It wasn’t long before Alvarez appeared. He pushed through the door with seven of his people looking important and confident and poised. Alvarez was a short, broad man with well-trimmed facial hair. He wore a white suit with white shoes and a cobalt blue tie, all of which made him stand out. His entourage was also dressed impeccably, though not with the same flamboyance.

  A server immediately met Alvarez. The man led him to Hayden’s table. Hayden and the others all rose to their feet as the white-suited man approached.

  ‘Hayden Jaye,’ she held out a hand and shook. Alvarez stared at her and licked his lips. ‘Very nice to meet you, Miss Jaye. It is Miss, isn’t it?’

  The entourage was greeting the others. By the time everyone had finished, a good five minutes had passed. Alvarez seated himself next to Hayden.

  ‘We finally meet,’ Hayden said. ‘I have been aware of your work for some time.’

  Alvarez looked surprised. ‘You have? That surprises me.’

  ‘I didn’t say I watched it,’ Hayden said with a laugh. ‘Just that I was aware.’

  Alvarez inclined his head. ‘Of course. But you do have an interest.’ He spoke in a thin, whiny voice.

  ‘Yes. My company is not averse to making money, and we see a great opportunity in bringing you in. You cover every aspect of the industry, from stars to sets to sound, and we think the time is right to make an investment.’

  ‘What did you have in mind?’

  ‘We’ll start with a writer because I want a plot. I want gigantic mansions, elaborate pools, enormous bedrooms, expensive cars, and good-looking men and women. People who rate high on the star-meter.’

  ‘Are you trying to get a strategically cut theatrical release? That would be different and gain quite a bit of attention.’

  Hayden shrugged. ‘I don’t know. That would be up to the distributors, and you. We’re bringing you on because of your experience. Can you provide everything I asked for, and more?’

  Alvarez nodded. ‘I can provide all that. I know the best set designers, sound artists, makeup people, producers, directors, and yes, writers. We can come up with something special in a relatively short space of time.’

  A server appeared from nowhere, and they all placed their orders. Hayden noticed some of Alvarez’s people engaging Alicia and Kenzie in conversation and hoped for the best, her hands clenching slightly. To her right, Dahl and Kinimaka were also chatting. She hoped everyone had enough material to work with and was keeping it purposely vague.

  ‘Tell me, how busy are you?’ She wanted to keep the questions away from anything too technical.

  ‘I have a large staff,’ Alvarez said. ‘If you know what I mean.’

  Hayden pretended to enjoy the double entendre. ‘So you can take on the extra work?’

  ‘Oh, definitely. I’ve taken a step back from all the day-to-day stuff now, but I could easily get involved again. I’d be a spare man.’

  ‘I see. Well, that sounds good. Is your business busy?’

  ‘We’re filming ten shorts a day. Anything from ten minutes to thirty. I distribute across many categories, you see. It helps with the viewing figures.’

  ‘Quite an enterprise.’

  Alvarez nodded. Right then, the starters came, and Hayden saw a plate of garlic mushrooms appear before her. She left it, pretending not to be quite finished talking yet.

  ‘Can you get the right star power?’

  ‘With money, I can get anything. It’s all about the greenbacks.’

  Hayden turned her attention to the starter. So far, there had been no searching questions. Alvarez seemed entirely up for it. She speared a couple of mushrooms and began to eat.

  ‘So tell me some details about your firm,’ Alvarez said around a mouthful of food. ‘I know nothing.’

  Hayden winced. She’d relaxed too soon. ‘Well, we’re a small production company out of Texas. So far we’ve produced about two dozen commercials. All small, short ten-to thirty-second reels, really. But we have the backing to branch out inestimably, and that made me think of you.’

  ‘How do you know about me?’

  Another tricky one. She attempted a nervous life. ‘I used to have a boyfriend who followed your, um, exploits. He told me all about you and what you did.’

  ‘You had a boyfriend who was into porn?’

  ‘He didn’t last long. He told me he’d worked with you a couple of times.’

  Alvarez’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Oh yeah?’

