HANNAH HAD TO ADMIT it was a rocky start with Will that evening but his and Rafe’s mad detective skills genuinely impressed her. At first he’d been grumpy but then they’d both jumped in and organized everyone into groups. In less than an hour they’d talked to all of her employees about the show. Rafe had even called all the models they used to see if they had seen anything. Through the staff’s accounts, the marines discovered there was a five-minute window when the clothes might have been taken.
Lincoln Center—where her show had been—was a high-traffic area, especially during Fashion Week, and there were cameras staged at almost every street corner and on most of the buildings. Rafe was on the phone with his friend Tag, who worked with the NYPD. Once they had determined when the designs were taken, Will had insisted they bring in the police to make if official.
“Tag says they’ve narrowed it down to two video clips,” Rafe said. His cell phone was in the crook between his ear and shoulder as he pulled out his laptop. “Some of the other cameras were either too far away or were angled wrong. He’s sending them over.”
Hannah took a deep, cleansing breath.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Will said from behind her. “The cameras have to be at just the right angle for us to pick up anything.”
“Are you always this negative?” The words left her lips before she could stop them.
He didn’t flinch but his eyes blinked quickly as if she’d slapped him.
The studio, which was swarming with “her people,” as Will called them, was silent.
Jeez, Hannah. He’s helping you and this is the way you thank him.
“There’s no excuse for that,” she said quickly. “I’m really tired and worried. Again. No excuse.”
Will winked at her. “It’s okay. I’m a marine. I can take it.”
For the first time in several hours she smiled. Everyone on the other side of the room laughed and started talking again. Anne Marie, Jesse and Kayleigh were there, along with some of the other interns and warehouse staff.
“For the record, I’m pragmatic,” Will said. “I saw how excited you were and I wanted you to be prepared.”
Reaching out a hand she touched his forearm. The big muscle twitched but he didn’t pull away. If she were a weaker woman she would throw herself into those arms and bury her face in his oh-so-solid chest.
He took the hand on his arm and held it as they moved behind Rafe.
“At least it is something,” she said. “Even if we can’t see, it’s validation that something happened and that we just didn’t misplace the clothes somewhere.”
“True,” Will said.
“No matter what we do or don’t see, I am grateful to both of you for all you’ve done. You knew exactly how to pinpoint the problem. You’re so smart about this stuff.”
Will squeezed her hand.
“Hannah, you hit the mother lode when it comes to Captain Hughes,” Rafe said. “He’s the best when it comes to security and that’s why the bigwigs—”
“Marine!” Will’s voice sounded a warning.
“I thought you were going to call me Rafe around the artsy people. Besides, she should know she has the best,” Rafe said without looking up. “Here we go.” His fingers flew across the keyboard.
His laptop screen was seventeen inches, but it was still difficult to see anything. At first the images were so dark she couldn’t make out shapes.
“That’s the van.” Hannah pointed to the left of the screen. The white vehicle was the only thing that popped out of the blackness.
Rafe blew up the image and moved the video forward frame by frame. The next shot showed Anne Marie and Jesse loading the van. They both left and then there was a figure in black wearing a hat. The person walked up to the van, looked to the left and the right, took clothes off the rack and ran.
Hannah’s heart was in her throat. “Who is that?” she managed to ask.
“You have to tell us,” Rafe said.
Will leaned down and pushed a few buttons. “It’s either a woman or small man. Very slim. The back is always to the camera. It’s almost as if the thief… Hannah, this was premeditated. This person knew exactly what they were going for and when to hit you at the right time.”
She growled in frustration. “Please tell me there’s a better photo of the face because I really want to see who I need to kill.”
She thought she heard Will chuckle. When she gave him an evil glance he was staring straight ahead with no hint of humor on his face.
Rafe enhanced the photo again but it became nothing but a blurry haze. “I thought we might catch a reflection but there’s no light out there. It’s pitch-black. They should have put security lights around there for you guys,” Rafe pointed out.
Will turned to look at Hannah. “Why aren’t the interior lights working?”
“I— They burned out a few months ago and I didn’t know how to replace the fuse.”
He nodded. “Does the shape of the person look like anyone you might know? Maybe the way they move?”
Rafe rewound the video and played it over and over.
“No.” She sighed. “It could be half the people in New York City.”
Will glanced back at the others, who had gathered around, but they all shook their heads.
“No distinguishing marks. With the clothing, and the way the person held their back to the camera, Captain Hughes is right. This was planned.” Rafe copied the digital file. “I’m going to send this to you guys. Maybe you can put it on a bigger screen in better light.”
“Is there anyone you know who would want to hurt your business? Someone with professional jealousy?” Will turned her to face him.
“In the fashion world it could be anyone,” chimed in Anne Marie. “There’s a lot of money to be made if those designs go to mass market.”
Will frowned. “But there is photographic and witnessed evidence that these designs are hers,” he said without turning away from Hannah. She wished she didn’t like how much he seemed to care about what was going on. This was no act. He was concerned for her.
“Yes,” Hannah said, “but they change something on a pocket, send it overseas and a week later, it’s in every discount store in the country. That’s why we are so protective of what we do.”
The enormity of what had happened hit her all at once and tears burned. She tried to pull away, but Will held her in his arms and squeezed her tight. It was her undoing. She wept silently into his shirt.
“We should go restack the boxes we went through out in the warehouse. Those things aren’t going to sort themselves out.” Anne Marie shooed everyone out.
“Rafe, why don’t you go see if you can help?” Will suggested.
A chair scraped against the floor.
