Catch Your Breath Read online

  The tsk came clearly across the line and Moira knew her mother thought she’d spent the night with one of the O’Malleys. “I was up early and had to talk to Jimmy. I had some information he needed for work.”

  “So you were up early, across the street from me, but you couldn’t come to mass?”

  Hell, no. “Jimmy took me to breakfast. We had to talk through the information I had. It needed some explanation.”

  “And I suppose the explanation required you to be kissing him at the corner.”

  Busted. Moira didn’t even try to explain. She flopped back onto her pillow and wished she’d never picked up the phone. She knew better than to have a conversation with Mom without her brain firing on all cylinders.

  “I received a call from Mrs. Flaherty telling me that my daughter was in a passionate embrace with one of the O’Malley boys.” Mom paused for effect, as only mothers could do. “That’s how she phrased it—passionate embrace.”

  “It wasn’t like that, Mom. Yes, we kissed. And we have a date later tonight.” She briefly wondered if her brothers received phone calls like this or if Mom reserved it for her. Sometimes, she really missed Maggie. As the youngest, Maggie took more heat than anyone.

  Her mother sniffed. “Still should’ve come to mass. See you for dinner next Sunday.”

  Then Mom hung up, as she always did, without really saying good-bye.

  Although she wasn’t fully rested, Moira decided she could function, so she got out of bed. She had to finish her article on the zoo fund-raiser so she could submit it before her date. Thinking the word date in relation to Jimmy sent a shiver through her body. For so many years, she’d imagined him asking her out. Not once did she consider asking him. Maybe she should’ve done this a long time ago.

  She sat at her computer and stared at the photos she’d left up of the mystery woman. Although Jimmy hadn’t outright dismissed what she’d said, she didn’t really know how useful it would be for him. He’d asked for the business card from the woman, but looking for that would have to wait. She’d been so sidetracked thinking about the woman that she was behind in the work she needed to do.

  Perusing the scant notes she’d taken, Moira realized she hadn’t been on her game at all last night. Flirting with single guys and watching Jimmy had taken so much of her attention that she’d missed out on a lot of the details she normally included. Maybe her editor wouldn’t notice.

  Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she immersed herself in the moment. Even without notes, she could close her eyes and picture the people she’d seen and spoken to.

  When she hit her word count, she saved the article for a final read through later and opened the news. If she wanted a job people respected, she’d need a new story, one she could investigate while Jimmy worked his case. She wasn’t good at waiting for things to happen. One of the perks of working as a freelancer was that she had some choice about what she wanted to cover. She’d made enough connections over the past year that she could continue to write for society pages for various editors, but she wanted more.

  She thought more about Jimmy’s case. She couldn’t report on the thefts, but the escort angle might work as a story. Jimmy didn’t seem too interested in it. If Chicago had a ring of high-class hookers, how were they getting away with it? Where did they operate? Who did they hook up with?

  Suddenly, finding that business card became a priority. If she could contact the mystery woman, Moira could get information that could lead to a full exposé. By the time she wrote about the prostitution and who the clients were, Jimmy’s case would be done and she would have that exclusive. Two powerful stories would put her in an excellent position.

  Before she knew it, she was digging through every drawer in the house. She tended to save things because she never knew when they might come in handy. While she searched, her imagination took over and she saw her name and articles associated with nighttime news programs and a movie of the week.

  She had to find that number.

  Hours later, her apartment looked like it had been ransacked, and she still hadn’t found the damn business card. She kicked at a pile of books. It was time to get ready for her date. Her heart pounded at the thought of a date with Jimmy. A date with Jimmy was the stuff of her teenage dreams.

  Adolescence wouldn’t have been so bad if she’d gone to a regular high school, but since she was the first girl in the O’Leary family, everyone was overprotective, and her parents thought it would be better for her to go to a Catholic high school, which meant an all-female student body. Her prospects for finding dates were limited to guys she met on the bus. She couldn’t even meet a cute boy at the mall because one of her brothers would always show up and ruin her fun.

