Flight Risk Read online

  “No. But I want a straight answer to one question. If I let Jansen help me buy a plane, and then we nail him for drug dealing and he goes to jail, do I get to keep the plane?”

  He heard Mark’s sigh through the phone.

  “Ordinarily, no. All of his assets would be seized by the government and sold at auction later.”

  “Oh. Okay, forget it, then.”

  “Wait, Owen. If I had a deal with you to help me catch this guy, and you needed to buy the plane to stay under cover, well, I might be able to bend the rules.”

  Yeah, the government always seemed ready to bend the rules if it wanted something badly enough. In this case, Owen was on their side. Oxycontin was the scourge of the suburbs nowadays. Putting a kink in a cartel’s plans to create more addicts was fine by him. If Argosy got another aircraft out of it, so much the better.

  “I may be completely wrong about this, but Jansen wants to meet me tomorrow sometime and surprise, surprise, there was just the kind of plane I’m looking for out at Naples Airport when I got in this afternoon, with an owner trying to sell it quick and cheap.” Cheap being a relative term, since there weren’t enough zeroes after the 25 in his bank account to come close.

  “Owen, this is way beyond the non-involvement agreement we made going in. This could be dangerous. This will be dangerous. You carry when you’re piloting?”

  “Always. I love my customers, but I don’t know them. No way is someone going to hijack me at 30,000 feet.”

  “Good. Let me know what happens after you chat with Jansen.”

  “Okay.”

  He slipped back under the covers and spooned against Miranda’s back. She wiggled her ass against him, and little O was up and ready for some action.

  “Mmm.” She turned to face him and stroked his hard length. “Where were you?”

  “Thought I heard a noise. Turned out to be nothing.” He kissed her upturned mouth.

  She threw her leg across his hip and invited him in.

  “I don’t have a condom on.”

  “Oh. Well, then, we should wait.” She hitched her hips a little closer, and her hot juice coated him.

  “Jeez, love, you’re killing me. Don’t move.” He stretched one arm backward, jerked open the nightstand drawer and fumbled a packet out. He dropped it and cursed. She licked his nipple and teased it with her lips. He managed to get a second one, tore it open with his teeth.

  She glanced up, wide-eyed in the moonlight coming through the sliders. “Well, what do you know? You have a condom after all.”

  He hated to move, but there was no help for it. He suckled her breast while he rolled it on. Fair was fair.

  She pushed him to his back and clamped his hips between her knees. Then, slowly, she let him slip barely an inch between her slick folds. She pulled back, then took him in again. A tiny bit deeper. There was a wicked gleam in her eyes. “You know, I was wondering,” she began conversationally, “if—”

  He grabbed her hips and thrust into her, burying his shaft.

  “—you’d ever get around to doing that,” she gasped.

  “Damn, Miranda, I’ll never get enough of you,” he chanted as rocked deeper still.

  “That is my evil plan, Captain. Now fly me to the moon. You’re better than any rocket ship.”

