Chapter 20
Mason checked in with Detective Parsa as soon as they arrived at the studio. There’d been no sign of the shooter except for spent shell casings. He didn’t bother to police his brass. The cops collected the shells hoping for fingerprints of the sniper. Mason didn’t hold his breath. It would be a rookie mistake he didn’t think this guy would make.
He’d just relayed the news to Sawyer and Kellan when a loud scream rent the air. Cassidy and Harlow were sitting on a bench putting on their shoes. Their heads jerked up in tandem.
“Stay here.” He bounded out the door with Kellan on his heels. Sawyer remained with the women. He ran into the studio where the screaming was coming from and stopped dead in his tracks. A young woman stood in the middle of the room holding something in her hands. Eyes wide as saucers spotted them.
“I opened a letter and white powder flew everywhere!” she wailed.
Oh, hell. Now the attacks were biological? “Okay, don’t panic. I’m calling the police right now.”
A crowd started to gather in the doorway. Kellan urged them back and closed the door, shutting them inside with the terrified woman. Mason requested a hazmat team immediately and asked for Detective Parsa to be sent to the scene. It was too much of a coincidence that this would happen after all the incidents connected to Cassidy.
“How up to date are you on your Biothrax vaccine?” Kellan whispered.
“Current, but it might not be anthrax. It could be something else.” He didn’t want to take the chance of exposure when he had Cassidy’s safety to consider.
“What do I do?” The woman’s voice was panicked, and she started to shake, sending white powder raining down from the note in her hands.
“Stay calm,” Kellan told her. “It’s probably just someone’s sick idea of a joke.”
“Yeah,” Mason added. “Harmless baby powder. No need to get upset.”
“Do you think so?” Her eyes were hopeful. “I’m not going to die?”
“We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Kellan assured her.
“What’s your name?” Mason had seen the woman around but hadn’t officially met her.
“Jenna. Jenna Lanier.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Jenna. My name’s Mason and this is Kellan.”
“I’ve seen you both around the set. You’re with Cassidy, right?” Her voice had stopped shaking after they told her it was probably a harmless prank.
“That’s right. We work for a security company.”
“The letter I opened is about Cassidy.”
Mason’s shoulders stiffened. He knew it wasn’t a coincidence. “Can you read what it says?”
“I warned you about Cassidy. You didn’t listen. Now you’re going to die.” Her gaze flew to them again. “I am going to die, aren’t I?” Then she began to cry.
It took every bit of willpower Mason possessed to keep from going to her and offering her comfort.
“Dammit,” Kellan muttered, obviously feeling the same way.
“Jenna, relax. Help is on the way. You’re going to be fine.” He prayed that was true.
A sharp rap sounded. “Police.”
“See, Jenna, they’re here. We’re going to step outside to speak with them. We’ll be right back.”
“Please don’t leave me!”
“I’ll stay,” Kellan assured her. “Mason can speak with them.”
He nodded to his teammate and slipped out the door.
“Someone called in a possible biological threat?”
“Yeah. A letter was opened that contained a white powdery substance. Only one affected. My partner and I went inside the room to check on her but stayed back. We’ve had Biothrax shots but didn’t want to risk it if it’s something else.”
“The chemical response team is on the way, ETA ten minutes.”
He fired off a quick text to Kellan giving him the estimated time of arrival. Detective Parsa showed up looking haggard. Mason filled him in, including the contents of the note.
“It’s about me?”
Mason spun to see Cassidy standing behind him with Trey protectively at her side. He wanted to go to her, but until they knew what they were dealing with, he kept his distance.
“Someone said something about a white powder,” Trey said. “Is it anthrax?”
“It’s probably just a joke. Baby powder or something. No need to worry. You two can head to your studio to practice. I’ll be there shortly.”
She looked like she wanted to argue but Mason gave Trey a meaningful look. He nodded subtly and guided her away. She kept glancing over her shoulder and he pasted on a smile to reassure her.
Emergency personnel arrived in bright orange hazmat suits, looking like they were ready to take a ride on a space shuttle. A man and a woman entered the room with a container to transport the letter. Another man stepped forward and introduced himself as the leader of the team. “We’ve set up a decontamination tent outside. You and your partner need to be hosed down and have your clothes eradicated, just in case.”
