Page 31 of Dangerous Obsession

“I know you have to pay a fee on credit card transactions, and paying with cash is my little way of supporting small businesses.” Deborah slid a healthy stack of bills from her wallet. She counted out ten one-hundred-dollar bills, a twenty, a ten, a five, and three ones, and slid them across the counter.

That’s a hell of a lot of cash for her to be carrying around.

Marigold placed the bills in the appropriate sections of the cash drawer and handed her sixty-eight cents in change.

“Thank you for all of your help.” Deborah dropped her wallet into her tote. “I will definitely be back.”

Yeah, I’ll just bet you will, Viking thought.

Marigold carefully zipped the dress into a garment bag with her store logo on the side and placed the shoe box and tissue-wrapped clutch in a fancy gift bag with the same logo.

“Wonderful. We’ll look forward to seeing you.” Marigold walked around the counter and handed Deborah the gift bag. “Let me help you—”

“I’m happy to help her out.” Viking relieved Marigold of the garment bag and held the door open for Deborah. “After you, ma’am.”

“Oh, that’s not—”

“It’s my pleasure.” He waited.

“Well, okay.” Deborah passed him and stepped outside. “My car is just right here.” She pressed a button on the fob, and a horn beeped.

Her heels tapped across the sidewalk as she hurried over to open the back door of a brand-new, pearl-white BMW 7 Series sedan. Impressive. Those bad boys typically ran about a hundred thirty-five grand.

“Beautiful car.” He carefully draped the dress across the seat and hooked the hanger on the overhead handle. She handed him the gift bag. He set it on the floor in the back seat and shut the door with a solidthump.

“Thank you. I know it seems excessive, but I’ve had a really good sales year and decided to treat myself.” Her gaze traveled over the vehicle. “And it’s comfortable for my clients when I’m driving them around to properties.”

“Oh, so you’re a real estate agent.”

“I am.” As if by rote, she reached into her bag but stopped herself. “I’m sorry, I just remembered I don’t have any business cards with me.”

Yeah, there was definitely something squirrelly about this woman. No self-respecting real estate agent would go anywhere without a business card. And that story about why she pays cash hadn’t sounded sincere either.

Viking opened her door.

She slid onto the leather seat, pulled the door shut, and lowered the window.

“So, tell me.” Her mask still in place, she perched designer sunglasses on her nose, concealing her eyes. “Are you really watching the store because of theft or because of the pretty shop owner?”

“Have a good day, ma’am.” He stepped up onto the sidewalk and waited for her to leave.

She gave him a strange look, as if trying to figure him out, then backed out of the spot and drove away.

He made a mental note of her plate number and called Sammy.

“Hey there, Viking.” Sammy Joslin was one of OSI’s genius tech wizards. She reallycouldfind a needle in a haystack. “Cole mentioned you might be contacting me.”

“Can you please look up a plate for me?” He watched the white sedan turn the corner and disappear from sight.

“Sure thing.”

“Virginia plate, Sierra-Echo-Lima-Lima-4-Uniform.”SELL4U. Viking looked up and down the street.

“Let me guess, a real estate agent?” Keys clicked in the background.

“Gee, how’d ya guess?”

“I’m smart like that.”Click click click.“Okay, plates belong to Deborah Kathleen Whitcomb.” More clicking. “I’m sending a picture of her driver’s license to your phone now. I’ll do a deeper dive and send you anything I find.”

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