The Zig Zag Scam (Afterlife Book 12)

  Contents

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  TWENTY-TWO

  About the Author

  ONE

  Brittney Conley looked over at her girlfriend -- her fiancée -- and smiled. "Are you nervous?"

  "Considering the last time we went to dinner at your parents' house and your mother said we should be marrying men, settling down, and raising families?" Chloe McAllister frowned. "Yeah, I'm a bit nervous."

  "Well, we'll be at a restaurant this time," Brittney said. "That should buy us a little bit more grace from my mother. She's not going to make a scene in a public. That's why I chose the restaurant. The Crown has a five-star rating. My mother goes there all the time. She won't want to do or say anything that could draw attention to her. Besides, my father has probably had time to work on her a bit. And my brother, Peter, will be there."

  Chloe nodded. "I wish Harper was going to be there too. Safety in numbers."

  "Harper can't do everything with us," Brittney pointed out.

  She knew how ridiculous that sounded. Until recently, Harper had done almost everything with her. They'd been best friends since they were five years old. Brittney was now getting married though, and knew things had to change.

  "I suppose you're right," Chloe said. "Besides, she's still recovering."

  Brittney nodded. She remembered clearly how Harper had been shot only a few weeks before. The wound had been serious; the bullet had nicked her liver and she was still healing from it. Chloe had helped some, using the extraordinary healing powers of the fey to speed along her recovery, but there was only so much she could do.

  "Let's not focus on her right now," Brittney said. "Let's just make it through dinner."

  Chloe nodded and sank back in the passenger's side of Brittney's giant SUV. Brittney knew that Chloe would have preferred they take her car, but she loved to drive, and the SUV still had that new-car feel to it.

  They got the restaurant just on time. Brittney had tried to be there early but they'd been caught behind an accident in rush-hour traffic. In Las Vegas, that wasn't uncommon. She knew she had to learn how to manage her time better -- especially if they were going to start a family someday.

  The thought still filled her with wonder. She knew Chloe wanted children, but until she'd met the fairy, Brittney had never really considered motherhood as a future plan. Then again, she'd never been with someone long enough to really consider having a family with them.

  Peter was climbing out of his car when they got out. Brittney had told him he could bring his girlfriend, Sarah Carter, if he wanted, but she saw that he was alone.

  "Where's Sarah?" she asked as they met in front of the restaurant doors.

  "She couldn't make it," Peter said. There was something off about the way he said it, but Brittney didn't push the issue. Tonight was about her and Chloe, after all.

  The three of them went inside together.

  The maitre d' of the restaurant smiled at them as they approached. "Welcome to The Crown. Miss Conley, right?"

  "Yes," Brittney said. "We're having dinner with my parents."

  The woman took a moment to check her list and then nodded. "Of course. If you would please follow me, I'll take you to your table."

  They followed her towards the back of the restaurant. Brittney's parents, Alice and Craig, were already waiting for them. They each had a glass of sparkling water and a another of red wine. They stood as the trio arrived.

  "Thank you," Brittney said to the maitre d'.

  Brittney moved from one parent to the other, hugging each. "Hi Mom. Hello, Dad."

  "Brittney, darling, you look beautiful," Alice Conley said. She looked over at Chloe. "As do you, dear. That dress really brings out your eyes."

  "Thank you, Mrs. Conley," Chloe said. She pulled out a chair for Brittney and sat next to her.

  "Please, call me Alice," Alice said.

  "Sure, Alice then," Chloe said.

  Alice and Craig hugged Peter too, and then they all took seats. A waitress appeared in a moment and took drink orders.

  Brittney ordered a margarita, same as Chloe. Peter asked for a glass of wine.

  "The Crown is such a lovely place for a family meal," Alice said, spreading her napkin on her nap. "Your father and I haven't been here in months."

  Brittney smiled. For the next few minutes, they observed the menus in silence. A waiter appeared with the ordered drinks and the waitress took their orders.

