and the time…”
Danielle held up her hand. “All right, all right! I’ll behave. I get it.” She huffed and folded her arms.
“What I’m trying to say, sweetie, is you always look fabulous, but you simply have to keep your temper in check and be, uh, more diplomatic.”
Of the trio, Danielle was notorious for flying off the handle at the drop of a hat, and it didn’t take much for her to feel slighted. But most of her flare-ups occurred when she felt one of her friends was being mistreated or the people she expected to fall in line, such as staff, support people and…well, the general public, didn’t live up to what she expected of them. But if you ever wanted anyone in the trenches with you, it was definitely Danielle. She would go down swinging and still look incredible.
“I want to make a good impression,” Danielle finally said, looking uncharacteristically uncertain. She tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth.
“You’ll be fine.” Savannah reached across the gears and squeezed Danielle’s hand. “I promise.”
Danielle looked into Savannah’s eyes and saw the confidence there. She drew in a long breath. “Thanks.”
“Here we are.”
Danielle peeked out the window at the very stately four-story brownstone, which looked like all the other well-taken-care-of homes on the restored block. “This is it?”
Savannah chuckled. “What did you expect? The Batcave?” She unfastened her seat belt and got out. “Come on.”
Danielle followed Savannah to the ground-floor entrance of the house.
“See that house across the street?” Savannah said, lifting her chin toward the house.
“You mean, where that F-I-N-E man is going in followed by another one?”
“Yes, it’s a day spa for men.”
“Get out.”
“Yep, run by four women, best friends.”
“What? Wait a minute. Is it called Pause for Men?”
“Yeah, why?” She pressed the bell. A chime echoed gently in the background.
“Uh, nothing. I think I heard about it somewhere.” That sounded like the same spa that Bernard had taken Nick to, she thought. She’d have to make sure, and if it was, hopefully she wouldn’t have to come to headquarters too often. That could get pretty sticky. And she certainly wasn’t about to mention anything to Savannah to give her or Jean a reason not to give her this assignment.
The door opened. Savannah recognized Margaret, the woman the Cartel had honored the previous month for having been responsible for shutting down a senior retirement home in Brooklyn that had been abusing the seniors.
“Hi. We’re here to see Jean.”
“Come in. Come in. Good to see you again, Savannah,” the middle-aged Cartel member said with a warm smile. Tiny laugh lines fanned out from the corners of her blue eyes.
“Margaret, this is Danielle Holloway.”
Margaret stared at her for a long moment then turned to Savannah. “Looks like she has what it takes.” She winked. “It’s all in the eyes. Make yourselves comfortable a moment. I’ll let Jean know you’re here.”
“Thanks, Margaret,” Savannah said with a light laugh.
“That was weird,” Danielle said under her breath. “Did you see how she looked at me?”
Savannah waved her hand in dismissal. “That’s one of the top agents. She’s been with the Cartel since the beginning, and she’s Jean’s right hand. Definitely someone you want on your side, and if she says you’ve got what it takes, then you’ve got it.”
“If you say so,” Danielle murmured, glancing up at the twelve-foot ceiling and the incredible crystal chandelier that looked like something out of a holiday movie. She slowly strolled around the massive room and took in the decor.
Antique furnishings dotted the enormous room. Sunshine spilled across the sparkling parquet floors from eight-foot-long windows treated with sheer white curtains billowing ever so gently from the light breeze. An oak mantle with a massive fireplace was the centerpiece of the room, reminiscent of the great party days of old Harlem.
Margaret appeared in the doorway as silently as she’d left. “Jean is ready for you,” she said.
She led them upstairs, turned right at the top of the landing and walked down a long hallway that was lined on either side with photographs of Cartel members. Danielle caught a glimpse of Savannah’s mother, Claudia, and just before Margaret tapped on the partially opened door, Danielle saw a picture of a smiling Savannah.
Wow, it’s like going to the White House or somewhere prestigious and seeing the rows of presidents hanging on the walls, she thought, then she wondered if her picture would wind up there one day.
Margaret opened the door, stepped aside and let Savannah and Danielle pass. “Good luck,” she whispered to Danielle before closing the door behind her.
The room was dimly lit by an antique lamp on a desk behind which Jean sat. Outdoor sunshine was blocked by the heavy brocade drapes, in sharp contrast to the floor below.
“Ladies.” Jean took off her pink-framed glasses and stood. “Thank you for coming. Please have a seat.” Her radiant red hair fell in soft waves around her delicate face to brush her shoulders.
Danielle noticed that her skin was almost translucent as a trickle of perspiration shimmied down the center of her own spine even though the air-conditioning was running at optimum level. She took a seat opposite Jean and next to Savannah. She crossed her ankles and drew in a long, calming breath, then put on her best smile.
“How are you feeling these days, Savannah?”
Savannah gently patted her barely noticeable baby bump. “If I can get past these first three months, I just might survive.”
Jean offered a lukewarm smile. “Children.” Her right brow flicked reflexively. “They never factored into my life—always busy traveling, getting from one assignment to the next.” She sighed. “Now it’s too late.”
“I’m sorry,” Savannah offered.
“Oh, don’t be,” she said with a wave of her hand. “I’d make a terrible mother. I don’t have a nurturing bone in my body.” She turned her attention to Danielle. “Ms. Holloway.” She said it in such a way that it hung in the air, more like an accusation than a greeting.
Danielle swallowed and offered a tight-lipped smile, feeling as if she’d been caught with her top off in the boys’ locker room with the captain of the basketball team. “It’s good to meet you.”
“I’m sure that Savannah told you this is completely against protocol. This is not how we recruit members.” She tossed Savannah a sharp look, and Savannah adjusted her behind in her seat. “However, because Savannah did such an excellent job on her first assignment and was recruited by her mother, whom I hold in the highest regard…”