  So that left the neighborhood.

  And Jimmy.

  She picked up the pile of books and set them on a shelf. Then she surveyed the rest of the mess. Screw it. She’d deal with it later.

  She stepped out of the shower, and her phone buzzed with a text from Jimmy.

  Stuck at work. Won’t be able to meet.

  Moira’s stomach sank. She’d been able to put Jimmy out of her mind for most of the day and get work done. But in the back of her thoughts, in her heart, the thrum of excitement and anticipation hummed all day. Her eyes welled.

  She swiped at them. It was stupid. She’d gotten her hopes up that if he gave her a chance, they would have a chance. He hadn’t even agreed to go out with her, but he was the kind of guy who would’ve gone through with it. At least she’d thought so. Now, she’d reduced him to making up stories to get out of a date with her.

  That spoke volumes because Jimmy wasn’t a liar.

  CHAPTER 7

  Jimmy pocketed his phone and waited, thinking Moira would respond. He didn’t know which to feel more guilty about: the fact that he’d actually been looking forward to spending time alone with Moira or canceling a date they should never have.

  She was due to pick him up in a little over an hour, but he knew he’d still be at the mayor’s office. Park had finally convinced his friend to come forward to talk about the theft. The man refused to come into the station, but agreed to meet in the mayor’s office. And while Jimmy arrived on time, the mayor’s friend hadn’t. The mayor still hadn’t even given them the guy’s name.

  Even Park thought the man might back out. Jimmy paced the hall outside the office, tired of sitting in the reception area. He wanted Moira to call or text him back.

  The elevator dinged, and Jimmy turned to see Len Bitger get off the elevator. When he saw Jimmy, his back shot up and his eyes widened. “James?”

  “Len.” Shit. He should’ve waited in reception so Bill had to tell him. “Bill’s waiting for us.” He pulled the door open and waited for Len to walk through.

  The mayor emerged from his office. “Len, I see you’ve met Detective O’Malley.”

  “Detective?”

  “We hadn’t gotten that far yet, sir.”

  “Let’s take this into my office.”

  Len shifted like he was going to bolt. Gabby followed Park, and Jimmy waited for Len to move forward. This was the first real break they’d gotten. He wasn’t about to lose it now.

  In the mayor’s office, Len and the mayor took seats across from each other. Jimmy and Gabby chose to stand.

  “Len Bitger. This is Detectives O’Malley and Ruiz. I asked Detective O’Malley to go undercover to see if he could get any information about the thefts.”

  Len’s eyebrows shot up.

  “We’ve all heard the rumors. It concerned me enough to bring in a detective. You’re the only person I know who has been robbed, though.”

  Jimmy crossed his arms. “Why didn’t you report the crime when it happened?”

  The mayor’s lips thinned, and Len shifted in his chair.

  “I thought Bill already explained why. I can’t have this get around. It would ruin my marriage.” He stared at his shoes.

  “Who were you with? A mistress?”

  Len
shook his head.

  Thinking back to Moira’s theory, he asked, “An escort?”

  Len nodded. Gabby took a seat beside Bitger, obviously irritated with Jimmy’s interrogation tactics.

  “Mr. Bitger, I understand how difficult this is, but we need as much information as you can give us so we can stop this from happening again. Did you bring her to your house?”

  He shook his head.

  “Did she have access to your house ever?”

  Again, he shook his head. This was like playing twenty questions with a three-year-old. They needed narrative. Len needed to open up. Jimmy immediately thought of how easily Moira got people to talk.

  Jimmy asked, “Where did you meet her?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When was the first time you met her?”

  “She approached me at a charity event. She flirted. At first, I thought she was one of those young things looking for a sugar daddy.” He paused again, then rushed to add, “Not that I was looking for that. I’m happily married.”

  “So she approached you. Did she give you a number or a card?”

