CHAPTER TWO
SHAKE DOWN
“Let’s go over this one more time, Ms. Jacobs.” The Caucasian officer with the thick mustache and bushy brows held his pen against a small pad in his hand.
Vintage Vaultwas officially a crime scene. Inari was still groggy and very much out of it. Head throbbing, vision blurred, all she wanted was a gallon of water, a scalding hot bath, and her bed. Rubbing the tips of her two fingers against her temples, she gave them a slight massage as she tried to recall the events for the hundredth time. She felt like she’d been answering the same damn questions since she came to. The two drivers of the Nunez truck that delivered the art were dead, and five pieces totaling over five million dollars were now missing. She felt responsible, and she hated that Mrs. Vernon was going to take a hit, but her life wasn’t worth those pieces.
“What else can I say that I haven’t already?” Inari huffed and lowered her eyes to the ground.
“I’ll take it from here, Stevens.” A sharp, stern, familiar voice sent Inari’s head popping up to make sure her ears weren’t deceiving her.
The smug grin breaking out across Tulla Hayne’s face turned her blood cold. This was the last fucking thing she needed.Seated in the front checkout area on a leather stool, Inari sighed heavily.
“It’s been a long time, Inari.”
“Not long enough,” she muttered. “What are you doing here?”
“Guess who’s chief of detectives now?” Tulla surmised, holding up both arms like she’d just won in a card game.
“Great.” Inari’s eyes rolled in annoyance. “Well, I’ve said everything I remember to your men. If you want a report, get it from them.” Gradually, she slid off the stool as evidence and fingerprints were collected around her.
It was now nearly noon, and she’d gotten worried calls and texts from both Ayla and Dane about her whereabouts. She woke up almost two hours ago but had been questioned repeatedly ever since. When she didn’t come home, Dane immediately hit Ayla up and let her know. Without his mother, she was the next best thing in his time of need.
“Not so fast.” Tulla held up a well-manicured hand to stop her. “I want to hear it from you.”
“Hear what?” Inari sighed, dropping her hands at her sides. “I was here alone. The delivery arrived around nine pm. I let them in, and about twenty minutes later, I heard a noise. I went to check it out, and that’s when I found one of the guards outside on the ground. One man with a mask and a gun forced me back inside, and two more slipped in behind him to grab the pieces.”
“At no point did you think to trigger the silent alarm? Don’t you wear a panic necklace?” Tulla queried.
“Normally, I do, but I forgot tonight, and one of them had been acting funny. Someone from the security company was supposed to come out and test them all this week.”
“And you didn’t recognize any of the men?”
Inari’s hardened eyes locked on the detective before she lifted her chin confidently. Part of her was on the defensebecause something was familiar about one of them, she just couldn’t pinpoint it. Tulla didn’t care, and she wasn’t about to offer the information. She got away with her life, and in that moment, that was all that mattered. She hated Tulla with a passion and seeing her only brought back memories of one of the worst nights of her life. Tulla was younger back then, nothing but a beat cop trying to make a name for herself. She thought she had a case with Inari and Ayla, and when it blew up in her face, she resented the Jacob girls far more than either of them ever knew.
“As I told your detectives, no. I did not.”
“Convenient.” Tulla bobbed her head.
“Why are you here?” Inari demanded.
“This is my investigation. The fact that this was a million-dollar heist means the Feds have to get involved. So, I need to be up to speed and ready to go when they arrive. Don’t worry, I’ll let them know all about your underground ties.”
“Allegedly,” Inari corrected, grilling her vehemently before something caught her attention coming through the front door.
A life raft in the form of Moose swaggering through the doors caused her eyes to mist. She caught her breath as he made his way in their direction.
“What’s up? You good?” he asked, concern masking his handsome face as his milk chocolate eyes absorbed her weariness.
Reaching out, he tucked some of her hair behind her ear.
“I’m ready to go.”
“That’s what I’m here for. Ayla called Kong. Her and Dane were worried about you, so I said I’d come through.”
A soft smile lifted the corners of her mouth, and Moose reached for her hand.
“Thank you,” she whispered, blinking back tears while Tulla nosily observed the interaction.
