Page 28 of Fire and Ice

"We need to get in with someone at the club. Know who the regulars are, usually the groupies of the band. We're getting a comprehensive file of all the employees of the club. There's a medical conference in two weeks, if you want I'll get you into that. It's the perfect cover and staging for everything."

Damn Viktor. He had her. There was a possibility even Sergei Reznikov might show up.

"People at conferences love to party. It'll be the perfect excuse to show up at Addison's" Maia said.

Viktor's eyes gleamed. "Actually, Ezra Crows is playing at the opening night of the conference. If you get Lee to notice you immediately like he did the first time, then that'll be good."

"I'm not sleeping with him, that'll be disastrous."

"Did I say you have to?" Viktor said curtly.

"I don't see why we need him. We can get into the hall—heck you can even buy VIP passes if you want to." Viktor was looking at her blandly and Maia suddenly got it.

"You sonofabitch," she whispered. "You are using me as bait. If I get a local rock star interested in me, I'll be in the limelight and you can draw Reznikov out. It'll be anin-your-face challenge, he'll suspect it's a trap but since I've got what amounts to a bull's-eye on my back..."

"Maia ..."

"That's brilliant!" she exclaimed, excited.

"That's my girl," Viktor said, exhaling a sigh of relief obviously not sure how Maia was going to react to his manipulation.

"I really do not want Lee involved in this. He might get hurt."

"He's your shield actually, Reznikov won't harm the best draw to the Music Hall. Guardians will be swarming."

Maia nodded solemnly and Viktor signed off.

***

Maia let her fingers sift through the flour as she worked in cubes of semi-frozen butter to form flattened walnut-sized pieces. Adding some ice water and vinegar she quickly shaped the dough, divided them in two and flattened them into discs to chill in the refrigerator in preparation for rolling them out.

Grace had already left for the weekend as she usually worked half-day on Saturday. She had baked an herb-crusted rack of lamb and a potato gratin dish and left instructions for Maia for reheating and finishing it off.

It was 4pm; The trick or treaters would be stopping by in two hours. The bowls of candy were ready. She didn't have a costume, but she vamped it up with the makeup, smoky eyes and very red lips.

She started peeling and slicing the apples. Her foster mom had taught her that to prevent the soggy-bottom crust from apple pies, it was necessary to let the apples macerate for a while and then boil down the juices until it was syrupy. It was extra work but well worth the effort to have that crisp bottom layer. After all, the pie is all about the crust.

Leaving the apples to macerate in the sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon, she checked for emails from Viktor.

Nothing. It looked like her boss was enjoying the weekend, so she could too.

The phone rang. Jack.

"Hey."

"Hey, babe, what are you up to?"

"You mean you don't know?" Maia teased.

Jack chuckled. "I'm not a stalker." Then in a soft voice. "You owe me for last night."

"Apple pie. I'm baking you apple pie," Maia said.

"I must say, you are the master of evasive answers," Jack replied dryly. "I don't have much time to talk but I just wanted to let you know that I'll be in around 10 pm."

Maia frowned. A nagging panic gripped her. She did not want men to be accountable to her for their time specifically if it meant she was going to have to extend the same courtesy. She was going to nip this in the bud.

"Jack, I'm uncomfortable with you having to tell me your schedule. It implies accountability and ..."

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