Alien in the House

Chapter 96



THE REST OF THE PARTY WAS GREAT. Jamie had a fabulous time, and with the press gone and Lydia in custody, I felt pretty decent.

I hadn’t avenged all the murders of all those people yet, but I’d avenged the ones I could. Reyes, Brewer, even Eugene and Pia. We’d caught all the people responsible for their deaths. Okay, not the Mastermind, but everyone else.

“You took a real chance with that accusation,” Christopher said while we were munching on cake and Jamie was dancing with Jeff. I had a huge corner piece loaded with icing which I’d claimed as Mother of the Birthday Girl and I was enjoying it. “What if you’d been wrong?”

“Then I’d have tried again, but she was the only one who fit all the parameters. She was the one who stood to gain the most by Eugene’s being arrested—sympathy, support, and her cheating husband dead, worth a lot. Chance to hurt both her rivals at the same time? Priceless.”

“I got nothing out of the video tapes. If Clarence was there, even when he slowed down he was at hyperspeed.”

“As long as he stays dead this time, I’m good with it.” Saw Culver and Abner getting ready to go. “Guard my cake. I am not done with that, so don’t let anyone throw it away and tell Jeff to get his own piece.”

Trotted after Culver and caught them at the front door. “We were just slipping out,” Culver said. “Abner, be a dear and fetch the car.”

He sighed. “Of course. Nice seeing you again, Kitty.” He headed off down the street. Had no idea where they’d parked.

“It was a nice party,” Culver said as she stepped outside. I followed her and shut the door behind me. “And congratulations on getting another friend of mine arrested.”

Apparently the gloves were off now. Fine by me. “If your friends weren’t a bunch of murderers that wouldn’t be such a problem. I’d think you’d care more about the friends of yours who were killed.”

She shrugged. “The dead can’t help you any more, nor can they be helped.” She smiled widely. It remained horrifying. “It was quite neat how you got Guy’s support. You’re far more savvy than you let on, or my husband could recognize.”

“Backhanded flattery’s nice. Knowing what you want from us for your help would be better.”

She shrugged. “You’ll do what I want, when I want it. I think that will be the easiest plan, don’t you?”

“I do not believe that is how it will work,” a familiar voice said from behind Culver. She froze, eyes wide. “You feel my gun in your back, yes?” She nodded. “Good. Look up on the roof across the street. What do you see?”

We both looked. “Nothing,” Culver said.

I squinted. “I can just make out a guy with what I think is a sniper rifle.” Or, as I thought of him now, Uncle Surly Vic.

“Yes, good. Now, you will listen to me. I understand you, Lillian Culver. I know all about you—who you work for, what you do, where you go, where you live, when you sleep. And I know all about your husband, too.”

“Yes?” she asked. “What do you want? Money?”

He laughed softly. “No. I want you to be nice to my niece. She is a kind girl, and a brave girl, but she is not a ruthless girl.” His voice hardened. “I, however, am a very ruthless man. You will help her because if you do not, your husband will die, and then you will die.”

“My clients are powerful people,” Culver said. Had to hand it to her, she wasn’t panicking and while her voice was shaking a little, she didn’t sound totally frightened.

The Dingo laughed, one of those low bad guy laughs. He was good at it. “Yes, they are. Your clients are ruthless men and women, like me. They understand that the price of the finest weapon is high. You are not the finest weapon, you are a mouthpiece. And they can always find another effective mouthpiece.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“I thought you might say that.”

Abner pulled up in their car. “Nice Bentley. No wonder you guys drove.”

“You’re going to threaten to kill my husband and then Kitty’s going to tell you not to, and you think that will make me help them without payback? Nice try, but I say again, you’re bluffing.”

Abner got out of the car. Heard a muffled shot. Abner went down.

Told myself I was being an idiot, but I couldn’t stop my feet from running to him. Abner was shot and bleeding like crazy, but he wasn’t dead. Picked him up and ran him to the front door. There were no more bullets.

There was also no more Dingo. Culver was still there, however, and she was white. “He shot him.” She sounded shocked and, for the first time, freaked out.