“Well, this isn’t embarrassing or anything.” She sniffed and he handed her a tissue from the table. They’d put out a box because a cold front had come through giving everyone the sniffles. The frigid temperatures had done nothing for her mood. Hannah preferred warm sunshine and beaches to slippery sidewalks and dirty snow. “Thanks. I’m not usually one of those girls who cries all the time.”
Will shrugged. “You have every right to be upset. If it were me I’d probably be beating the hell out of a punching bag.”
She smiled at that. “I’m not usually big on violence, but I could seriously put the hurt on whoever did this. It isn’t just about me. They’ve taken money away from all those people in that warehouse. Everyone of them has a stake in Hannah Harrington designs. They all worked so hard. It isn’t fair and I want to make the jerk who did this pay. I can always come up with more designs and we can even re-create the designs for the buyers. But if they’re in discount stores in forty-eight hours or anytime soon, then they aren’t going to be as special.”
He gave her another squeeze.
“Well, then, we need to find out who did this before that can happen. Rafe was right. I am pretty good at this sort of thing.”
Hannah touched his cheek. “You’re so sweet. But honestly, it’s most likely too late. The designs are probably halfway to China or Taiwan by now. And the job you have to do here is so much more important.” She didn’t know exactly what it was but he was security and he was working on a special assignment with the United Nations, so it was probably saving the world big-time.
“What you do is important, Hannah.”
She laughed. “Man, you’ve come a long way in the last twenty-four hours.”
“I had a good teacher.” His phone rang, and when he glanced at the number he grimaced. “I have to take this.”
He backed away and Hannah automatically missed his strong arms.
You can’t think that way. Remember, he was about to tell you that he could never see you again. Before you dragged him into your drama.
“Yes. Got it.” He ended the call and stuffed his phone in his pocket. “I’m sorry. Rafe and I have to go immediately. But I promise we’ll follow up with you. The police may contact you to see if you have any more information. Hannah, it all seems kind of impossible, but believe me, it’s going to work out.”
The way he looked at her, she wasn’t sure if he was talking about the clothes or their relationship. Before she could ask, Rafe walked in and stuffed his laptop in his backpack. “Sir, he said twenty-three-hundred hours, that doesn’t give us much time.” Obviously, Rafe had received the same call as Will.
“You guys go save the world. Don’t worry about this. We’ll figure it out.”
“Tag and his guys are on this and we will work it from our end, too,” Rafe promised. “I hate people who steal, and trust me, we’ll make them pay.”
“Rafe, thank you. Both of you…” She looked up at Will. “It’s— Just thanks.”
“No problem,” Will said. He started to walk away and stopped. He turned back and kissed Hannah. She’d been so surprised that her mouth had been in a slight O when he captured her lips and he teased her with this tongue. When he pulled back, she took a deep, shuddering breath.
The man’s kisses were nothing short of dangerous. Straight to the soul, wrap-up-your-heart-and-tie-it-in-a-bow scary.
If she wanted to see him again, she had to keep things simple.
“Thanks, Marine, for coming out on yet another damsel-in-distress call.”
“Not a problem, ma’am. It’s what we do.” Will smiled.
He gave her another quick peck on the cheek and left with Rafe.
Hannah could do little more than wave.
“I think he might be into you.” Jesse’s comment made her jump.
The tattooed fabric genius grinned.
“So what happens next?” Anne Marie returned to the studio.
Hannah shook her head. “Maybe the police will turn up something, but it’s not like we have the skills to become the next Scooby Gang. Since we have no idea who did this, we start over. It sucks, but that’s life.”
Anne Marie ducked her head.
“Hey.” Hannah reached out to her but she ran past and out the door. “Wait—” But it was useless. Her friend was gone.
“How many times do I have to tell her I don’t blame her? She better not cry over this crap.” Anne Marie was so tough. Probably she just needed a moment to compose herself.
“You cried,” Jesse reminded her. “Are you saying she doesn’t have the same right to be upset?”
“Stop using logic, Jesse. You know how much I hate it.”
He harrumphed. “She feels guilty. Hell, we both do. We were right there, not thirty feet away. Whoever did this had balls.”
“I wouldn’t have locked the van, either,” Hannah said. “We never do. It’s friggin’ Fashion Week and there are people everywhere. She needs to get over it.”
“Hannah, that’s not fair.” Jesse crossed his arms. “She doesn’t show it, but you know how sensitive she is and she’s the one who keeps this place running. When you’re off searching for the perfect inspiration and networking, she’s the one making sure the bills get paid. She lives and breathes this place as much as you do.”
A sharp retort was on her tongue but she held it. He was right. How many times had she run off to India or China and left her friend to handle everything? When she missed appointments because she was on a creative binge, it was Anne Marie who always smoothed everything over.
“Jesse, I’m aware of how hard she works.” She couldn’t keep the edge from her voice.
“It isn’t just her. The people who work for you are so loyal. They would do anything for you. Hell, you’ve sucked me in and I’m not one who does that sort of thing. So it didn’t just happen to you. It’s more than a job, and someone screwed us all royally with this.”
“For an intern, you have a big mouth.”
He laughed. “That’s a problem I’ve had all my life.”
“If you were wrong, your ass would be so fired right now.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. “I’m tired. Tell the gang to take half the day off tomorrow. We won’t have any appointments until late afternoon. We could all use a break.” She took a step. “Please,” she added.
“Yes, ma’am, boss.”
Hannah’s shoulders folded in as she stomped upstairs.
“This day really sucks.”