The Dar Lady

The Dark Lady - Ch 11 - Terror in the Night Turns to Joy in the Morning

Back in my office after lunch, I still had a glow from the incredible organ recital. Clemmie arrived and said, "I got Greg to give me the FBI guy's number and invited him to come to the dinner incognito. Told him he would be more useful inside than lurking around outside. He accepted."

I bent her fingers back and forth. "Kim's going to tell the three of us she can't afford to let us go to college."

"We'll gang up. Classes in the morning, here in the afternoon. In her bed every evening."

"Are your maternal instincts going to be restrained for a while?"

"I'm thinking about it. Babies do change your life, they say."

"Have we arranged for the guard to transport the necklace?"

"Done. A guy we know from earlier assignments. I told him what he was going to be looking at and he was all smiles. Kim will be back there helping put it on Karen and giving her support."

Carlos came up. "Theo, same van drove by twice. We gave the plate number to the police. Could be lost tourist. Could be something else."

"Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Si. Got home at three. Mama was waiting up for me. She says you gave her much work and this one was in your workout clothes?"

"She said if she was going to keep me safe in the gallery at night, no fun times."

The two of us got a questioning look. "Chica keeping boss safe? My friends never believe that."

Clemmie grabbed Carlos and whispered in his ear. His eyes widened and he laughed.

"Theo, this one I don't know. Maybe too much woman!"

We walked away and I asked, "What did you tell him?"

"I just said that you had never won a karate kick round with me, and any of his friends who wanted to try me were welcome but they better wear their football jockstrap."

Others were watching as we feinted fists with each other outside my office.

The afternoon passed with much checking of dinner details. I was in Kim's conference room with the department heads when Kim and Clara and Karen returned. We went through one last round of checking and Kim told everyone to take a break, get their dinner clothes on, and rendezvous at the Inn at five. Karen passed behind me, saying, "You are going to pay for this bigtime." She looked back with smiling eyes and I knew we were ok for the great necklace unveiling.

Clemmie was by my side, "Theo, she is going to be a big target tonight. You better not be many feet away, ready to pull her down."

I whispered, "No bullets in Karen."

"That's right. And no bullets in you, either. I think the next step in my security education is learning how to shoot." She wasn't smiling.

After I picked up the dinner tux and drove to Keeler, I discovered several women in various states of undress, giggling and informing me that Kim ordered them to attend to my grooming, starting with a joint shower.

I complained, "This is totally unfair. You get in here, naked and soapy, and expect me to behave?"

Clara said, "It's about time you learned some self-control, Theo. You are supposed to be thinking about the dinner guest list you are to memorize, not our delectable bodies. Remember, you have to sit with our new friend Anita and be your attractive best."

There was more torture, but by four the room was full of elegantly dressed women and a guy in a tux with his hair looking better than I remembered.

Clemmie, gorgeous and curvy, was gently moving me toward the corridor to my bedroom.

"Greg just called. That van Carlos saw was stolen and the driver is illegal and unlicensed. Police trying to see if he has friends in other vehicles. Want us to be very careful. I think you need to tell the women to drive with two or three in the car and keep a lookout."

How to do this without scaring everyone. I waved my arms at the room. "Hey, we have had an alert from the police about possible stolen vehicles. May not have anything to do with our problem, but they think it would be a good idea for us to travel in cars with two or three passengers and keep an eye out for anyone following."

Clemmie had herself pressed to my side. "You and I should take Kim with us."

"Susan too. Selma, Marty and the twins in one car. That's everyone from Keeler?"

"Yes. I'll call Clara, Karen, Erica and Phyllis to stay together. Phyllis is waiting for her babysitter."

A few minutes later, a cautious group headed for the Inn. Kim stuffed me in the rear seat with the guest list. "You read the names and I will fill in something for you to remember about each one."

Clemmie was in the passenger seat, continuously on the phone checking with Greg and others. After the van incident, the Police Chief had ordered an increased presence around the Inn.

Kim asked, "Clemmie, are they talking about making us cancel?"

"Not to me, but certainly among themselves. Put yourself in their place. Argonaut wouldn't pull an attack like that, but maybe one of their hired guns has gone off the deep end."