  ‘Only on the distribution front,’ Hayden said quickly. ‘Nothing, um, physical. At least, not that I know of.’

  Alvarez laughed and finished his starter. Hayden polished off hers and pushed the plate away, took a sip of wine. Even though it was cool in here, nicely air-conditioned, she was sweating. She was surprised her brow wasn’t dripping.

  ‘Do you have any ideas?’ Alvarez asked.

  ‘Ideas?’

  ‘For the plot. Surely you must have a few.’

  Was he trying to get her to talk about porn? Was he baiting her? She decided to lead him on, to give him something so that he might stay away from more investigative questions. ‘I see a lonely housewife and a repairman. He’s working away in her kitchen, and she comes on to him, and it goes on from there.’

  ‘I think that’s been done before.’ Alvarez smirked.

  ‘But that’s just the beginning. During the repairman scene, she sees the window cleaner, and invites him in too. Then the pool boy. By the time her husband gets home a few hours later, she’s busy doing five of them at the same time.’

  ‘Wow, sounds like a fantasy of yours.’

  He was definitely baiting her. She ignored it. ‘It’s just one scene off the top of my head.’

  ‘It’s good. Do you have any others?’

  ‘Some exterior sex would be good. Do you have to get permits for that?’

  Alvarez laughed. ‘No, you just have to choose the right locations.’

  Their main meals arrived. Hayden had fancied the ribs but had decided to go for the steak so she wouldn’t get too messy. She attacked it now, sensing that Alvarez was concentrating on his own burger. She topped up her wineglass again, feeling the need for something to take the edge off.

  ‘Are you married?’ Alvarez asked her. ‘Boyfriend?’

  Hayden shook her head, chewing. She didn’t answer directly.

  ‘Maybe after we’re done here, we could take you on to a bar I know. It’s not far. It’s feeling like a good night.’

  Hayden knew exactly what he was thinking. ‘Sorry, we have an early start in the morning. Meetings. You know how it is. Perhaps another time.’

  Alvarez nodded. ‘Okay, but you don’t know what you’re missing.’ He put a hand on her wrist.

  Hayden didn’t shake it off, or break it, like she wanted to, just kept on eating, ignoring it. After a while, Alvarez took it away and went on with his meal. The food kept them quiet for a good fifteen minutes.

  Hayden checked her watch. Hopefully, Drake would be hard at work by now and, even more hopefully, nobody would spot him and Mai. So far, an hour had passed. She wasn’t sure how long he’d have waited to go in, but probably not this long. Full dark was full dark, and that had passed forty-five minutes ago.

  Alvarez finally pushed his plate away; Hayden finished about the same time. She checked on the others, saw Alicia and Kenzie still in conversation, Dahl and Kinimaka chatting to each other.

  All was going well. She just needed to hold Alvarez here for a while longer.

  ‘Desserts?’ She said.

  He nodded. ‘Brandy and coffee for me,’ he said.

  Even though she didn’t want it, Hayden knew she was going to have to order something more substantial. So did the others. They wasted time until the server came again and then placed another round of orders.

  Alvarez turned to her, brandy in hand. ‘So, Miss Jaye, how much are you thinking of pumping into this movie?’

  Damn, the tough questions were still coming. ‘Call me Hayden, please. I was thinking many millions, but don’t have a figure yet. I was hoping you’d make a few calculations yourself.’

  Alvarez nodded as if convinced and pleased. ‘Will you want to be on set?’

  Hayden tried hard not to make a face. ‘Watching? No, I don’t think so.’

  ‘Oh, you don’t have to watch the scenes. I meant on set with the executives, supervising. That kind of thing.’

  ‘Keeping things moving in the right direction,’ Hayden tried to look interested. ‘Maybe then. As long as I don’t have to get involved in anything physical.’ She tried a laugh.

  ‘Well, I’m sure that could be arranged if you see anything you like,’ Alvarez came back. ‘Or want to make some extra money.’

  Hayden took a bite of her dessert to keep from answering. She wondered if any of the others were getting propositioned. If she were, Alicia would be milking it for all she was worth.