“He doesn’t really bluff. He was being nice, and he still is. I think we need to get Abner to a hospital. Or I can take him to our infirmary. However, my uncle is wrong. I’m willing to be ruthless to protect my people, and what they believe in.”

“What do you mean?”

“Abner’s going to bleed out fast. I can have our staff help him, and probably save his life, or you can take your chances that the ambulance will get him to the Georgetown Medical Center in time. You pick. But know that if he enters the American Centaurion Embassy again, then you are agreeing to my terms, which is that you help me get those bills killed or sent back to committee, and you do it well before New Year’s Eve.”

She looked down at Abner. I truly had no guess as to what she was going to say. She touched his cheek. “Can I come with him?”

“Yes.” Managed not to let the relief show in my voice. “But if he can’t be saved, I’m still holding you to the deal. Because if I don’t, then my uncle will kill you next.”

She nodded. “I know who the Dingo is. I’d imagine how you’ve hidden that you’re his relative would be an interesting story.”

“One for another day. Let’s get Abner down to the Great Tito.”

The door opened. Jeff and Raj were there, along with Tito, Nurse Carter, and a gurney. I put Abner on the gurney, Tito and Nurse Carter took off with him. “Melanie and Emily are prepping the surgery,” Jeff said.

Raj offered his arm to Culver. “I’ll escort you down. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Culver took his arm, then looked at me. “I’ll start making calls as soon as I collect myself.”

“Sounds good. I’ll put your car into our parking garage.”

She smiled, a rather normal smile. Well, for her. “Thank you. I sense this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” She and Raj went after Tito.

Jeff looked at the car in the street. “Is that their car?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re covered with blood.” He pulled out his phone. “Yeah, kid, you and the other jock get down to the front door immediately.”

“It’s not my blood.”

“I know.” He looked up and around. “Are they still here?”

“My ‘uncles’? No idea. Kind of betting on yes, but who knows.”

“Your mother said she told the authorities everyone is convinced the Dingo killed Cantu while he was in lockdown.”

“Good. They’ll get a nice payday and their rep will go that much higher.”

“So that’s why they almost killed a man on our doorstep?”

“Yeah. Lillian and Guy are the only ones who can get those bills killed in such a way that we and the President won’t be completely screwed.”

“That was a pretty tough tradeoff, baby.”

“This? This was nothing compared to what it could have been. This was the only solution that would work in our favor. And my ‘uncles’ knew it would be, too.”

“I suppose. Reynolds asked me to tell you that they found a plethora of evidence at Lydia’s house. He thinks some of it might have been planted.”

“Not by me, or by my ‘uncles.’ Maybe by the Mastermind. Or Raul’s chick. But no matter what, Lydia’s out of the running to be the next Mastermind Celebrity Apprentice. So that’s a job damn well done.”

Len and Kyle appeared. “Kitty, are you okay?” Len sounded freaked out. Kyle looked freaked out. Looked down. Jeff hadn’t been kidding—I was covered with blood. So much for the Optimism of the Elves.

“Yeah, this isn’t my blood. Need you two to park that Bentley in our garage. While I go change clothes.”

The boys nodded and went to the car. Jeff took my hand and we went inside and up to our apartment. “Can I put on jeans and a T-shirt now?” I asked as I stripped off the bloodied dress and jumped into the shower.

“No. I think I want you in something nice. But I’ll take my hat and coat, if that’ll make you happy.”

“Definitely.” Didn’t have to wash my hair, so I was out of the shower fast. “Where are we going?”

“Surprise. Just waiting for the rest of the guests to leave. Take your real purse, though.”

Dumped my handbag into my purse while Jeff handed me the dress he wanted me to wear. It was the green dress I’d had on for our dinner party or, more likely, a duplicate. Akiko had started making duplicates early in her relationship with our Embassy. “You sure this isn’t courting bad luck?”

He grinned. “Nah, it’s just a sexy dress and I’d like to see you in it again for a happy occasion.”

“Okay. You’re the boss.”

Jeff snorted. “Since when? You’re the boss of me, baby, and you always have been.” Then he kissed me, and I decided to table that discussion for another time.