  So he flipped her on her back and did just that.

  ~~~

  “As soon as Ziegfeld leaves for the airport, Gregor will escort Miranda to a boat, which will head south to Keewaydin Island. Here are the coordinates where you’ll meet the boat and pick her up. Bring her to the Courtenay estate immediately. The surprise factor is important. I want Harold to know nothing about this until you fly him in from Miami. It’s imperative you arrive before our plane lands, is that understood?”

  “Got it, boss.” Wes jotted the coordinates down.

  “After you drop Miranda off, fly to Miami and bring Harold and Raymond back.”

  “And the accountant?”

  “He’ll stay in Miami to, um, tie up some loose ends. Do you have any questions?”

  “No, ma’am. Piece of cake.” Wes had no intention of becoming a loose end himself, so the fewer questions, the better.

  “Good. Assuming you perform as expected, your bonus will be waiting for you when you arrive with Harold.”

  “Right. Thank—” the line went dead.

  Not much for small talk, are you? Wes wasn’t sure what role Miranda played in this elaborate party orchestrated by Mrs. Jansen, but for 500K, he was willing to fly blind.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Owen drove to Casa Blanca, ostensibly to meet with Lacey Walker. He knew the news he was on the property would get back to Jansen in a matter of seconds. He stopped at the registration desk and asked them if he could see Lacey for a few minutes.

  Of course he could. Lacey was a smart woman.

  He closed the door to her office and crossed to her desk. “I’m going to meet with Jansen in a few minutes. I think he’s going to try to recruit me. Mark Rossman knows this is going down, and I wanted you and Luke McBain to be aware as well.”

  Lacey frowned. “I thought you were supposed to stay out of the thick of things.”

  “Yeah, well, priorities have changed. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

  “Okay, I guess you know what you’re doing. I trust you’ll keep Miranda out of the new plan.”

  Christ, he hoped so. “Absolutely.”

  “There have been several guests expressing interest in charter flights between here and the Northeast. We need more brochures.”

  “They’re coming. Should be here tomorrow. Any action on the local tours?”

  Lacey nodded. “Lots. Especially to Disney and the Keys. Getting the helicopter was a terrific move. He’ll be shuttling people to the theme parks in Orlando all week.”

  “Good to hear. Well, I’ve gotta run.”

  “Stay safe, Owen.”

  “Do my best.”

  He left the office area and strode across the lobby to Rick’s Cafe, snagged a seat at the bar and waved to Janey. In seconds, she slid a cold glass with three fingers of Jameson’s in it before him. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Ziegfeld. I hear you and Miranda are becoming good friends.”

  He angled his head.

  “It’s hard to hide that kind of glow.” Janey winked. She left him to tend to another customer.

  Harold Jansen took the stool next to him. His bodyguard sat at a table a few feet away. Hell, that didn’t take long.

  “Hello Captain Ziegfeld,” Jansen mimed surprise, “you’re just the man I wanted to see.”

  Owen spread his arms. “What can I do for you, Mr. Jansen?”

  “Harold, please. I’m delighted to hear you’re offering regular charter service now. And soon, local taxi flights as well.”

  Owen nodded and smiled. “I’m glad to report there has been a good deal of interest in Arogsy’s services.” He sipped his drink.

  “My wife is over the moon. She loves it here. In fact, she has decided that we should spend our winters down here. I offered to buy her a house, but she’d rather stay in one of the villas. Regular maid service, delicious meals at Junonia, the spa and the beach. No mortgage, no staff, none of the hassles that go with maintaining a home. The only thing she missed was shopping.” He chuckled. “Women. No matter how many clothes they have, they always want more.” He signaled Janey, and she hurried over. “JW Blue, rocks, please, miss.”

  He accepted his drink from Janey and sipped. “I imagine you’ll need more than the helicopter my daughter told me about to keep up with the demand for transportation.”

  “I can only hope, Harold. I’m weighing my options, but another aircraft is a risky investment right now. It’s a Catch-22. I need to have enough demand to justify the financing, but without a plane, it’s difficult to calculate future demand.”

  Harold nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, I can see that.”

  Here it comes. Owen took another swallow and waited.

  “You
know, a friend of mine wants to sell a small plane. I don’t know much about them, so I’m not sure if it would be the type you need. But I was thinking. Since my family will be here for many months, it might make sense to have part ownership in a plane. Perhaps we could work out an arrangement that would be beneficial to both of us?”

  “An interesting offer, Harold, but I’m not so sure I should go that route. As a matter of fact, I saw a plane at the airport yesterday that has great potential. I’m waiting for the owner to get in touch.”

  “Oh.” Harold appeared disappointed. “What kind of airplane was it?”

  Owen smothered a smile. “A Beechcraft Bonanza. A few years older than I’d like, but very well taken care of, as far as I can tell.”

  “But, but,” Harold sputtered in surprise, “that must be my friend’s plane. Please, Owen, consider the benefits. You could save some money that no doubt you can use for other things right now. If you feel it isn’t working out the way we expect, I would put a clause in our contract that you have the right to buy me out at any time.”

  Owen narrowed his eyes and appeared to be considering Harold’s offer. “It would be beneficial right now. Perhaps you might talk with your friend and encourage him to lower his price?” Might as well get all he could from this shady deal.

  “I cannot promise anything, but I can certainly try. If we can agree on price, then you’re willing to go ahead?”

  Owen stuck his hand out. “I’ll have my legal department draw up the paperwork. If your lawyers agree, we can sign the deal tomorrow.”

  Harold clapped him on the shoulder. “Fantastic, Owen. I’ll get back to you as soon as I’ve spoken with my friend.” He finished his drink, threw a hundred-dollar bill on the bar and left.

  Janey scooped up the bill and grinned. “I do love serving Mr. Jansen.”

  Owen felt like a cheapskate when he left a twenty. He checked his watch. How long would it take Jansen to contact his “friend”? Less than an hour, he’d bet.

  Too bad he couldn’t have put money on that bet. Forty-five minutes later, he and Harold were on their way to the airport to finalize their joint purchase of the Bonanza.

  No grass grew under Jansen’s shoes.