  Hayden drew it out as long as she could, finishing her dessert and then ordering coffee. Alvarez asked no more dangerous questions, and then he and his retinue were on their feet, getting ready to leave.

  ‘I will be in touch,’ Hayden said, holding out a hand.

  Alvarez took hold of it and kissed it. ‘I’ll be waiting for your call,’ he said.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Darkness fell, and Drake and Mai were ready.

  They exited the car and made their way down to one of the vulnerable areas they’d identified in the fence. They saw no one on the grounds. Not a single guard. Maybe they’d get lucky, and Alvarez employed no guards. After all, they’d seen none so far.

  Drake and Mai weren’t taking any chances. They both had guns. They crouched now among the bushes, watching the house through the fence — every window, every door. Drake kept expecting to see something, anything, but it didn’t happen.

  The night was silent, still. Alvarez had left the premises probably forty-five minutes ago. Now was the time. They did not know how long it would take them to find the diamond. Drake could smell freshly cut grass and the stench of overturned earth. All he could hear was the distant hum of traffic. He touched the wrought iron, feeling cold steel.

  ‘No time like the present,’ he said.

  They squeezed through the fence where one of the wrought iron spikes was loose, then crept steadily towards a row of bushes. The house loomed ahead, every window a danger. They waited in the bushes, never taking their eyes off the house. The ground was soft and loamy; the air cool and clear. Drake identified the next hiding place and pointed it out to Mai, who nodded.

  They ran again, this time coming up against a stout tree. They were halfway across the grounds by now. Drake peered around the tree and waited. Still, nothing happened. He’d seen no sign of CCTV or sensors so far. Maybe the property had no security at all.

  Which brought up a problem. Usually, with security, the inside alarms were disabled to allow the guards to roam around. If there were no guards…

  They would have to find out the hard way. Drake motioned to the next hiding place, a cluster of bushes some twenty paces ahead.

  ‘Wait,’ Mai said as he was about to move out.

  Drake froze and ducked back behind the tree. He raised an eyebrow at Mai.

  ‘Thought I saw movement. Top row, third from the right.’

  Drake carefully looked up. The windows up there were uncovered, dim light filtering through. Nothing moved at first, but then he saw a shadow walk past. There was definitely someone inside the house.

  ‘Well, that answers that question,’ he said. ‘No alarms on the top floor at least.’

  ‘Let’s hope the alarm’s not partitioned,’ Mai said.

  ‘One way to find out.’

  They waited for the shadow to move away and then made their way to the bushes. They paused again. The next step was to gain entry to the house itself.

  ‘Big patio doors to the right,’ Drake said. ‘Easiest way in.’

  ‘I got it.’

  They crouched there for a few minutes, gauging their path, the windows, the surroundings. They saw nothing untoward. Mai moved cautiously towards the door. She reached into her small black backpack and took out a set of picks. She bent her head to the lock as Drake watched patiently.

  Soon, there was a click, and Mai stepped back. She eased the patio door open, looked at Drake.

  Drake nodded. Mai entered the dark interior room. Drake followed. They closed the door behind them and stood for a while, listening to the house.

  The place stood in silence. Drake hesitated for several seconds, wondering which was the best way to go about it. They had comms, so could easily keep in touch. Drake had been adamant about taking the comms system with them when they left home. He looked at Mai, a shadow in the dark.

  ‘You take the ground floor, I’ll take the second?’

  She nodded, the movement barely visible, and hurried to the door. Slowly, she cracked it open, listened and then pushed her head through the gap, looking outside. ‘Clear,’ she said.

  Drake was a step behind as she pushed out into a narrow corridor. It ran east to west, long and straight. There were no hiding places. Mai turned to Drake.

  ‘Make it count,’ she said, meaning the time they’d carved out.

  Drake didn’t know the layout of the house, but he knew the direction of the front door. He squeezed into the corridor and then ran silently for a minute, coming to a corner. He peered around. In front, in diffused light, was a round hallway that led to a curving set of stairs. He paused as he heard the sound of a door closing.