  “No, she asked for my cell phone number. I didn’t expect her to actually ever call me, but a week later, she did. Crystal wanted to meet on my usual poker night with the boys.” He shrugged and stared at his hands in his lap. “I thought once couldn’t hurt. My wife was out of town.”

  “When did she tell you she was an escort?”

  “When we talked on the phone. I almost hung up, thinking she was a prostitute, but she assured me that she was simply an escort. She’d introduced herself because she was attracted to me. She wanted to meet and maybe have drinks. See if the attraction was mutual.”

  Len shoved out of the chair and paced with his hands in his pockets. “We met at the bar of the Drake. We hit it off. I asked her if she wanted me to get a room and she agreed.” He sighed. “I probably should’ve known then that something was up.”

  Gabby stood and looked at Jimmy, pleading with her eyes for him to let her finish. He nodded.

  “Mr. Bitger, did you spend the entire night with Crystal?”

  “Yes, we had breakfast together in the morning.”

  “What was taken?”

  “My wife’s diamond necklace.”

  Jimmy started. He’d assumed the escort lifted something from him while he was asleep. This added a whole new dimension. “Where was your wife’s necklace?”

  Len looked at him like the question was ridiculous. “In my wife’s jewelry box in our bedroom. I’ve asked her to keep it in a safe, but she refuses because she says she likes to be able to look at it whenever she wants.”

  Jimmy stepped closer. “So this theft happened at your house while you were screwing Crystal at the Drake.”

  Len and the mayor both cringed.

  Gabby stepped between Jimmy and Len. “Was she with you the whole night? Is it possible she left after you fell asleep?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Could she have lifted your key and passed it on to someone?”

  Again Len shook his head. His cheeks turned scarlet. “We were busy for most of the night. And she fell asleep in my arms.”

  A surge of excitement plowed through Jimmy. This was turning into the exact career-making kind of case he wanted. They had a theft ring made up of escorts targeting wealthy Chicago men. He imagined the headlines now. Which immediately made him think of Moira, who still hadn’t called him back.

  Gabby continued with questions. “What makes you think Crystal had something to do with this?”

  “Well, I haven’t heard from her since, her phone is no longer in service, and she hasn’t been at any event since the one where we first met. I don’t believe in that much coincidence, do you?”

  No, Jimmy did not believe in coincidence. Not like this.

  His phone buzzed in his pocket and he checked the urge to pull it out. They’d finally made some headway on this case and he couldn’t afford to split his attention. Gabby fished for more information from Len, and Jimmy’s phone vibrated again. What the hell? He knew Moira was impatient, but the least she could do was give him a few minutes to respond, especially when he’d already told her he was working.

  Another minute and another text buzzed his thigh.

  This was getting ridiculous. He pulled the phone from his pocket and nodded at Gabby. Out in the hall, he checked the screen. Not one call from Moira. He’d missed two calls from his baby sister, Norah, and then a text from Sean.

  You need to get home now. Norah’s here.

  What the hell was Norah doing home? She only came to visit at Christmas. He shot a text back to Sean letting him know that he was working.

  Before the message had even sent, he got a text from Norah.

  Ignore Sean. He’s overreacting.

  Not a good sign. Sean didn’t overreact. Norah was trying to hide something, and he didn’t have the time to deal with bullshit.

  He called Sean. As soon as he answered, Jimmy said, “What the hell is going on?”

  “Dude, you need to come home. You’re not going to fucking believe this.”

  “Is anyone dead or bleeding?”

  “Not yet.”

  Jimmy blew out a heavy breath. “Keep it that way until I get home. I have to finish this up. Don’t let Norah out of your sight.”

  “Shouldn’t be a problem.” Sean disconnected.

  Something didn’t sit right, but Jimmy didn’t have the time to examine it. He needed to get back to the mayor and Len.

  When he reentered the office, it looked like Gabby had finished. She’d pulled out her notebook, so Len must’ve come up with some more details. Len slunk out of the office without meeting Jimmy’s eyes.

