closet.”
Luke felt rather than heard Lily’s gasp. He wanted to whisper to her that everything would be all right, he would protect her and she wasn’t going to jail if he could help it. But even a whisper might be overheard now.
“Are you sure they’re even in here?” Max said, his heavy footsteps approaching the suit closet. “Maybe you put all of it in one of the guest bedrooms.”
The sliding door where they were hiding opened and light flooded the closet. Lily turned her face into Luke, her body stiff. The breath caught in Luke's chest.
“Of course I’m sure,” Prue said.
“So where exactly could it be in here, do you think?” Max said. The suit jackets to their right moved as he rifled through them. He’d missed the two sets of legs and feet beneath the jackets further along but soon he would notice them. Only a few more seconds...
“Try looking inside your shoes on the floor there,” said Prue. “One of the pairs you haven’t worn for at least a year.”
“Obviously,” Max muttered.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing, Darling . Hello. What’s this?”
“What?”
Max parted the suit jackets in front of Lily. “Oh my God!”
CHAPTER 9
Lily froze. Even her heart stopped beating. Then Luke’s hand whizzed past her and punched Max in the face, sending him stumbling backwards to fall on his well-cushioned ass, blood streaming from his nose. Prue screamed. The scream grew higher and louder when Luke stepped out from the suits.
“Hey,” he said in a commanding voice that somehow managed to cut through her ear-splitting sound even though it was pitched an octave lower.
She stopped screaming and started throwing shoes at them instead. Lily caught a red stiletto as it flew past her head. “Stop!” She ducked under a boot. “It’s a crime to throw around Manolo Blahniks.”
“It’s a crime to break into people’s houses and assault them.” Prue threw shoe after shoe like a tiny whirlwind with her blonde hair swirling around her. Until she ran out of shoes.
“We’re not going to assault anyone,” Luke said.
Prue put her hands on her hips and looked pointedly at her husband bleeding all over the chaise.
“Anyone else,” Lily said. “Look, we’re just going to, uh, leave quietly.” What else could they do? The gig, as they say, was up. The stakeout had been a failure. She was screwed.
“We’re not leaving,” Luke said.
“We’re not?” Lily said just as Prue said, “I’ll call the cops.”
“The phone’s out there and you’re in here.” Luke moved to stand in front of the entrance to the bedroom. Prue glared at him for a moment then her predicament must have sunk in because fear flared in her eyes, bright and fierce.
Lily looked at Luke and mouthed “Badge”. He shook his head and she frowned at him.
“Go sit with your husband,” he told Prue.
Prue, a small, middle-aged woman with a face as smooth as a porcelain doll’s, obliged. “Max, why don’t you do something,” she hissed.
Max held a handkerchief to his nose. “Because there’s nothing I can do. Look at the size of him.”
“Offer him money.”
He snorted. “Got any on you?”
Prue made a huffing sound and crossed her arms.
“Lil,” Luke said, “why don’t you have a look for the fake jewelry in that closet we were hiding in. That is what you were looking for?” he asked the Haywood-Smiths.
Lily knelt on the floor at the closet door and counted ten pairs of men’s shoes stashed beneath the suit jackets. Not many but that was just as well since the pigeonhole shelving on the wall were all filled up with Prue’s. She checked the shoes at the back first since they were likely to be the least used. Bingo! She pulled out a small black velvet pouch from a pair of black runners.
She tipped the contents on the floor. Rings, bracelets, brooches and necklaces sparkled beneath the
Luke felt rather than heard Lily’s gasp. He wanted to whisper to her that everything would be all right, he would protect her and she wasn’t going to jail if he could help it. But even a whisper might be overheard now.
“Are you sure they’re even in here?” Max said, his heavy footsteps approaching the suit closet. “Maybe you put all of it in one of the guest bedrooms.”
The sliding door where they were hiding opened and light flooded the closet. Lily turned her face into Luke, her body stiff. The breath caught in Luke's chest.
“Of course I’m sure,” Prue said.
“So where exactly could it be in here, do you think?” Max said. The suit jackets to their right moved as he rifled through them. He’d missed the two sets of legs and feet beneath the jackets further along but soon he would notice them. Only a few more seconds...
“Try looking inside your shoes on the floor there,” said Prue. “One of the pairs you haven’t worn for at least a year.”
“Obviously,” Max muttered.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing, Darling . Hello. What’s this?”
“What?”
Max parted the suit jackets in front of Lily. “Oh my God!”
CHAPTER 9
Lily froze. Even her heart stopped beating. Then Luke’s hand whizzed past her and punched Max in the face, sending him stumbling backwards to fall on his well-cushioned ass, blood streaming from his nose. Prue screamed. The scream grew higher and louder when Luke stepped out from the suits.
“Hey,” he said in a commanding voice that somehow managed to cut through her ear-splitting sound even though it was pitched an octave lower.
She stopped screaming and started throwing shoes at them instead. Lily caught a red stiletto as it flew past her head. “Stop!” She ducked under a boot. “It’s a crime to throw around Manolo Blahniks.”
“It’s a crime to break into people’s houses and assault them.” Prue threw shoe after shoe like a tiny whirlwind with her blonde hair swirling around her. Until she ran out of shoes.
“We’re not going to assault anyone,” Luke said.
Prue put her hands on her hips and looked pointedly at her husband bleeding all over the chaise.
“Anyone else,” Lily said. “Look, we’re just going to, uh, leave quietly.” What else could they do? The gig, as they say, was up. The stakeout had been a failure. She was screwed.
“We’re not leaving,” Luke said.
“We’re not?” Lily said just as Prue said, “I’ll call the cops.”
“The phone’s out there and you’re in here.” Luke moved to stand in front of the entrance to the bedroom. Prue glared at him for a moment then her predicament must have sunk in because fear flared in her eyes, bright and fierce.
Lily looked at Luke and mouthed “Badge”. He shook his head and she frowned at him.
“Go sit with your husband,” he told Prue.
Prue, a small, middle-aged woman with a face as smooth as a porcelain doll’s, obliged. “Max, why don’t you do something,” she hissed.
Max held a handkerchief to his nose. “Because there’s nothing I can do. Look at the size of him.”
“Offer him money.”
He snorted. “Got any on you?”
Prue made a huffing sound and crossed her arms.
“Lil,” Luke said, “why don’t you have a look for the fake jewelry in that closet we were hiding in. That is what you were looking for?” he asked the Haywood-Smiths.
Lily knelt on the floor at the closet door and counted ten pairs of men’s shoes stashed beneath the suit jackets. Not many but that was just as well since the pigeonhole shelving on the wall were all filled up with Prue’s. She checked the shoes at the back first since they were likely to be the least used. Bingo! She pulled out a small black velvet pouch from a pair of black runners.
She tipped the contents on the floor. Rings, bracelets, brooches and necklaces sparkled beneath the
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