Lynette was two years younger than Emily. She was stocky because she had to be and blonde because she wanted to be. Ten minutes later, she knocked on the door.
When policemen and women are involved in something important and complicated, everything they say, how they say it and what they don’t say has meaning. Lynette walked in and got the important things out of the way. She hugged her sister and examined her figure. She said, “Fantastic. You look wonderful. How does it feel?”
Emily blushed. “Exciting and good. What can you tell me about Reynard?”
Lynette wouldn’t look at her. “I know him. He’s helped us with some art thefts in the past.”
“Is there something wrong with him?”
Lynette finally looked in Emily’s eyes. She held out a package. “I brought this. Carry it with you anytime you’re out of your apartment.” She handed the heavy bundle to Emily.
Emily’s voice shook a little. “Whenever I’m out of the apartment?”
“Yes. Are you still active in the LAPD reserves?”
“Yes.”
Lynette took a deep breath. “The job sounds nice. I’m glad you’ve got it.”
Emily frowned. “Enough talking around this. I want to fall in love with Reynard. Is he dirty?”
Lynette wouldn’t answer directly. “Keep working for him and take your weapon to work and everywhere else from now on.” She kissed Emily on the cheek. “I’ve got to leave. Come to dinner on Sunday.”
Emily recognized a refusal to answer and didn’t press it. “I will.”
Chapter Six
Emily didn’t like carrying a weapon where it could be seen. To her, it was an article of clothing and a tool of her trade, not a symbol of violence. She didn’t need to show it off to bolster her image. Her blouses had strips of velcro along the opening in front. Emily used a holster that fit against her ribs above her waist and couldn’t be seen in ordinary circumstances. She wore the holster and pistol from that point forward.
The next day gave her a decision to make. She didn’t want to make it.
Reynard and she were studying a new acquisition, a minor canvas by Manet that had a good provenance. (‘Provenance’ means history. A work of art is authenticated by the substance of its known history as well as expert examination.).
They leaned over the painting. At some point Emily, leaned too far. She began to fall and grabbed Reynard for support. Reynard did what any man would do; he put his arms around her and brought her back to vertical.
He didn’t take his arms away. In fact, he brought her closer. They looked at each from very close together.
Emily went over all of it in a flash. She remembered Lynette’s hesitancy in her approval of Reynard. She also remembered that Lynette hadn’t suggested she leave the job and him.
Most importantly, she smelled Reynard and felt his muscles and steadiness. She felt the pistol against her ribs and thought, “What the heck. I’m armed” and looked at his lips. He took the hint and kissed her. She felt helpless and vulnerable in his arms, and she liked it.
Emily got her first hint of the seriousness of the situation. Reynard didn’t tell her about his emotions. He looked deep into her eyes and said, “I want you to take the afternoon off. Take Mignon and Alain with you and go to the beach.”
She said, “First, before we leave each other’s arms, kiss me again.”
He did.
Chapter Seven
The three of them drove to Malibu. Emily put on a nice one piece suit that dipped low on top. Mignon almost wore a scandalous bikini that showed virtually all of her.
She and Alain made an interesting couple. Mignon attracted attention that evaporated when it met Alain’s smoldering, glowering, six foot six inch frame. Mignon walked arm in arm with Alain and chattered happily.
They sat on the beach under an umbrella. Mignon in the middle.
It happened twenty minutes after they arrived. A series of loud bangs disturbed the sea air. Emily dove into her bag for her gun. Alain rolled over on top of Mignon who crawled underneath him. He whipped open a beach towel that had been wadded up by his side and produced a gun that made Emily’s look like a toy. They lay on the sand sweeping the beach with their eyes for the source of the sound.
Three kids threw more firecrackers on the beach and ran away. Both guns retreated back into their hiding places and Mignon came out from under Alain.
They looked at each other with significance. Alain went back to his book. Mignon snuggled against him and Emily studied her iPad.
Emily didn’t see anything on the screen. She needed to know what had transpired and why they handled it as they did. She thought, “Alain has a gun. Does he have it because he and Reynard are involved in something dangerous? How much does the art market provide for Reynard? He lives in a huge house. The taxes alone would break most fortunes. Lynette insisted that I carry a weapon all the time. That means I’m in danger. Am I supposed to be defending Reynard and the others or protecting myself from Reynard and Alain? Why did Alain and Mignon accept the danger that just happened without a comment? Reynard kissed me. Do we have a future?”