As we walked into the building, I noticed that Clemmie was on the balls of her feet, bouncing gently. She had on a cocktail length dress and black sneakers. I whispered, gesturing at the sneakers, "Not taking any chances are you?"

She let me have a hard stare, "Don't try me. If these catch you where I point them, you aren't going to walk for days."

Everyone assembled at the rear of the large banquet room and I said, "Unless we get more bad news, this is one of those 'the show must go on' events. Clemmie and Greg are our security lead people, working with the police and the FBI. Kim and I will be at the head table down near the front, with Karen, Martin, Anita and whomever else should be there. Please arrange the name cards so DR and Manuel and Eduardo and their wives are at tables on the edges of the room."

"Clemmie, make roving and very discreet guards out of James, Mark, Arturo and Carlos. No uniformed people inside. We don't want to spoil the good vibes of the event. Introduce yourself to the FBI guy and the Chief of Police and ask them where they would like to be seated."

"Kim, we have badges for everyone. I'd also like you to find a way to eyeball every person entering the hall to make sure they are who the badge says they are. Can we do that quietly?"

Carlos caught up with me. "Theo, we are ready. Clemmie talked to us. You want waiters? I think there is more money in football!" He laughed.

Guests began filtering in and moving to the bar. The Parsons staff was smiling and the guests seemed happy. Kim went from group to group, greeting old friends by name and hugs.

I caught Karen at a free moment and told her how great she looked. She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and muttered, "Theo! Using my body to sell diamonds. Aren't you ashamed?"

My eyes let her know I wasn't the least bit ashamed. Her high necked dress did not show any of the beauty that was going to be displayed after dinner.

The twins passed us, saying it was time to nudge the guests to their tables. Drink glasses in hand, everyone sought their name cards. I hoped we had not missed any social nuances about who should sit with whom, and vice versa. Evie said hello, firmly grasping DR's hand. He was transformed into a docile escort who had not been in a suit for years, I guessed. Clara had agreed to one television camera but no floods. It and the operator were in a far corner.

Kim greeted everyone from the podium, looking wonderful as always, and announced there would be a brief program after dessert was served. The room had a nice soft buzz of people who were used to seeing each other at social events. Clemmie was seated three tables away, both of us with our backs to the stage so we could keep an eye on the room and especially any activity at the exits.

I had Anita Thompson on one side and Martin Sanchez on the other. She startled me by launching into fluent Spanish with Martin, leaving me in the dust. She put her hand on my arm, "I'm told everyone calls you Theo. May I?"

I told her that was fine and thanked her again for agreeing to join our mining effort. "Karl, that's my husband, used to tell me he thought there was something on the property, but he never got around to doing anything about it before he died. I am so pleased that you and Kim have discovered gold out there."

"Anita, I'm not sure if Kim told you, but it's been one excitement after another. We have been very quiet about the whole operation, but seem to have attracted attention from some nasty types who want to muscle us out of the picture. You are an angel for trusting us with your land. Parsons Mining will work hard to see that you finally get some income from it."

We were interrupted by the manager of the Inn, asking if everything was as we expected. I stood next to him and looked across the room. Every table had an individual light and a fresh flower arrangement. Servers were busy with salads. I caught Kim's eye and she smiled.

"Alfredo, the food and the atmosphere are perfect. My mother and I are very pleased."

I also eyeballed Carlos and his helpers, who were lurking against the back walls near the exits, almost invisible in their black clothes.

Martin had a few questions about his remarks. "Theo, I am so thankful I do not go last! No man can compete with the beauty of Karen, especially when she has the jewels on."

"I knew you would be pleased to discover my idea about the necklace. I have not been allowed to see her in the dress, so both of us will be struck dumb!"

I had a few bites of my entree salmon, and then took a stroll around the room, greeting happy guests. Our hopes for the dinner were being realized. I leaned over Eduardo's shoulder and quietly said, "One more hour and we will be safely through this."

"Si. No one wants their woman attacked." His hand was holding Selma's, who was looking seriously at both of us. She whispered in Spanish, "You are my tough guys..."