  "So how's work?" Craig asked, looking at Brittney. "Any large cases you're working on with Harper?"

  "Harper's been on leave," Brittney said. "You heard about her injury."

  "A terrible thing," Alice sniffed. "Did they catch the ones responsible for her shooting?"

  "No," Brittney said.

  She exchanged a quick look with Chloe and Peter. She couldn't very well tell her parents that Harper had been shot by a lower demon working for the councilwoman Rebecca Stanley. Not when everyone in the city was in love with her. Her campaign to clean up Las Vegas scored her points with the populace.

  "That's a shame," Craig said. "I told you girls that working for the FBI was going to be dangerous."

  "Yes, well, it's quite rewarding too," Brittney said.

  "And what are you doing, Peter?" Alice asked, looking over at her son.

  Peter shifted uncomfortably. He took a quick sip from his wine. "Well, I'm still figuring that out."

  "Don't be silly," Chloe said. "The Afterlife work you do is invaluable."

  Peter shot her a look.

  "Well, it is," Chloe said. She turned to Craig and Alice. "Peter is handling the business side of the club. He makes sure that we're operating in the black every month."

  Brittney smiled. That wasn't quite true, but it would do for her parents. They'd always wanted Peter involved in some sort of business. Ever since he'd dropped out of school, they hadn't bothered to hide their displeasure with him.

  "That's wonderful," Alice said. "I'm glad you're doing something, Peter. If you want to continue in business school, though, I'm sure you could do so much more."

  "Mom," Peter said warningly.

  Alice rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying--"

  "--I know what you're saying," Peter said. "It's the same thing you've said every time we've talked. I'm not going back to business school. I'm learning a lot more with a hands-on approach anyway."

  "That's one of the best ways to learn," Craig said in a cheerful tone. "Your grandfather didn't go to school for it either, and you know how well he did at business."

  Peter nodded.

  Brittney cleared her throat. "So, Mom, Dad, there's something that Chloe and I wanted to discuss with you while we're here."

  Alice and Craig looked over at her, both raising their eyebrows. Peter shot her a grateful look and then slumped back in his chair and waited.

  "Well, what is it, dear?" Alice asked.

  Brittney looked over at Chloe. "Do you want to tell them?"

  Chloe nodded. "Mister and Mrs. Conley -- Alice, Craig -- we wanted to let you know that we're getting married."

  A thick silence met this announcement.

  Then Craig lifted his glass. "Congratulations, girls. I couldn't be happier for you! You'll let us pay for the we
dding, of course?"

  "You don't have to do that, dad," Brittney said. "Chloe and I make plenty of money on our own and--"

  "--Nonsense," Craig said. "What's a father for, if not to pay for his daughter's wedding?"

  Brittney looked over at her mother. Alice forced a smile in place when she saw her looking. "Oh, girls. Is this really what you want?"

  "Alice..." Craig warned.

  "I'm just making sure," Alice said.

  "Yes, it's what we want," Chloe said softly. "I love your daughter very much, and this is the next stage for our relationship."

  Alice nodded. "Then I'll be happy for you." Her eyes looked a little over-bright. "I assume that Harper's going to be your maid of honor?"

  "Of course," Brittney said. "And Sarah Carter -- you haven't met her yet -- she's going to be Chloe's. We're thinking of having an outdoor wedding, perhaps something tropical themed..."

  "That's wonderful," Alice said. "Excuse me, I need to go to the ladies' room."

  Brittney watched her mother get up and leave. She turned to her father. "So, how upset is she?"

  "Oh, she'll be fine," Craig assured her. "She's just going to need some time to adjust. You have to understand that she had your whole life planned out for you before you were even born." He turned to Chloe. "I suppose I should be welcoming you to the family, Chloe! You don't have much in the line of family, do you?"

  "Not blood relatives, no," Chloe said. "But the friends I have might as well be family."

