Thanks to Angie for the beta.
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Chapter 7
The stark smell of the sea and the slosh of water lapping at the underside of the docks were little comfort as Laura's eyes darted suspiciously across the damp, uneven wood. The docks that normally bustled during daylight were motionless; and cargo crates stacked haphazardly atop one another gave this far corner of the dockyard an even darker, more eerie look.
A complete contrast to her caution was her husband, unconcerned with skulking through this dank, dingy, dodgy part of the port. He'd been here before, that was clear.
They crept along a nondescript building so worn and dilapidated that it wouldn't have come close to code compliance in the States.
They were on their way to meet with Carlitos; an old friend. Laura didn't ask how they'd met or just how well they knew one another, or even what kind of 'business' they'd conducted together. She trusted her husband would tell her eventually. She wasn't sure she trusted this old friend but that was nothing new; so few of them had been able to meet Laura's exacting moral standards.
The hiss of a feral cat drew them to a halt and they watched as it flattened its scraggly body to the ground and stalked its equally straggly prey across a narrow cobblestone causeway.
"Where are we?" she whispered after the cat trotted off, dead rat dangling from bloody jaws.
"Little used section of the wharf." His eyes darted to and fro, searching for his 'friend'.
Not sure if she really wanted an answer, she asked, "Why here?"
He didn't even look at her. "It's perfectly safe."
She bit back an annoyed growl. "That's not what I asked."
"Carlitos isn't one of my more popular acquaintances."
"Are any of them?" She couldn't bring herself to regret the remark. His association with the seedier parts of foreign cities rivaled those he maintained with the respectable.
His eyes flashed, instantly defensive. "Now, Laura, in our line of work such contacts have proven themselves to be indispensable."
She didn't bother to remind him that he'd had these contacts far longer than they had been in their 'line of work.'
A small pinprick of light flashed in front of them and he swept his arm toward it with a triumphant smirk. They crept over to a series of overturned cargo containers covered in rust and littered with holes. Laura's overactive imagination supplied images of a violent gun battle raging between sea pirates and the Spanish Policia.
A short, squatty man in his fifties ambled out of the shadows and clutched Remington's hand.
"Ah Mick. Good to see ya, hermanito! Been a long time! Where ya been hiding?"
The ease with which her husband slipped into a role and interacted with – well, anyone, would always amaze her.
"Carlitos, good to be seen mate, good to be seen." He pumped his friend's hand hard and pulled Laura forward. "My wife and partner, Laura."
Carlitos reacted the same way she anticipated all his former mates would when discovering he had married. He stared google eyed at her before energetically clasping Remington on the back.
"Madre de Dios what a woman this must be, hermanito! To settle your wandering eye! Never thought it would happen, amigo!"
Laura was amused to see her husband squirm beneath his friend's jovial congratulations. She'd have to ask him for details about that 'wandering eye' later. Much later. Preferably after spending a long, satisfyingly exhausting week in bed.
"Ah. Yes, yes, superb woman, my wife. Keeps me on my toes, she does." He pulled them a bit further into the shadows. "So - what have you got for me?"
"Ah, back to business. Just like Mick. Focused as always."
She gave a little teasing raise of her eyebrows and a firm pat on her husband's shoulder. "Always so focused. That's our - Mick."
She stood her ground when both men focused on her for a split second.
"Lotsa boarding houses 'round here. Cheap, not so clean, not so safe, but perfect if you be wantin' to disappear."
"You got a list?" Steele asked, eyes darting around the gloomy darkness to ensure their continued privacy.
Carlitos cocked his head and pursed his lips. The look provided all the words necessary. "Wrote 'em all down for ya. Even some that aren't on the register if ya know what I mean." He pulled a crumpled, grease-stained sheet out of a pocket and handed it over. "Even searched a few of 'em meself. Didn't find no girl and baby but found lotsa pretties." He winked in such a salacious way that Laura's stomach roiled.
The question was out of her mouth before she could stop it. "Some of these places - they're brothels?"
"Girls gotta pay for their room and board somehow, don't they?" he shrugged. "Most of 'em aren't allowed to bring their boys home. No security there to protect 'em, you see."
Steele snatched the sheet out of Carlitos' hand and replaced it with a thick envelope. "You hear anything else, you give me a call." He scanned the paper with narrowed eyes.
"Yeah yeah. You got it, hermanito." Laura's skin crawled as he gave her a slow and thorough once over. "Doin' well for yerself nowadays. Always knew you'd make it. Smart kid. Solid head on yer shoulders. You stay safe now." Before Steele could respond, Carlitos vanished into the balmy Spanish night.
