Dress 2 Impress: A Jennifer Cloud Novel (Jennifer Cloud Series) Read online

  “Jake, I’m fine,” I replied confidently. “I work for the WTF, and I will not allow my personal feelings to get in the way of doing my job.”

  Silence on the other end of the line followed by a sigh. “If I tell you not to go, you’ll go anyway, and then you’ll be in trouble with the WTF. Make sure you and Gertie are at the rendezvous at midnight.”

  “We’ll be there,” I said firmly. I agreed to send Jake a photo of the article and ended the call.

  Gertie and I ordered pizza and went through the rest of the magazines. Rocksanna was in every magazine, but there were no more pictures or any mention of Caiyan.

  I managed to eat one small piece of the veggie pizza Gertie had ordered. She showed me an article that Rocksanna was performing for three nights at Universal. Monday night, which would be tonight in 1985, would be her second night on tour with the Beasts as her opening act. They were an up-and-coming boy band. There was a picture next to the article, and a few of the members looked familiar, but I didn’t know their music. Gertie was scanning another magazine when her eyes got really wide. “Jen, isn’t this that Mafuso kid?” she asked, holding the magazine out so I could take a look.

  Sure enough, the Beasts were pictured in front of the Christmas tree in Times Square. Arms all wrapped around one another’s necks, and in the center was Caiyan’s nephew. Another boy who looked vaguely familiar was standing off to the right. I squinted at the picture. It could be Mitchell, but the photo was blurred at the edges.

  “Gertie, I think this might be Traveler X.” She leaned in to look at the picture. “Caiyan’s nephew might just have been going back to join a boy band.” I laughed at the thought of Caiyan chasing this kid around LA because he wanted to be in a band. The article welcomed the new member of the band after the extrication of former group members. The November article featured a tree-lighting festival in New York City. It stated the band was off for warmer weather in California to complete their tour. I continued looking at the back issues of magazines, and Gertie booted up her laptop and Googled Rocksanna. There was a close-up of Campy playing his guitar. He was shirtless, and his teenage muscles were just beginning to appear on his gangly frame. The key around his neck was the same key I saw on Mrs. Oglivy’s neck when I traveled last month. The crest of a wave with the tiny diamonds. Caiyan had been wrong. He told me that key was safe. It was not in a safe place because a fifteen-year-old boy found it and used it to travel. Did this mean Aunt Itty was a descendant of Mrs. Ogilvy? The memory of our trip to Scotland last month left a searing pain of anguish in my gut. How could Caiyan make me feel like he only had affection for me and then be canoodling with Rocksanna? The only way to solve this mystery was to go back to 1985 and find him.

  Gertie nudged me out of my daydream of strangling Caiyan to show me a website she pulled up on her laptop. The website had grainy pictures of the auto accident. The car was a mangled mess.

  Gertie read the media clip out loud: “Queen of pop Rocksanna was killed in an auto accident while being chased by paparazzi. Both of her bodyguards were severely injured.”

  Gertie sucked in air.

  “What is it?” I asked. “Does it say anything about Caiyan?”

  “It says the accident happened Tuesday night after her last concert in LA.”

  I dropped the magazine I was reading in my lap and scooted closer to Gertie. We both reread the article. No mention of Caiyan. “Look at the date.” I pointed to the computer screen. “That’s this Tuesday, tomorrow night.” All the magazines had been published before our travel date in 1985.

  “It hasn’t happened yet, at least the way it reads in this article,” said Gertie.

  I swallowed the lump of fear that had begun to choke me. “If Caiyan gets in that car with her, history will change. There might be two people killed instead of one. Especially if he isn’t wearing his key.” My heart started to pound, and I felt light-headed. It was more important now for me to go back. We had to find him in time.

  “Should we call Jake?” Gertie asked.

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “We still need to go back and convince Traveler X to come home.” And possibly save Caiyan from dying before he was even born.