  ~~~

  Making love with Owen last night had drained the last of the tension left over from Miranda’s session with Mary Brandt. Pouring out all the guilt that had been festering inside her for fifteen years wasn’t easy, but it had definitely lightened the level of angst she carried. Dr. Brandt had recommended she talk it out with Owen as well, and she would, some day. Just not quite yet.

  She chatted with her mom, who sounded good. She was up and around but still taking it easy under Neil’s supervision. He joined her mom on the line to thank her for sending the home services aidd who handled cooking and light housework.

  “You know I’m not much of a cook, so the lady has been real helpful, Mandy. She said not to worry about the bill.”

  “I didn’t send her, Neil. It must have been Social Services at the hospital.”

  “Well, whoever arranged it, it’s a big help around here. I’m not sure I could keep your mama from doing housework without her.”

  “Mom, you listen to Neil. You’re on vacation until the doctors say otherwise. I’ll try to make it up to see you in a week or so.”

  “That would be lovely, dear. You’ll bring that nice man with you, of course?”

  “If I can. He’s really busy right now and still has charters he has to fly.”

  “Oh.”

  Her mom sounded disappointed. I’ll be disappointed too, Mom, but when you own a business, you have to work twice as hard as a regular employee.

  “We’ll see, Mom. You take care, you hear?”

  “I will, dear. Love you. Bye.”

  The weekend zipped by. Owen purchased another plane with financial help from Mr. Jansen. It gave her the willies that Owen was partners with that man, but he assured her that all would be well. He would fly Mrs. Jansen, Arianna, the bodyguard, and Hank to the Courtenay estate on Wednesday morning. Mr. Jansen, his son and their accountant would still be in Miami, so Wes would fly those three over to join them.

  When she got to work, there was a stack of requests for charters on her desk. The new brochures had come in, and she handed them out like candy, happy this venture was working out so well for Owen’s company. She’d met Wes briefly on Sunday and gave him a list of apartments for rent. Standing next to Owen, they were like Mutt and Jeff. He certainly didn’t have Owen’s polish, so she hoped he wouldn’t annoy the guests who flew with him.

  She and Owen spent so much time together that she offered him drawer space in her bureau, but he seemed reluctant to stay overnight at her place. He insisted it was only until the FBI sting was over, but she wondered if there was something more he didn’t want to tell her.

  Monday, Mr. Jansen, his accountant and his son left for Miami by copter. Hank and Arianna were up in Zoe’s hot-air balloon, so she met Owen for lunch at the hot dog stand on Pleasure Pointe pier. She’d scheduled another session with the psychologist for that afternoon, anxious to continue the progress she had made in resolving her father’s death. Her days were busy and her nights were brief slices of bliss squeezed in between. On Tuesday afternoon Owen was parked next to her house when she arrived home from work.

  “I told you there was a key under the gnome in the flowerbed. You should have gone in and gotten comfortable.”

  “I debated that, but you got here before I made up my mind.” He kissed her hello.

