mean, if this case is over, and if we can get time off, and if we can get work to leave us alone...yeah, that would be nice." Jessica gave Aubrey another kiss. "Okay, since it's for the undercover operation, you can go see Lori, but keep your hands...and the rest of you...to yourself...and be careful. I don't trust that skanky bitch."
He smiled as he bent down to kiss her. "Of course. I'll see you in the morning. I love you...hey, if you want, you can send me some more shower pictures…"
"You wish!" Laughing, she pushed him out the door. "I love you, too. Good night."
Oooooooooo
Twenty minutes later, 'Jimmy' was escorting Lori as they walked along the greenbelt surrounding the hotel. He was trying valiantly to pay attention to her inane chatter, but his mind kept wandering back to a certain person he'd left alone in her room. He wondered if he should go back and check on her...and maybe stay a little while...at least until Alma arrived. Of course, Jessica might be annoyed if she thought he was being overprotective, but he thought he could change her mood quickly…
"What do you think?" Lori looked at him quizzically, waiting for an answer.
"Oh...I don't know." Trying to act like he'd be paying attention, he gave her a noncommittal answer. "I guess I don't care one way or the other…"
"How can you not care? I mean, my whole life is ahead of me, and I need to make a decision…"
"Well, gosh, Lori, we just met, and I'm not gonna help you make that kind of choice...no matter what it is...I mean, I know it's important, but you just gotta go with what you feel is best for you…sometimes you just gotta take the plunge." Like when you wanna get married...you can't worry about whether or not it's the exact right time...you just gotta go for it.
Giggling, Lori huddled closer to him so he'd put his arm around her. "It's a good thing you're cute, because you don't make a lot of sense."
He shrugged, biting his tongue to keep from saying something unkind. "Hey, I'm getting cold. We should go in...besides, won't they know you're out past curfew?"
She studied him for a minute, surprised that he knew about her curfew. "Well, I can warm you up if you want…"
Shaking his head, 'Jimmy' smiled. "Not out here...too many people."
"Good evening, Lori." Craig Stephenson walked up behind the couple and tapped her on the shoulder. "It seems you're out late...and with Jimmy. I have to say, son...you sure get around. Is Jessica okay?"
Feeling Lori's glare, 'Jimmy' nodded. "Yep...she was worried because she thought she'd lost her jacket, but we found it. All better now. Come on, Lori...I'll walk you to your room."
"I can get there on my own." Pulling away from him, she left in a huff.
Turning back to Craig, 'Jimmy' stood with his hands on his hips. "I'm gonna be checking on Jessica, Mr. Stephenson. You'd best leave her alone, or there'll be hell to pay. Understand?"
Craig started to laugh but then he caught the barely controlled anger in the man's eyes. "Yeah...okay. I get it. Jessica is off limits."
"Excellent. Good night, Mr. Stephenson." Tipping his baseball cap, 'Jimmy' walked off into the darkness.
Puffing out a shaky sigh, Craig shook his head. None of his planned hookups had worked out. Hopefully, his other plans would be more successful.