"You'll have to tell me sometime how you two met," Laura said as his hand at her back guided them out of the area.
He scanned the sheet. "Mmm Hmm. Right after the honeymoon."
Her thoughts exactly.
They climbed into their small, unadorned rental car and Laura frowned when she didn't recognize the route back to the hotel.
"Where are we going?"
"The first address isn't far from here."
She was exhausted, dirty and hungry and knew he must be worse off with his still healing injury. But she couldn't be more proud of him and his eagerness to do some legwork.
"There's more to this case than meets the eye."
She understood what he hadn't said. He was worried. Concerned for Carolina and her baby and the trouble that would undoubtedly find them if they were hiding at one of the addresses on that list.
It was afternoon before they made it back to their hotel, a beachside oasis as far as possible from the seedier side of town they'd thus far seen. Laura knew he was wiped and they were both ravenously hungry. They slumped onto the plush couch and lay there, unmoving.
"I'll order something to eat. You go shower," Laura said from her position beside him but didn't move.
"I'll order, you go shower." Steele said and Laura's head lolled in his direction. His eyes were closed and he was half asleep already. She didn't think he'd be able to make it to the shower, much less stand beneath the spray and bathe himself.
"Okay." With extreme protest from her tired limbs, she leaned over and kissed him before disappearing into the bathroom.
When she returned, she found him sound asleep in the same position she'd left him in - and no service cart.
Revived by the shower, she called room service and ordered a light lunch. No sweet delicacies, no champagne, just solid comfort food that would fill their growling stomachs.
He didn't wake until the room service arrived. And even then he just stared numbly as the cart rolled in. He didn't move until Laura held out a laden plate to him.
"Eat."
He took a deep breath and - closed his eyes.
With an amused quirk of her lips, she slid onto the couch beside him and held a thick, meaty sandwich to his lips. He'd barely swallowed by the time his brain registered his body's ravenous need for food. He gulped down water, tea and milk as well as everything she put in front of him.
"Have enough energy for the shower now?" Laura asked, polishing off a bowl of strawberries.
"Maybe."
"Go, I'll put the cart outside."
"Join me?" His attempt at seduction fell flat when he wobbled on his feet.
"You're in no condition to woo me into bed. Get clean and I'll tuck you in."
"Mmm." He grinned in that conspiratorial way that sent pleasant tingles down her spine and dropped a lingering kiss on her cheek. When he disappeared into the bathroom, she got rid of the cart, then sank onto the bed and closed her eyes.
She didn't wake until she felt the bed dip beneath his weight. As always, she rolled over and snuggled against his side. His arm came around her and she gave him a sleepy smile.
When she woke again, it was dark outside and he was already up and dressed. She yawned.
"What time is it?"
"Time to search some more of these boarding houses." He bent down and gave her a gentle kiss. "There's food on the cart for you."
She ambled out of the room and ate heartily as he finished in the bathroom. If wouldn't take her long to change, it wasn't as if they were going to be visiting a grand museum and eat at a five star gourmet restaurant. There wouldn't be any need to primp.
When she walked out, ready to go, she found him staring out the closed balcony window. She approached and he didn't stir until she rested a hand on his back. His introspective days were few and far between and it unnerved her to see it now.
"What is it?"
"Bad feeling." He didn't elaborate and that made her hair stand on end.
"I hate those."
"Me too." He turned, kissed her gently. Too gently. As if he was holding back. "Let's go." He walked to the door.
She needed more than that. "Tell me."
His hand paused on the knob but he didn't turn around. "Could we finish the case first?"
She went to him, stood close enough to touch but flexed her fingers at her sides. "Your past?"
"This case is enough of a reminder, yes."
That was enough. For now. She lifted a supportive hand to his back. "We'll talk about it later."
After half a night of searching, they finally found her in a five room half-way house for girls located in the seediest part of town. It was still dark but wouldn't be for much longer.
Laura held up a photo as they watched Carolina, baby sleeping in a sling across her chest, enter the house through a screen door that looked as if it needed a good scrub and a few coats of paint.
"She's got a rich husband, a nice house, a maid. Why come - here?" Laura asked as they watched the tiny window at the front of the house wink on. At least they wouldn't have to search each room to learn which one was hers.
After a moment, a taller, leaner shadow joined her and the two merged in what looked like an embrace.
"Well, I suppose that answers your question," he said with a disappointed huff.
Laura stared, flabbergasted. That Carolina was cheating on her husband hadn't even crossed her mind. He hadn't given her any indication that this could have been a remote possibility. She grasped for an excuse when she really didn't need to. "She must have left someone behind when she got married."
