Michaels, Skye - Mikaela's Debut [The Black Dahlia Hotel 1] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) by Skye Michaels Page A

now.
    “We may be able to soon. Morgan was going to see about putting a bug in Maggie’s apartment if they can get in and out again. We’d like to know if she has a backup for the tapes and if anyone else is involved.”
    “Wow. I wouldn’t want Court or his people to get in trouble over this, Dill.”
    “I’m sure his people will be careful and can handle it.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Maggie Sexton was shaking with rage. The bitch! Cozumel! While I’m stuck here in bum-fuck-Brooklyn. Shit . What the hell was going on? First her computer crashed—all data, including the video, irretrievable. Then she had gone into her closet for the masters, and they were gone. Could she have put them someplace else for safekeeping and forgotten? Not very likely . Where the hell were the originals? No one except Jim even knew they existed, and she hadn’t heard from him in fifteen years. Surely he had forgotten all about her little cousin’s sex tape. They had broken up shortly after that incident. For some reason he had sprung a set of scruples in place of his balls and felt bad about the whole thing after the fact. She had heard he was working for some B-list movie studio in Hollywood. It couldn’t be him.
    What was she going to do now? Tough it out and pretend she still had the goods and see if she could wring that money out of Mikaela? She really didn’t have many options. Why hadn’t she made another copy just to be safe? Shit, shit, shit . Her life sucked, and now her big chance was in major jeopardy. Her plan was falling apart around her. Mikaela sure hadn’t sounded like she had a major problem on her hands. She should have been nervous and upset. After all, her boyfriend’s election was on the line. He sure wouldn’t be happy if her past foibles cost him the election. Was that it? Had Mikaela somehow figured out she was behind the blackmail scheme and made arrangements to get the tape? How could she? She didn’t even remember the incident. She had sounded cool as a cucumber when she mentioned the Y2K party. Maggie was at a loss for what to do next. Maybe she would just continue on with the scheme as though nothing had changed and see what happened.
    She grabbed her coat and her handbag. She needed a couple of things from the mom-and-pop grocery store around the corner, and she should go out now and get them.
     
    * * * *
     
    Dillon clapped his hands. “That was a magnificent performance, babe. I bet you gave her the hives with that cool-as-ice reference to Y2K.”
    “I hope she bought it. Do you think she’s found out the video is gone?”
    “If it was me, that’s the first thing I’d look for. And there was that reference to her apartment being broken in to. Morgan assured me his girl didn’t leave any evidence behind that she had been there.”
    “I guess we’ll see what happens. You know I’m going to be checking YouTube constantly again.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Cassandra Wright was tired of standing on the corner waiting for Maggie Sexton to decide to leave her apartment. It was fucking cold out here, and she had actually been propositioned once. Well, who else would be standing out on a cold corner in Brooklyn but a prostitute? She’d had a hard time convincing the guy she didn’t want to “party.” That was all she needed—to get picked up by the NYPD for solicitation. Try and explain that one back at the office on Madison freakin’ Avenue. That would definitely not be cool.
    Finally, she saw Maggie leave the building with her handbag and what looked like an empty tote bag. This was her chance. She pulled her hat down low on her head, hunched her shoulders, and crossed the street. She watched as Maggie turned the corner, and then she went into the building and took the stairs two at a time. She just knew she didn’t have any extra time today. She had to get in quickly, plant the bugs, and boogie. It wouldn’t do to get caught since the subject probably suspected that someone had been in the apartment