  Still looking, he saw a tall man wearing black exit a room, look around and then start walking away. The man carried a radio in one hand. He looked comfortable, confident, complacent.

  Drake waited. When the man vanished, he stepped out into the hallway and raced for the stairs. He was up them in seconds, taking them two at a time. The first-floor landing was thickly carpeted. A corridor ran in two directions. Drake went to the first door and eased it open, finding an unoccupied bedroom. He moved on to the next.

  It was a fraught, painstaking search. Drake searched all the rooms on the first floor, finding nothing but bedrooms and a library, which he took some time to examine. He came across no guards during his search, but was coiled and ready just in case he did.

  Drake was about ready to end his search of the second floor. He paused outside the last room, taking a quick glance through the adjacent window. All was quiet and serene outside.

  His comms buzzed. Mai’s voice came through clearly.

  ‘I’ve found it. Ground floor. West end. Door with golden framework on the outside. I’ll wait.’

  Drake moved quickly. He ran down the corridor, found the stairs and paused. Nothing moved; there were no sounds. He hastened down the stairs, holding his breath, feeling highly exposed. Nothing happened. He turned to the west and took a random corridor, looking out for Mai’s description.

  It took longer than he’d hoped, but Drake finally stumbled across the room. The ornate door was closed, but Drake pushed it open. Inside, a mini forest of glass cabinets stood in haphazard fashion, taking up the entire room. Drake saw Mai near the centre.

  He hurried over. Together they peered into the glass cabinet and saw a large, multifaceted diamond resting on a bed of silk. A small plaque read: The Joan of Arc diamond.

  ‘Good find,’ Drake said.

  Mai reached out for the cabinet. Drake braced himself. Last time, an alarm had sounded. This one may or may not be alarmed. He was ready for either contingency. Mai flicked open the door and paused, eyes narrowed.

  Nothing happened. Of course, there were a lot of cabinets in here, so maybe it would have put Alvarez out to get them all alarmed. Drake didn’t know or care. For now, they were clear.

  Mai scooped up the diamond and placed it in a zippered pocket. Then the two of them turned away and started making their way back to the door.

  As they approached, it opened. A man walked in, whistling softly. He held a radio in one hand. Instantly, his eyes focused on them, and he stopped in his tracks. He reacted quickly, bringing the radio up to his lips.

  Mai acted even faster. She was like a spring, exploding from her position, crossing the space in a nanosecond, and slamming an elbow into his throat. The blow took him by surprise, knocking him backwards into the door frame. The radio fell from nerveless fingers. Mai pressed her advantage, kneeing him in the solar plexus and then, as he bent over, in the face. One second the guy was a standing threat; the next he was a crumpled heap.

  Mai stood over the motionless body. She beckoned to Drake.

  ‘Tie him up.’

  They had brought along a selection of zip ties and a roll of duct tape. Drake now used the ties to render him immobile and the tape to make him speechless. It took less than a minute. Soon, Drake was at Mai’s side urging her on.

  The couple exited the exhibition room and stood in the corridor, getting their bearings. Now they had to return to the patio doors. Mai set off in short order, and Drake followed.

  They didn’t speak as they retraced their steps. It was a shame they’d come across the guard; otherwise the theft might have gone unnoticed for a while. Now, Alvarez would know quickly.

  They traversed corridor after corridor. At one point, they were forced to squeeze into a room as a guard appeared ahead. They heard him walk by, checked in his wake, and continued. It took them seven minutes to return to the correct room.

  Drake opened the door. His stomach fell. The room was already occupied.

  A thin, tall guard was standing staring out the patio door windows, looking into the garden. He was facing away from them, and they were silent, so he didn’t see them at first. Drake froze in the doorway. The man was standing a good eight feet from them.

  He stole inside, Mai at his back. Together, they approached the guard.

  They got to within four feet, moving on the balls of their feet. Nothing changed, but maybe the guard sensed something, for he suddenly turned around. His eyes went wide, and his eyebrows flew up his head. He gasped.

 

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