Maiden and the Lion (Lions of Manhattan 2)

“An inside job,” Bea mused. “My God. I thought all his security officers were well-paid and loyal.”

“Still, money is a great motivation to commit a crime. Greens—the root of all evil. Ah, there’s Giovanni’s. See Danielson?” Cat parked by the kerb, four cars away from the deli’s door.

“Speak of the devil, there he is.” Bea pointed to a hulking man striding to his SUV. He was carrying a sandwich bag and a large soda. He got into his vehicle.

“We’re too late. We’ll have to follow him to the office. Maybe we could snatch him in the parking lot,” Cat said.

“Snatch him.” Bea giggled. “Is that even possible? He’s a big man. What if we pissed him off?”

“Danielson is big, but he’s a kitty-cat. He saved my life once. In Africa.”

“Really? I guess he won’t be mad if we bug him a little.”

“I’m sure he won’t.”

They tailed Danielson’s SUV, but he didn’t return to the office. Instead, he took a toll road heading to the Bronx.

“Where do you think he’s going?” Bea asked. “That’s quite far for someone to eat his lunch.”

“I know, right? This doesn’t make sense.”

“Ooh, do you think he’s having his memory gap period?”

“The plot thickens.” Cat steadily maintained the distance between the Camry and Danielson’s SUV. “Isn’t he supposed to be back in the office? I assume Alex wouldn’t be happy if one of his men took too long a lunch break?”

“We have only one hour at lunch time. Danielson is punctual. He’s never late, except when he does work for Alex.”

“Still. I don’t like where this is going.”

Bea didn’t like it either.

Her cell phone rang. They looked at each other.

“That’s must be Alex. MacGee has told on us,” Cat said.

Bea took her cell from her purse and checked the caller ID. Yup. It was Alex. “What should we do?”

“I’ve turned mine off.”

Bea decided to do the same. “Ooh, he’s going to be mad. He told me specifically to stay put today.”

“You didn’t tell me that.”

“And miss the chance to find out who shot Alex?”

Cat sighed. “You got me, girl.”

Danielson drove erratically, switching from one lane to another. Cat struggled to tail him without losing the distance.

“Do you think he knows we’re on to him?” Bea wondered.

“He’s trying to shake us loose.” Cat’s lips thinned into a straight line. “But he won’t get rid of me that easy. Ha-ha!”

Bea gripped the edge of the seat as the stalking turned into a movie car chase. Her heart pounded hard. This was crazy. Cat was crazy. But it was freaking awesome. She’d never been in this kind of situation. She felt as if she was in an action movie. But for real.

Cat hit the gas and sped like a NASCAR driver. She narrowly missed slamming into several cars. People swore at her and Cat promptly returned the gesture with genuine Jersey style.

Up front, Danielson exited the highway. Cat veered to the right, cutting two open lanes without signalling, which earned her loud beeping from cars and more curses.