  That was one tough lesson for the man to learn.

  When the door closed behind Len, the mayor stood. “Now do you have enough to work with?”

  “We have a starting place,” Gabby said. “It’s more than we had last week, but in truth, we were kind of working down this path as our theory. Now all we have to do is get Jimmy to look like he’d be an easy target.” She grinned at him.

  “We’ll meet with Commander Elks in the morning to come up with a plan, sir.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate your discretion on this.”

  Gabby and Jimmy headed out the door. In the elevator, she asked, “So who was on the phone?”

  “My brother and my sister.”

  “Sister?”

  “Yeah. She lives in Boston, but she’s home. Something’s going on, so I need to head out. See you in the morning?”

  “Sounds good, partner.”

  They parted ways and Jimmy called his brother when he hit the expressway, but Sean didn’t answer. He thought about calling Moira but decided it would be better to wait until he knew what was going on at home. He didn’t want to stand her up twice in one night.

  He parked in front of his house and heard the yelling from the sidewalk. He raced up the stairs to see what the problem was. In the living room, Tommy screamed, “Who did it, Norah? I want to know now.”

  Looking past Tommy, he saw Norah standing in the dining room, tears streaming down her face. It didn’t matter that she was twenty-two, in that moment, she was a toddler all over again, and he needed to make things right for her.

  He slammed the door. “What the hell is going on?”

  Sean came in from the kitchen with two beers in his hand. He came close, careful not to step between Tommy and Norah, even though they were on opposite sides of the room, and handed Jimmy a beer. “You’re gonna need this,” he said with a smile.

  Jimmy accepted the beer and said, “Is someone going to tell me what’s going on?”

  Tommy turned to him and said, “Norah’s pregnant.”

  The beer slipped from his grasp and bounced on the floor without shattering. He turned to face Norah, who finally stepped out from behind the table, and he saw the unmistakable bump. She was pregnant. She’d been keeping this a secret for months.
More tears spilled down her cheeks, and she ran upstairs to Jimmy’s room.

  Sean and Tommy both started talking at the same time, and he couldn’t understand either of them.

  “Shut up.”

  He was met with immediate silence, which was a first. “Where’s Dad?”

  “Asleep,” Sean answered. “I checked to make sure he took his meds without beer.”

  Jimmy couldn’t believe he’d managed to sleep through all the yelling. Then again, when they were kids, their dad often worked the overnight shift, so he’d gotten used to sleeping through their noise. “Did he see Norah?”

  “Hell, no. That’s probably the only reason why there was no blood or death when I called you. You got here just in time. I thought Tommy was about to lose it.” Sean took a long pull on his beer.

  Jimmy grabbed his bottle from the floor and set it on the table. This was exactly what he’d feared would happen to Norah when she was younger. Being raised in a house full of men without a mother was no way for her to grow up. By the time he’d left for the army, both Sean and Tommy were setting a horrible example for her by not going to school and getting into trouble. Jimmy had been afraid of what would happen to his baby sister, so he’d convinced their dad to send her to live with Aunt Bridget in Boston.

  Their mother’s sister would take care of her and make sure she finished school. She would look out for Norah because Jimmy wouldn’t be able to.

  Jimmy scrubbed a hand over his face. He needed air. He needed to think.

  “What are we gonna do?” Tommy asked.

  “Leave her alone.” When Tommy jumped to say more, Jimmy raised his hand to cut him off. “For tonight, we give her space. We all need to cool off so we can deal with this.”

  “But—”

  “Let it go, Tommy, or she’ll leave and we’ll lose her.”

  He walked past his brothers and trudged up the stairs. He knocked on his own door but didn’t open it. Holding tight to his anger and worry, he forced his voice to be smooth. “Norah, honey, I just wanted to let you know that you can stay there.” He paused, not sure what to do or say. “Do you want to talk?”