She all but raced into the guest bedroom, grabbed clothes to wear and ran into the bathroom. Unfortunately, sweat left her hair lank so she had to wash it, and that took more precious minutes.
After wrapping a towel around her head, she dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, pulled socks onto her feet and rushed back down the hall to the living room.
Sahara was already there, seated on the sofa with Leese in a chair pulled close across from her. Their knees almost touched.
Before they noticed her, Cat picked up on the conversation.
“My PI has men who’ve been watching her stepfather’s house. Discreetly, of course. He’s already had a few rendezvous with this Tesh Coleman character.” Sahara gave a delicate shiver. “That one is like a badly drawn cartoon villain, he’s so clichéd.”
Cat agreed. There was something very wrong with Tesh and the way he’d always focused on her.
“However, as far as my man can tell, Webb Nicholson has never visited Désir Island. In fact, for the past two years, each of his trips is well documented, and he has a rigorous business and social schedule that occupies his time at home.”
Leese braced his hands on his thighs. “Time that can be confirmed with alibis?”
“Many alibis,” Sahara confirmed. “Her stepfather is a very busy man. Interestingly enough, he’s also very generous.”
“Generous how?”
“He supports several charities, and it doesn’t appear that he’s motivated simply by the tax write-offs. He gets personally involved.”
“How?”
She shrugged. “Visiting a boys’ home, purchasing and dropping off books to hospice patients, helping to build an on-site clinic at the local animal shelter.”
So Webb had continued with her mother’s work? Out of love, Cat wondered, or a sense of duty?
Or did he actually care as much about those in need as her mother always had?
Leese wasn’t impressed. “So maybe we should saint him.”
Laughing at the sarcasm, Sahara said, “Let’s not go that far. After all, he is associated with Tesh Coleman. There’s no denying that.”
“I did some research on Coleman.” Leese pitched his voice low. “His profile is genuine, but his reputation doesn’t mesh with any real business. Word is, he’s more of a cleanup man.”
Cat barely stifled a gasp. Leese had been poking into Tesh’s history? Dear God. She hadn’t known that, and now that she did, icy apprehension rolled down her spine, making her tremble all over.
She had to trust that Leese knew how to cover his tracks, because if not, Tesh would be coming for her; she knew that deep down in her soul. And since Leese stood in his way...
No! She wouldn’t let him be hurt because of her. If it came to that, somehow she’d figure out another way.
“A lot of powerful men have hired Tesh,” Leese continued. “Some straight up, some more quietly. He’s known as a problem-solver, the guy you bring onboard when you want to make something go away.”
Sahara gave that some thought. “He must be successful, given the men who hire him. My PI said that he stays in high demand.”
“Who is your PI?”
“A very trustworthy person. That’s all you need to know.” She followed that rebuke with an explanation. “I, too, need to keep some things private.”
Leese gave her a long look, then let it go. “Some of what Coleman does is legit, probably as cover. If you do an aboveboard job here and there, it helps to hide the dirt, blood and bodies.”
Knowing he was right, Cat wrapped her arms around herself. Tesh was the undertaker...and he’d always seemed obsessed with her.
Sahara patted Leese’s tense forearm. “We’re looking into it, I promise. Anyone Tesh might be associated with, who he’s dedicated to, visited and who he occasionally works for. But given his discretion, that’s going to take more time. Somehow it’s all related.”
Leese gave a grim nod. “Cat, Tesh, Webb...the truth.”
“I sense Webb Nicholson is the weakest link, our best bet at finding answers. He’s cagey when he leaves the house, having his driver do a lot of evasive moves so that he’s difficult to follow without being obvious. But eventually we’ll figure it out.”
On the arm of the chair, Leese’s hand curled into a fist. “He’s cagey because he has something to hide.”
“Possibly,” Sahara agreed. “But many wealthy people are the same. Guarding their privacy is important to them, which is one reason Body Armor gets so much business. We, too, can be discreet.” Turning smug, Sahara said, “Our loyalty is part of what will carry us through. The villains in this play have power, but so do I.”
“Powerful clients?”
She smiled. “I’ve done high-profile work, and I’ve kept some jobs very quiet. People owe me favors, and when necessary, they’ll gladly repay.”
Somehow, Cat knew that while Sahara might have done some things very secretly, she’d never accepted a job to hurt others.
Without looking convinced, Leese said, “Keep me posted on whatever you find.”
“There’s one more thing.”
Wondering if she could deal with more, Cat eased farther around the wall, ensuring she could see them both and that she wouldn’t miss a single word.
“It’s possible that the agency is being watched. Not visibly,” Sahara explained, “but from the cover of other businesses.”
“High windows,” Leese confirmed.
“Yes. Tall, adjacent buildings make it pretty easy to spy.”
Biting back the groan, Cat put a hand to her heart. So even here, in this sanctuary, she couldn’t hide. She couldn’t open the curtains, couldn’t enjoy the balcony...
“I’d checked for that myself,” Leese said, “but I couldn’t find anything concrete. Not from here.”
“You’re where you’re needed most,” Sahara assured him.
“The suite is great and we both appreciate it, but it’s not complete insulation. Unfortunately, nothing is. I need to know exactly what I’m dealing with.”
Sahara sat a little straighter. “I can tell you which businesses have new hires with sketchy backgrounds, and which businesses might be susceptible to infiltration, but you are not to act on it, not alone and not without my approval.” After that stern warning, she patted his arm. “I won’t have one of my prized agents getting hurt.”
Droll, Leese said, “Your lack of faith rivals Cat’s.” He covered her hand with his own. “Speaking of that, I hope you’re taking extra precautions as well?”
“As a matter of fact, Justice is currently my very own private protection.”
“Lord,” Leese groaned.
“He’s actually pretty good. I’ve been watching him, gauging his situational awareness. He sees everything, and he’s very suspicious. Perfect qualities for a bodyguard.”
“Suspicious, huh?”
Sahara smiled. “True, he stands out, especially in the company I often keep. And he’s a bit too preoccupied with pretty ladies, but he’s getting better. It doesn’t help that the ladies look back, but at least the men seem wary of him. Of course, the way he watches them is different, far more menacing.” She laughed at that. “He has a very effective death stare.”
“He honed it in the cage, trying to use it to intimidate other fighters.”