“How did he get past security?” Alec asked.
Aiden had the answer. Patty had gone to the lobby on her break to make a few personal calls. Jenkins approached her with flowers and asked if she knew where the penthouse elevator was located. He was dressed in navy pants and a navy shirt with the name of the florist shop on the back, and he also wore a baseball cap with the florist’s logo. She offered to carry the flowers up but realized the vase was too heavy for her. Without thinking, she took him up with her. That was the first mistake.
The second mistake was made by the guard on duty. Walker was pitching a fit because he couldn’t get into the wheelchair without help. The guard left his post in front of the elevator and went into the suite to help.
Third mistake: Patty rushed to Cordie’s suite and opened the door for Jenkins, not realizing Cordie was back from the doctor yet. Telling Jenkins to just put the flowers on the table, she ran around the corner to help Walker.
Aiden wanted to fire everyone, including Walker—if that were possible—for being impatient and demanding everyone’s attention. He wasn’t thinking like a businessman now because he was still having an emotional reaction to almost losing Cordelia. He wouldn’t allow himself to acknowledge why he was out of control when it came to her, or why just thinking about anyone hurting her sent him into a rage. He found it impossible to be reasonable.
Cordie talked him off the ledge and saved a few jobs in the process. She pointed out that yes, while mistakes were made, everyone would now be more vigilant. In the end Aiden compromised to keep the peace. He would let Patty continue to take care of Walker and to help Cordelia when she needed her assistance, and he would transfer the guard to another less stressful position in the hotel. He told Alec, if he had to hire his very own SWAT team to keep Cordelia safe, then, by God, that’s what he would do.
“Do you remember when Regan was in trouble?” Alec asked.
“Of course I remember,” Aiden said. “She was being stalked, and you investigated. Once the nightmare was over, we were stuck with you.”
“At the time she was temporarily living at the hotel, and you posted a guard.”
Aiden nodded. “Yes, I did. I was worried about my sister.”
Alec was walking to the door as he continued. “You were upset, but you were in control. It’s different with Cordie, isn’t it?”
The door closed without an answer.
? ? ?
Jenkins had been staying at an upscale hotel, but his room was a pigsty. There was a Do Not Disturb sign on the door, letting housekeeping know they were not to enter. His clothes were on the bed, the chair, and the floor. There were a few items hanging in the closet. Wet towels covered the bathroom floor, and carryout containers spilled out of every trash can. They found a Glock hidden under the mattress.
Jack held it up and asked, “Where did he get this?”
“We’ll have to ask him,” Alec said.
On the desk in plain sight were three Testor burner phones. Two were fully charged but hadn’t been used. The third was just a shell.
Alec showed it to Jack. “How much do you want to bet he was using this one to call Australia?”
Gloves on, they went through all the trash hoping they’d find the guts of the phone, but they didn’t. It would have helped their case to have evidence of a link between Chicago and Sydney, to hit redial and see who answered. No such luck. Nothing about this was easy.
TWENTY-FIVE
Before heading to pick up carryout, Alec and Jack dropped their wives off at the hotel. The men had told them what had happened to Cordie, and Sophie and Regan wanted to see for themselves that she was all right. Cordie answered all their questions while they helped her change into comfortable yoga pants and a top.
“How come you have so many workout clothes, and you don’t work out?” Sophie asked.
“I’m going to start as soon as I get settled in Boston. I used to get such a workout at St. Matthew’s running up and down the stairs a hundred times a day. Now I sit like a blob.”
“You don’t work out, Sophie,” Regan reminded her as she was brushing Cordie’s hair.
“I do now with Jack. I’m actually starting to like it.”
Regan and Cordie laughed.
“No, you’re not,” Regan said.
“You’re such a bad liar,” Cordie added.
Sophie shrugged and nodded in agreement. “I really am.”
Cordie stood. “Leave my hair alone, Regan,” she said, taking the brush from her hand. “I’m starving. When will Alec and Jack be here?” she asked as she headed to the living room.
“Anytime now,” Regan answered. “They’re bringing carryout. Alec wouldn’t tell me where they’re getting the food. He just said it was something exotic and we’d love it.”
“Pizza.” Sophie and Cordie said the word together.
Regan nodded. “Yes, pizza.”
“Jack told me they’re getting healthy food.”
“Pizza,” Cordie said again as she took a seat on the sofa and folded her legs under her. Sophie kicked off her heels and joined her, and Regan curled up in a chair across from them.
“You should have seen this place earlier. There was glass everywhere and flowers. Housekeeping made it spotless again.” When she saw her friends exchange a fearful glance, she quickly added, “Let’s not talk about what happened.”
Regan nodded in agreement. “I’ve got a huge favor to ask you, Cordie.”
“She’ll do it,” Sophie said confidently.
“Do what?”
“The Summerset Ball.”
“We always go together,” Sophie insisted. “The Summerset Foundation helps a lot of people, and the ball is their big event. Regan’s working on the committee this year.”
“When is it?”
“And you have fun, don’t you? It won’t be the same if you aren’t there.”
“When is it?”
“In a month. You could stay here that long, couldn’t you, before you move to Boston?” Regan pleaded.
Sophie patted Cordie’s knee and said, “A month isn’t long at all, and didn’t you tell us you were having work done on your Boston town house before you moved in?”
“Yes, but—”
“Alec told me they haven’t even started refinishing the floors. Something about a union fight. Nothing to do with your town house, but that was the reason for the delay. I guess the dispute is still going on, and they won’t go back to work until it’s settled.”
“Besides, you can’t go anywhere as long as people are trying to kill you. Right?” Sophie said.
The reminder was given in such a blasé voice, Cordie began to laugh. “Right,” she agreed. “But that will be resolved soon.”
“You sound confident,” Regan remarked.
“What about the Summerset . . . ,” Sophie began.
“If I’m already in Boston, I’ll fly back for it.”
“Where’s Aiden?” Regan asked the question and looked around the room as though she expected her brother to pop up from behind a chair.
“He’s not here,” Cordie said. “So you can stop looking for him.”
Her comment set them off, and Alec, Jack, and Aiden walked in to the joyful sound of laughter. Jack carried a stack of pizza boxes from Tony’s Pizzeria. Alec had beer. Aiden was taking off his tie. He took a bottle of beer from Alec, opened it, and took a long swallow.