  They went inside, and Owen let the birds out. Tinkerbelle flew to Miranda’s shoulder and pecked at her earring, then squawked, “Owen loves you, awwkkk.”

  Busted. Miranda winced and her cheeks got hot. She shooed the bird off her shoulder, and it flew out to the lanai. “And stay out there, you traitor,” Miranda called after it.

  Owen had a smug smile in place as he pulled her into his arms. “How long did it take you to teach her that?”

  “I swear, I only said it to her one time. She’s never copied anything I’ve said that quickly.”

  “Must be because it’s true.” He captured her mouth and kissed her thoroughly.

  Miranda’s heart soared. “I love you, too, you know.”

  “I had a suspicion.” He kissed her again.

  One thing led to another, and before long, she was naked in his arms. They made love more tenderly than usual, and she lay cuddled against him until her heartbeat returned to normal and her breathing evened out.

  “Owen, stay here tonight. I hate it when you leave.”

  “No more than me, love, but until we get this Jansen clan under arrest, I don’t want them to know how close we are.”

  “Why would they care about me? I don’t work for Argosy. I think you’re being too cautious.”

  “Maybe, but I don’t want to put you at risk with this group. They may seem refined, but underneath, they’re ruthless. I’m going to try to take a look around when I fly them to that estate. I looked it up on Google Maps. They have an entire island. A small one, but still. There’s an enormous house, tennis courts and pool, of course. What looks like maybe a guest house between the pool and a putting green. And naturally, there’s a dock. The airstrip is long enough to land a small jet, and I’m assuming the building off the end of the runway is a hangar.” He whistled softly. “These dudes have money, sweetheart. Lots and lots of money.”

  “So you think they’re involved with the drugs and not merely friends of Mrs. Jansen?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to try and find out.”

  Miranda leaned up on an elbow. “Isn’t that Hank’s job? He’s the trained FBI guy. Let him do the dangerous stuff.” She kissed his jaw. “You need to come home safe to me, flyboy.”

  “It’ll be fine, honey. Don’t worry.”

  “Right. That’s what my dad said right before we took off.” Miranda got out of bed. “I’m getting water. Do you want anything?”

  “Only you,
Miranda.”

  When she settled back in bed, he ran his fingers through her hair, the short strands slipping through his fingers. She loved the feel of his hands on her head, it relaxed her, and she sighed. Now was as good a time as any.

  “I was only seventeen when I got my pilot’s certificate,” she began without any preamble. “My dad was an instructor.” She looked up at Owen. “I guess you already know that, from Neil.”

  Owen nodded, encouraging but not pushing her to continue. She liked that about him. That willingness to listen without judging.

  “It was windy that day. A front was coming through from the north, and dad wanted to take me up in the twin Piper. Just a quick flight to give me more exposure to the new things I’d need to learn before I could be multi-engine certified. Anyway, we were up about an hour and on our way back when a high school student who was working on a project for his school’s science fair accidentally launched the rocket he built. We never saw it. It came from behind us, and smashed into the tail. The controls to the rudder were out and the horizontal stabilizer was damaged, too.” She stopped to take a drink of water, then a deep breath. “We were too far from the airport and losing altitude, so dad decided to put us down on a golf course fairway. It was the only fairly level space nearby.” Her gaze was unfocused as her mind’s eye watched the ground come up. “He got her down, but at the last second, a crosswind lifted the left wing just enough to catch the right one on a bunker. We cartwheeled off the fairway and into the pines .” Her eyes filled.

  Owen slipped his arm around her and hugged. “Sweetie, you don’t have to …”

  She shook her head. No point in stopping now. “It was a freak accident, really. We didn’t catch fire or anything. If that branch hadn’t come through dad’s window …” She shuddered. “It went into his neck. The plane was on its side, and he was above me. I couldn’t get my belt undone …” Her recitation was mechanical, now. “The branch sliced his carotid artery. There was a lot of blood. It sprayed all over the cockpit, and dripped on me while I struggled to get loose. They told me it wouldn’t have mattered. It only took him two minutes to die, and I couldn’t get to him to even hold his hand.” Tears streamed down her face.