Though he wasn’t happy, Mason expected it. It was a precaution since he and Kellan had been inside the same room. They were led to the white tent where they stripped and scrubbed down. Their clothes were bagged, and they were given LAPD t-shirts and sweats to wear, along with generic flip flops. Jenna was transported to a local hospital to be monitored for any symptoms until the powder could be analyzed.
“I need to get back to Cassidy,” he told Parsa.
“You’ve been cleared. I’ll keep you updated on the powder as soon as I know anything.”
Mason shook his hand and then he and Kellan headed to Cassidy’s studio.
“I’ll let Sawyer know what happened.”
Kellan detoured to Harlow’s room while he eased inside Cassidy’s, careful of the ever-present cameras. Cassidy turned and a huge smile lit up her face.
“Take five, Trey.” She ran over and threw her arms around him. “Thank God you’re okay.”
He hugged her back, acutely aware of the camera guy filming the little reunion. Reluctantly, he released her and stepped back.
She glanced over her shoulder and understood. “How’s Jenna?”
“On the way to the hospital to be checked out.”
“If she gets sick because of me…”
“Hey.” He tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. “None of this is your fault. You can’t take responsibility for the work of a twisted mind. Got it?” Reluctantly, she nodded. “I think your partner’s ready to resume.”
She glanced over her shoulder at Trey, who was dancing around the floor with a pretend partner, grinning and waving at a make-believe audience. She shook her head and smiled fondly. “He’s such a ham.” Turning back to Mason, she pushed to her tiptoes and brushed a light kiss against his cheek. “I’m glad you’re safe.” Before he could react, she jogged after her partner.
#
Cassidy stood under the spray of the shower in her trailer. It was habit that she rinsed off after practice before heading home. The session today had gone well after the scare with Jenna, though worry was never far from her mind. She prayed the woman would be okay.
She’d shown Trey the moves last night and after today’s practice, he already had the dance down pat. He was gifted, a natural. She’d had partners who worked just as hard but couldn’t learn the moves as fast. They were given the option of evening practices to polish the dance, but with Trey, he didn’t need the extra time. They still had over five days until the next show to perfect the routine.
Eliminations would begin with the next show. Not one, but two couples would go home. The remaining pairs would learn two routines for the next show. Trey wouldn’t have any problem learning one more if they made it through the first cut.
Turning off the taps, she grabbed a towel and dried off. It’d been a long day and all she wanted to do was go home, pour a glass of wine and sit on the deck overlooking the ocean. Except…she didn’t have a home any longer. She had temporary lodging and an uncertain future. She hated to give up her tiny apartment with the massive view, and she hated leaving Tandi. She’d been such a blessing. But Cassidy could not, would not live there again.
She lifted the Kevlar vest Mason wanted her to wear from the counter and slid it on. It was lighter than she expected. Knowing she needed to cover it, she chose one of her favorite outfits: a light pink top covered with flowers and a pair of capri yoga pants. After sliding on her flip flops, she was ready to go. Mason was waiting outside her trailer with Kellan. He smiled when she stepped out and she couldn’t help but smile back.
“The white powder was a false alarm,” he told her when she reached him.
Air rushed out of her lungs, and her palm covered her heart. Thank God. She’d been so worried for Jenna. “What was it?”
“Baby powder.”
She closed her eyes. Someone wanted to frighten them with the possibility of a chemical attack. It worked.
“Sawyer texted me. Harlow finished her practice, so we’ll meet them at her trailer.”
She grabbed Mason’s arm. “About that.” His brows lifted in question. “I’m tired of others being in danger because of me. What if that powder had been some toxic substance? The plague or something.” She remembered an episode of NCIS where one of the agents had been infected with genetically altered Yersinia Pestis. “Jenna would’ve died.”
“But she didn’t. Don’t borrow trouble.”
“I’m not borrowing it—it’s already here. Don’t you see? Someone shot at us today. They’re bound and determined to harm me. I don’t want anyone else hurt.”
