“I’m busy right now. But I can be there at noon. Is that okay?” It was.
I debated telling Bea about this change. She’d be upset about it, which could start all sorts of trouble. She’d insist things go back to the way they were, with the deal concluding in four days. But I liked the idea of finishing this now, so I convinced myself to leave Bea out of it. I had the guitar—why not just go to Alejandro’s and get the cash?
Also, I knew Bea would be thrilled to see the money sooner. Maybe even thrilled enough to offer me a deal that would stop her blackmail. Then I could go back to my simple life in New York, free of grifters and con games, free of people following me, and free of overexcited musicians who called me too early in the morning.
Four hours later, I arrived at Alejandro’s estate, dressed nicely, as befits a woman about to make a huge sale. No longer hiding my hair, I dressed to complement it by wearing a black knit pantsuit over a crisp white blouse. Light gold trim on the collar framed my neck.
I didn’t want Vance to know about this change of plans, so I’d sneaked out the bathroom window with the guitar, and driven to Alejandro’s in my black SUV. He was waiting for me at the front door, all smiles. “Good to see you, Deborah. Come in.” We exchanged a hug and a brief kiss, then I followed him in. My feet bounced a little as I carried the guitar, watching his muscles flex under his thin T-shirt as he moved through the house. I tried to remind myself that I was a con artist, not a groupie, but whenever I was around him, the two seemed to get confused.
On the way to the study, I saw Udo, watching from a corner. That helped sober me up. With a jolt, I remembered where I was, what I was doing, and why I shouldn’t feel so damned happy. Did Udo carry a gun? Could he run as fast as I could? Did he know how much money his employer was about to spend?
Alejandro led me to his study where an attaché case sat on his desk, next to my pen-holding vase. I set the guitar down next to his case, and we turned to face each other. Despite my fears, this was going very well so far.