  "That's good to hear," Craig said. "I've always known that blood doesn't make a family. And what you did for Peter -- giving him a job with Afterlife -- I appreciate that too. Don't you appreciate it, Peter?"

  "More than you can know, Dad," Peter said.

  Brittney's phone rang. Everyone glanced at her, including a few other patrons in the room. She flushed, knowing she should have silenced it before the meal. She dug it out of her pocket, meaning to send it to voicemail, but then she saw who was calling.

  "Excuse me a moment," she said to the others. "This will just take a second."

  Craig sighed at Chloe. "She was always like that, you know. Taking her phone calls at dinner. Her mother and I tried to teach her better, but hopefully you'll have more luck."

  Chloe laughed. "I'm sure she wouldn't take it if it wasn't something important."

  "Do you remember when she took a call from Harper about a botched hair dye job at your birthday dinner, Peter?" Craig asked.

  Brittney rolled her eyes and stepped away from the table and stepped into the hallway. She answered. "Hello, Detective Moore. Back from your vacation?"

  Ryan Moore's voice filled the phone. "I am. How are you, Brittney?"

  "I'm alright," Brittney said. "I'm in the middle of dinner, though. This isn't a great time."

  "I'm sorry to interrupt dinner then," Ryan said. "But it's important. I'll try to make it quick. I have a case that I need your help with."

  Brittney lofted her eyebrows. Typically, if there was a case, it came from her handler at the FBI, not one of Las Vegas' detectives. "What's going on, Ryan?"

  "Have you heard of the zig zag scam?"

  "Can't say that I have," Brittney said, wishing that she was in front of a computer.

  "Well, it's where a police officer picks up someone -- usually a tourist -- and accuses them of a crime. Then they extort them for money on the idea that they'll let them go afterward."

  "I see."

  "We've had someone doing just that," Ryan said. "They're posing as a police officer and picking up tourists from casinos. Accusing them of cheating. They'll start driving them to the station, saying they have proof. Even if the person denies it, they'll say they'll have to stay in jail until they can post an ungodly amount of bail -- unless, of course, they can pay the money they're asking for."

  "That's terrible," Brittney said. "But that sounds like something you can handle, Detective. You know that I typically take cases that are a bit more--"

  "Supernatural in origin?" Ryan asked. "That's the thing. We can't find who's doing this. I talked to Detective Grady and he's getting the same reports that I do. The person doing this looks different each time. We think we might be dealing with some kind of shape-shifter."

  At another point in her life, Brittney might have laughed this off as a rambling of a mad man. Now though, she was far too aware of how likely this could be.

  "Alright, Ryan. I'll be in tomorrow to take a look at statements," Brittney said.

  "Will Agent Hawthorne be with you?" Ryan asked.

  Brittney frowned. "No. She's still on leave from her gunshot wound. It'll just be me."

  "Alright," Ryan said. "Well, I'll be here too if you need any sort of help. Sorry again for interrupting. I'll see you tomorrow."

  "See you then."

  TWO

  Harper Hawthorne picked up a box.

  Alec Morodan quickly moved forward, tugging it from her hands. "You shouldn't be picking stuff up yet," he told her seriously. "Is this the last of it?"

  "Yes," Harper said. "And Alec, I can pick stuff up. I was cleared to go home from the hospital."

  "Cleared to go home and cleared to lug heavy boxes are two different things," Alec said. "Besides, that's what I'm here for. That's why we're doing this move tonight. So I can be out here helping you."

  Harper rolled her eyes, but gave in with a nod. "I suppose I can let my boyfriend do the heavy lifting."

  Alec stiffened, and Harper laughed. "I forgot, you don't like that word, do you?"

  "Not especially."

  "What should I call you then?" Harper asked. "My roommate? My lover? My supernatural, vampire boss?"

  "How about you just call me Alec?" Alec asked.

  "Fine," Harper said. She sidled up next to him and put a hand on his arm. "Well, Alec, can I at least have a kiss?"