“We talked about this already. Deaf ears, babe. You’re stuck with us.” He tossed an arm over her shoulder and guided her to Harlow’s trailer. How was she going to convince him short of running away—and that didn’t sound the least bit appealing.
Harlow had showered and was just coming out, dressed in a blue top, skirt and flip flops, her long hair down around her shoulders. She spotted Cassidy and rushed over.
“Did you hear? Baby powder.”
“I did and thank God.”
After they piled into the SUV, Sawyer took a circuitous route back to the house. They were seeing parts of LA she didn’t know existed. Sitting this close to Mason, side pressed to side, she felt when his cell phone vibrated. He took it out, read the screen and held it to her. Colin arrived home safely. She took the phone from his hand and typed out a quick reply of thanks for visiting and then handed it back to Mason. “When will Detective Parsa let me have my phone back?”
“Probably not for a while. It’s evidence in the investigation.”
“I need it. I’m pretty much lost without it.” She’d used Mason’s phone to call her parents after Marcus was killed, knowing they’d worry when they heard it on the news. She omitted the part about someone being determined to kill her. As it was, they wanted to get on the next plane. She had to do some serious negotiations to keep them in Texas. She shuddered. Her parents didn’t need to be anywhere near the psycho stalking her. She’d used his phone again after hers was confiscated. She didn’t want them to worry if they couldn’t get in touch with her. She told them hers had been stolen and she’d let them know her new number as soon as it was replaced.
“I’ll get you one that can’t be traced,” he offered.
“I would appreciate that. Thank you.”
As they entered the house, a decadent smell filled the air. She turned surprised eyes to Mason, who just raised his brows enigmatically. A woman stepped out of the kitchen. She was short with salt and pepper hair and a rounded stomach. She wore a red and white checked apron and a wide smile. “Ola! Welcome home.”
“Mason Rossi.” Mason stepped forward to shake the woman’s hand, but she pulled him in for a hug instead. He patted her back before releasing her.
“Any friend of Ms. Jade is a friend of mine.”
They all took turns introducing themselves and enduring her motherly hugs. She smelled of cinnamon and sage. It should’ve been a strange mixture, but it was oddly soothing. As was her voice and sweet smile. But Cassidy was still in the dark. Who was this woman and who was Jade?
Sensing her questions, Mason explained, “Rosa is a friend of Jade Bradley.”
“Also known as Juliet LaRue,” Harlow supplied.
“Juliet LaRue. The movie star?”
“That’s her.”
“I still don’t get it.”
“Jade’s married to one of our bosses,” Sawyer informed her.
Wow. America’s sweetheart. She wondered if Jade lived in Bloomington, too. “Now it makes sense.”
“Rosa has offered to cook dinners for us while we’re here,” Mason said.
“I will cook you healthy meals, with the occasional treat. That is how Ms. Jade eats and she thought you might want the same menu. But please, let me know if you have any requests. I am more than happy to cook them.”
“Whatever you’ve made tonight smells heavenly.” Cassidy’s mouth watered.
“Thank you, dear. I have prepared for you pan seared chicken with a red wine sauce, steamed vegetables, long grain rice and whole wheat rolls. For desert is a fresh fruit salad topped with homemade vanilla sorbet.”
“It sounds delicious, Rosa,” Mason said. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure. If you will proceed to the dining room, I will serve you.”
“Absolutely not,” Harlow insisted. Rosa’s eyes widened. Harlow smiled gently. “We can serve ourselves and you will join us at the table.”
“And we’ll do the dishes,” Sawyer added.
Cassidy was a little surprised Harlow and Sawyer offered. Not that she wouldn’t have done so, because she was just about to say the same thing. But she knew Harlow came from money and probably had servants growing up. She didn’t know much about Sawyer, but he had an air of wealth, too. It showed their true character in the way they treated an employee and it made her admire them even more.
“You are all so sweet. If you will not allow me to serve you, then I will go home to Mr. Martinez. I cooked extra for him.”
They thanked her for dinner and escorted her to the door. Mason and Kellan carried the dishes for her husband to the car. Rosa had already set the table. Sawyer opened two bottles of wine and then they all served themselves a delightful meal.
Beautiful home. Tasty food. Amazing company. She could get used to this.