As soon as dessert and coffee were served, I stepped to the podium and introduced the program. "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for joining us tonight on this special occasion. Tomorrow, Parsons Gallery will open a new chapter in serving the artistic community of our great city. This evening, we will give you a preview of our new offerings, to better allow you to enjoy the events in the morning. Our first speaker will be Clara Anders, who directs the day to day operations at Parsons."

Knowing attention spans would be short, Clara and Susan kept their remarks terse. I took back the podium and announced the charity auction, embarrassing DR by making him stand and take a bow. Raising the anticipation level, I introduced Martin to describe the Bridges program.

Demonstrating the personal presence that made him such an extraordinary principal, he spoke in English and Spanish, talking quickly about shared Anglo-Hispanic hopes for better relations.

Stepping behind the curtain, I found Karen looking absolutely fabulous in a royal blue gown with lots of chest showing and the necklace sparkling, even in the dim light. She nodded her readiness and I returned to the podium just as Martin finished to enthusiastic applause.

Smiling, I said, "You have probably heard of our auction, and seen the necklace displayed in our brochure for tomorrow's program. But one of the great secrets of the past month has been the identity of our model. It is still a secret and will be until tomorrow at the auction, but I have the great pleasure, for this distinguished audience, to introduce the necklace and its model to you now. Please restrain yourselves from any photography and help us maintain the surprise until the auction tomorrow."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Karen Petersen."

Kim held the curtain back and Karen grasped my hand firmly as she walked forward under the spotlights. The effect was totally dazzling. The necklace blazed like blue lightning, and the incredible woman wearing it was smiling and bowing. The applause began slowly but gained strength and then people were standing in appreciation.

In the midst of all the noise, no one at first heard the popping sounds from outside. But one of the doors was yanked open and several bodies dashed into the room. The gunshots were louder and I immediately shouted, "Down, please get down on the floor."

I grabbed Karen and hustled her into the arms of the guard, with Kim working frantically to remove the necklace. When I turned around, there was a wild melee at the rear and sides of the room. Several bodies were down, but one was dashing towards the podium, light glinting from a knife. I followed instinct and headed toward him, noticing a body from the side also running at him. I was still five feet away when Clemmie's body launched into the air, feet first, and took him down with a crash against the wall. In moments, the attacker had a mountain of men holding him flat.

I stood and grabbed Clemmie, who was looking at blood running down her arm. She laughed and said, "Not to worry, Theo, just a minor cut. Go help the others."

I ran into the Chief, who said, "Theo, nice work, go back to the podium and tell everyone to sit down while we clean up this gang."

I got one of the house staff to bring the lights up all the way. It was a wild scene, with officers piling in from outside to haul away ziptied bodies with hoods over their heads. I checked on Karen and she was frantically trying to get into a regular dress. The guard had his pistol at the ready, and held a jewelry case in his other hand.

Kim zipped up Karen and she fell into my arms, shaking. "God, Theo, I was sure someone would be killed." Holding on tight, I said to the guard, "Best to stay put until we know all of them have been captured. Why don't you come and sit at a table and we'll find some coffee."

Manuel and Carlos came up, grim faced but smiling. "Theo, good thing you had us by the door."

Manuel had his arm around his son's shoulder, "You are one tough hombre, Carlos. I'm proud."

He added, "But not so proud of those bandits. All Hispanics looking to take the jewels. Not connected to the mine business."

It took more than an hour for the police and FBI to clear the area and take evidence. The Chief and the FBI agent in charge caucused with me to one side of the room. Chief Nelson said, "My guys were on foot patrol in front when two vans drove in and guys in black jumped out. Started shooting right away, and took a couple of my men down. Four of them made it past us to the front doors."

While this was happening, the Inn staff did a great job comforting the guests and providing refreshments. A parade of women made their way to Karen and Kim, gushing over the necklace and how brave Karen had been, standing on the stage with attackers in the room and coming for her.

Clemmie was having nothing to do with a trip to the hospital, insisting on a bandage and returning to the banquet room. She gave me a hug and whispered, "Not bad for a girl, was it?"

"The Chief couldn't believe it. Wants you to give his men a demonstration."

Greg and Tom walked up, "Theo, you didn't tell us she is a ninja on top of everything else." Clemmie hugged and kissed them both.

