The Accidental Assassin
Page 64

“Or to people that can’t fly commercial.” Mavis tsked. “People that don’t want their every movement tracked and documented.”
“They still have to fill out paperwork and go through customs…” Ava snorted. “After the last few days I should realize that it would be easier to skip customs forms and security checks on a private plane. They probably just hand over cash with whatever clipboard the official gives them.”
“Have you seen any of these people before?” Mavis pulled up a file of headshots on her computer and scrolled through them. “Maybe you can tell us about the company owner.”
“If you recognize one, I can get files on them from the company you worked for,” Kenny offered.
Ava watched as Mavis clicked from one picture to the next. There were corporate headshots, images of people in the plane or about to board a plane, a few were of the owners doing an inspection as the plane was being built.
“I’m sorry. I don’t—stop!” Ava touched Mavis on the shoulder and leaned forward. “That’s one of the hangars owned by my company. Can you zoom in?”
Mavis touched the screen of her laptop with pinched fingers and then spread them so that the image enlarged. It was fuzzy, but I could make out a tall man talking with several people in uniforms. He seemed to be laughing.
“Oh my God.” Ava leaned back. “That’s Captain Horny.”
IT FELT LIKE it had been a lifetime ago that I had last seen the pilot that had a running reputation where I once worked. He was infamous for hitting on any available woman. Tall with brown hair, blue eyes, and a Scottish accent meant he’d been pretty successful in his attempts.
“Excuse me?” Owen’s eyebrows pulled together. “Captain Horny?”
Mavis threw her head back and laughed. It was loud and honest.
“I meant Patrick. He’s a pilot for a charter company. The girls started calling him Captain Horny over the years. He was always hitting on someone.” I blushed. He’d hit on me more than once, but I’d always turned him down. Despite whatever was going on between me and Owen, I didn’t usually bed hop. One night stands were fine, they just weren’t really my style.
Or I hadn’t met anyone that had inspired that kind of lust. At least not until Owen. If I was going to risk my heart being broken in a fling, it had to be worth it. My heart tightened. And I was definitely headed for a broken heart. No matter what happened between me and Owen, I knew that I didn’t fit in his world. I couldn’t be sneaky or kill bad guys and he would never be happy in routine job.
“I bet he had a good track record.” Mavis looked at Ava and smiled. “Did you give him a go?”
“Um, no.” I bit my lip.
“Why not? Were you in a relationship?” Mavis cocked her head and frowned at me. “I know he had to hit on you. You’re blushing.”
“If you weren’t wearing a ring he considered you fair game.” I shrugged. “Some of the other girls enjoyed his company.”
“So, you just told him no and that was it?” Mavis raised an eyebrow.
No. Captain Horny was also Mr. Persistent. He’d shown up with a different flower every time I was working. Which I assumed meant that he showed up on the days I wasn’t there with a flower for whoever else was at the front desk. Another reason that made it easy to tell him no.
“Pretty much.” I nodded.
“You’re a terrible liar.” Mavis looked at Owen. “We need to get her ready.”
“What? Ready for what?” I looked from Mavis’s amused face to Owen’s tight jaw.
“I’m out.” He looked at me with dark eyes. “You and Mavis are in.”
“In what?” A sinking feeling filled my stomach. “I really don’t have any way to get in touch with him and I don’t remember ever meeting his boss. A lot of buyers send their pilots in to handle things.”
“We already know who his boss is,” Mavis said. “Captain Horny is our way in.”
“I have a feeling I’m not going to like what you’re suggesting.”
“Owen doesn’t.” Mavis laughed. While she rattled out information for Kenny to start digging into, I looked up at the man standing stiffly behind me.
“What is it?”
“You and Mavis are going to tag team Captain Horny.” His voice took on a distant note.
“Whoa. I don’t want to know about my aunt’s freaky business.” Kenny looked in my direction and blushed.
“Um, I’m not sleeping with Mavis.” His face clouded and I rushed to clarify. “Or Captain Horny. I mean Patrick. I’m not sleeping with anyone.”
“That’s not what I heard.” Kenny muttered loudly enough to carry through the house.
“You know what I mean.” I fought to not sound exasperated.
“Relax, dear. I’ll do the heavy hitting, but you can be my way in.” She shrugged.
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Well, like I said. We’re going to have to work on your lying.” Mavis turned back to her computer. “Can you remember his last name?”
“Van Horne.” I sighed.
Mavis started laughing so hard she snorted. “Oh, that makes it so much better! Hullo, Captain Van Horne. How’s it hanging?”
I tried to not laugh, I really did, but watching the serious faced assassin on the couch giggle like a school girl was contagious. Even Kenny couldn’t keep from smiling.