  Alec turned and swept her into his arms. They shared a long kiss, and then broke apart, both a little out of breath.

  "Better?" he asked.

  "Much," Harper said.

  She stared into Alec's eyes and wondered once more if she was making the right decision. She'd been in love with Alec since meeting him, and he was finally giving them the chance to be together. Yet, she couldn't help but think of her great-grandmother, Ileana, and how badly things had ended between the two of them.

  Ileana had eventually moved on from Alec -- she had moved on to someone that could give her the life he couldn't. Someone that could give her children and grow old with her and walk with her in the sunshine. Yet, Harper was willing to give all that up. Right?

  "What are you thinking about?" Alec asked.

  "I'm thinking that we should get finished," Harper said. "I want to be out of here before Brittney and Chloe get home from dinner with her parents. Otherwise, we're going to be roped into a conversation with them on exactly how it went. I'm not up for that right now."

  Harper was slowly adjusting to the idea that her best friend was getting married and moving on with her life. That was why Harper was moving out of the house they rented together and leaving their shared dog behind. Brittney could have a chance to be a real wife to someone. She had told them both she didn't resent it and she meant it. It was still a large change, though.

  Alec put a hand up against her face briefly and held it there. He was so cold, especially compared to her ex-boyfriend Conner Kingsley, but she was getting used to that.

  "You're right. Let's get moving," Alec said.

  He closed the back of the van and went to the driver's seat. Harper climbed in the passenger's side, and they were off toward Alec's apartment. He lived above the club, Afterlife, in a two bedroom apartment that he'd designed himself.

  "You know, you're going to have to let me make a few changes," Harper said. "It's not that I don't like your style, but I like things to be a bit more colorful."

  "You can change whatever you want," Alec said. "As long as we don't have to get a television."

  "You know, what's wrong with TV?" Harper asked.
"We can cuddle in front of it and watch movies and shows together."

  "It's a waste of time," Alec said. "I never saw the allure of it. Don't you get enough drama from our every day lives?"

  "Well, maybe," Harper said.

  Alec laughed. "If you really want a television, we can get one."

  "No, it's okay," Harper said. "We don't need one. You're right, we can get plenty of entertainment elsewhere. Besides, I don't think we're going to be cuddling on the couch that much."

  "No?"

  "No. I think we're going to be far too busy in the bedroom," Harper said. "I haven't forgotten that night in Phoenix. And I plan to make up for every night we haven't been together since."

  Alec laughed again. Harper smiled; she loved hearing Alec laugh, and in her opinion, he didn't do enough of it. They were halfway across town when lights flashed behind them. They looked at each other and then back at the police car that was signaling for them to pull over.

  Harper immediately dug in her purse for her FBI badge while Alec pulled up to the curb in front of them. He rolled down his window and waited for the officer to approach.

  The police officer waved off Alec's insurance and driver license and instead leaned against the car door. "You know why I pulled you over, I assume?"

  "Not a clue," Alec said calmly.

  "You don't recognize me?"

  "No."

  Harper looked at the woman, trying to see if she was supernatural. Her power of Sight usually let her tell when someone was demonic or otherwise supernatural in nature. She got nothing from this woman, though.

  "I work for Councilwoman Rebecca Stanley."

  "Oh," Alec said. "Now I remember you. You were at her house last time I visited. You're one of her little lackeys."

  "I prefer to say that I'm her employee," the officer said. "My name is Kenna. I'm here to pass a message along to Afterlife."

  Alec sighed. "Well, get on with it then, Kenna. What's the councilwoman want now?"

  "She wants to know when you're going to be fulfilling your part of the deal she made with you," Kenna said.

  Harper remembered how Alec had gone to Rebecca to find out where the fighting rings were, in order to save Sarah and the werewolves. He had agreed that they would help her with her problem -- a rogue division of demons under her control had become too messy to keep any longer.