"Manuel and Carlos say these were cartel drug thugs. Wanted the jewels. So what about Argonaut?"

"Theo, we still don't have a firm connection. They are operating through multiple layers of hired guns, protecting the higher ups."

The FBI man walked over with DR and Manuel, "I understand there is a bomb at the mine site?" He didn't look happy.

Greg spoke up, "We were going to call you first thing tomorrow. They have a surveillance tape. Not sure what was buried."

The agent in charge voice said, "I'm sending a demolition crew at first light. Get me that tape tonight."

I asked Clemmie and Greg to pull a meeting together at the gallery to decide on protection for the rest of the night, which was getting shorter by the moment.

Anita Thompson, sitting in the same place she had been all evening, waved.

"Anita, you are so calm."

"Sit with me for a moment, Theo. This has been like the movies. What a thrill for an old lady. You and your people did so well. It was a very good thing the police and FBI were here. Was anyone killed?"

Poor Alfredo was still shaking as he came up to us. "Mr. Parsons..."

"Alfredo, I apologize for bringing trouble to your wonderful Inn. We were lucky the police and FBI did a great job stopping the attack before any of the guests were injured."

"Senor, my poor staff were scared to death! Your people were so brave." He gestured to Clemmie, who was talking to Carlos and Manuel, "She is a hero!"

Anita was standing next to me, "Heroine, Alfredo, but she certainly is."

I said, "I think you should put a special bonus in everyone's pay envelope for tonight and add it to my bill. You can smile and call it combat pay!"

The three of us laughed, and I asked Anita if I might drive her home. She said, "Yes, can Clemmie drive my car and you follow in yours?"

Clemmie climbed in my car at Anita's house, laughing and saying, "That is some woman! She asked me how you were in bed!"

I groaned. My girlfriend was in total control. I looked at her, eyebrows raised.

She grinned at me. "Since she is going to be a major partner with Parsons Mining, of which you foolishly made me the CEO, I had to give her the whole story. Your brutish tendencies. My taking courses in self-defense to keep you on good behavior. The occasional adequacy of your equipment..."

"Just wait until this is over..."

"I'm wearing the sweats again tonight, and you are getting nothing. What's the plan for the Gallery?"

I thought for a moment and asked, "What is the most paranoid worry we can have?"

I glanced across at her. Bandaged arm, rumpled dress, lovely smile. My forever partner in crime?

"Two separate efforts. Maybe connected, maybe not. Expecting us to go light on protection at the gallery after the attack at the Inn."

"Clara and her people need to get some sleep because they have to report early to begin setting up the displays. You and I will stay up and take the first shift."

"Yes, but no cuddling. We'd both be asleep in a minute. What about karate practice? That was such a thrill, hitting that guy dead on. The way his head crashed the wall, he was out before he hit the floor."

"How do you get so fearless? I don't know many guys who would have tried that."

"I was really mad that he was going for Karen. My brain shifted into attack mode."

She found my hand and squeezed. "It's ok for your girlfriend to play alpha once in a while?"

I kissed her fingertips as we pulled into the garage. "As if I had a choice."

We walked in with her arm around my neck. In a small whisper, she said, "All those practice attacks in your office? You trained me well."

Gathered in Kim's conference room, everyone looked a bit wild from excitement. She went around with hugs and words for each person. I was last, and hoisted her in my arms. The room clapped.

I said, "That was an incredible performance tonight, everybody. Now we have to shift gears and prepare for the presentations in the morning. I propose that Clara and her team get some sleep and come in at six. Clemmie and I and the guards will cover the building until then."

Kim frowned and asked, "What about me?"

Everyone laughed and said, "You are the boss, you can do whatever you want."

I whispered in her ear, "Go with Clara and provide TLC. If you can't sleep, come back and we'll take care of you."

Clemmie punched my arm as Kim flashed her eyes at me. "Look out, Theo, she will call your bluff."

Carlos and the other security people were in the atrium, looking ready for more trouble. We high fived and I said, "Don't you guys need some down time?"

"Senor Theo, after that mess at the Inn, we are taking no chances. There are two of our guards and two police outside. The four of us will be roving patrol inside. Sleep is for later."