"Did the client happen to mention if the marriage had been arranged?"
Laura shamefully shook her head. "No, and I didn't think to ask."
He clasped his hands together. "Well, case solved. Not exactly the way I was expecting." He sounded as disappointed as she felt. "Let's get back and give Mr. Abalian his news."
Laura stared sadly at the window and the shadows that had long since disappeared. "I suppose you're right."
A few hours later, they found themselves crouched behind dingy trash cans looking all the while like they'd slept in them. They'd chosen the location because it provided a good vantage point with which to spy on the comings and goings of the boarding house. They'd already confirmed Carolina and her baby were inside. Now all they had to do was wait.
Steele glanced disdainfully at the entrance to the building. "I really don't like this kind of work, Laura."
"I know. I don't either." They never took these kinds of cases. If only she'd known… "Mr. Abalian asked us to keep an eye on the place until he gets here."
"It's an eleven hour flight!"
"Then it's a good thing we ate after we made the call, isn't it?" She pulled open a black drawstring bag. "I brought snacks in case you get peckish."
His eyes scanned her face and then swept down her black-clad form. "The only thing I'm peckish for isn't food."
She slid her hand into his and squeezed. He wasn't the only one.
Hours later, as the sun broke through a cloudy, overcast sky, a limo rolled to a near silent stop. Mr. Abalian, a middle-aged Armenian man flanked by a big, burly body guard, exited the limo and swept into the dilapidated house like he owned the place.
Laura and Steele watched as Carolina was dragged out by the body guard while the baby was firmly clutched in the arms of his father. They exchanged concerned looks but said nothing as they stepped out of the shadows to make certain their client could see them. He did and approached with an energetic smile.
"My thanks to you, Mr. Steele! Good work. You are as good as your reputation." The man pulled out a slip of paper. "A bonus to our original agreed upon fee for locating my wife and son so quickly."
Laura tilted her head over her husband's arm and her eyes widened when she noticed the amount.
Steele whistled in appreciation but she noticed the tight smile he reserved for their client. "Thank you, my good man. Thank you. Pleasure to be of service."
No more words exchanged, Laura squinted as the man walked away, slipped into his limo and disappeared into the hazy morning.
Suddenly, Steele yanked his dirty and stained shirt off to reveal a clean one beneath it. "Let's go." He tossed it into the offending trash bin.
Laura scanned the area. "Where?"
"To follow him."
"What? Why?" His sharp, jerky movements were starting to worry her.
They quickly discarded their 'dirty' clothes inside the bins they'd used as cover and flagged down a taxi.
"Follow that limo, my good man," Steele said to the driver as he held out a generous tip. "Not too close."
Laura was still confused. "Want to clue me in?"
He distractedly ran his fingers through his already mussed hair and stared out the window. She could just make out the limo in the distance. "There's more to this, Laura. I can't explain how I know."
She pursed her lips and glanced at the slip in his hand. "Maybe we should cash the check first."
He held it up. "It's a wire receipt. It's already been deposited."
She settled next to him and held his hand in her lap. The tension went deep, his muscles coiled and ready. She didn't speak or ask a question. He would elaborate on his plan when he was good and ready.
The taxi followed the limo to a posh hotel in the heart of the city and rolled to a stop across the street.
"Thank you, mate. Well done. Well done." Steele paid the taxi driver and exited curb side. He held the door open for Laura and then tapped his palm on the roof, a signal for the driver to pull away.
The calculated look on his face made Laura wonder what was going on in his head. "You want to tell me now?"
"That's not the behavior of a man who loves his wife."
"He just found out she was cheating on him," Laura countered. Something was wrong here. What had he seen that she'd missed?
"Was she? Do we really know that?"
She suddenly wondered if he was feeling well. "You had the same view I did."
He didn't answer, but the fierce determination in his eyes worried Laura.
"I want to get in there and see for myself he's not mistreating her."
Her hand slid around his wrist to slow him down and when he turned harried eyes on her his behavior was suddenly all so very clear. "You've seen this kind of thing before."
She watched him swallow thickly and glance back at the entrance to the hotel.
He squeezed her hands a little too tightly and then gave them each a quick, tender kiss. But his eyes were as haunted as she'd ever seen them. She already knew he hadn't had a happy childhood. That he'd been bounced around from family to family when they didn't want him, couldn't support him or simply wanted to use an additional body in the house to scam the government. But he'd never spoken in detail about those times.
A tremor raced down her spine and she fervently hoped that he was wrong. For his sake as well as Carolina's.
TBC
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