  Chapter 14

  Gertie and I landed, as instructed, at straight-up midnight in the vacant lot by the Brooklyn Bridge. Ace still hadn’t confirmed if Marco had agreed to travel. My stomach was in knots as we waited. Gertie had a nervous but goofy smile on her face like a child who was getting away with a good prank. We huddled together as the cold air had us pulling the hoods of our coats up for warmth. The sound of a few cars crossing the bridge broke the silence as the wind stirred. Gertie and I backed to the edge of the lot, knowing that when the wind started to swirl, a vessel was about to make an appearance. Sure enough, Ace’s vessel came to a screeching halt about ten yards from us. Ace and Jake exited the photo booth.

  “Jake?” I asked but gave him a hug.

  “I wanted to see you off.” He hugged me back. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes, Dad,” I joked, but my knees were knocking together.

  “I’m ready, too,” Gertie said, just a little too peppy.

  Jake rolled his eyes at her. “Gertie, you are going as intel only. Please stay out of trouble.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain,” she said as she saluted.

  Ace sauntered over to where we were standing.

  “Where’s Marco?” I asked.

  Jake and Ace looked at each other. Jake responded, “We have someone picking up Marco.”

  Warning bells went off inside my head. Why wasn’t Marco transporting here himself? Before I could get too caught up in the whys, Jake started handing out orders.

  “You will go now and take Gertie, then come back to get Marco.”

  “You’re going to leave me alone in 1985?” Gertie asked, taking a step away from the group.

  Ace put an arm around Gertie’s shoulders. “It’s OK, love. We can transport back and forth as long as the moon is full. Jennifer can drop you off, and then she can return at the exact location in a matter of minutes.”

  “What if she misses and goes back to 1984?” Gertie’s lip started to quiver.

  “Impossible,” Jake said. “As long as Jennifer stays focused, her vessel will follow the emission trail it released in the first trip to 1985. It’s like following a trail map, so to speak.”

  Gertie seemed content with the explanation, and I hoped they were right. Ace had more experience traveling than I, and so far, it worked the way they explained it. I just hoped I didn’t encounter some kind of glitch in the system. Jake was telling Gertie to be patient while I came back for Marco.

  “Why isn’t Marco transporting himself?” I asked.

  “I’ll explain after you take Gertie.” Jake pulled out a map of the Hollywood Hills from his jacket pocket. He motioned for Gertie and me to gather around. Ace just stood in the background, hands on hips, that cocky smile spread casually across his face. What was his problem? We had become very close in the past two months. He was my confidant, my bud, my stylist. Tonight he had a secret he wasn’t sharing with me, and I was mad at the deception. I gathered around the map Jake held.

  “You will land here in this clearing behind the Hollywood sign,” he said, pointing at the map.

  “Is that a clear space?” I asked. “I thought the sign was on a hill.” Landing on a slope wasn’t easy. We always tried to imagine a wide, clear area when we traveled or find a picture of where we were going so we could form the picture in our minds, and the vessel did its best to choose that spot or somewhere in the vicinity.

  Jake pulled a picture from his other pocket. It was a satellite map of the landing location. “Here.” He pointed at the map, showing Gertie and me the prime landing location.

  “Oh, I see it,” said Gertie. “There’s a small flat area right here.” She put her finger on the map. “The last
time I was in Hollywood, I went on one of those tour buses, and we couldn’t go to the sign. Our bus driver told us it was restricted and had a security fence around it.”

  “In 1985 it’s not as secure, but it’s the perfect place to land without detection,” Jake explained.

  “Why can’t we land in a park that’s not on a mountain? I mean, how are we supposed to get down to the city?”

  “Jen, this is LA. People are everywhere and at all hours of the night. We thought this was the safest place.”

  “What is Gertie supposed to do while I come back for Marco?”

  “It will only be a matter of minutes,” Jake explained, and pausing, he looked at Gertie. “Just get clear of the area, Gertie. Marco and Jen will return in a few minutes.”

  He said the last part with some trepidation, as if he wasn’t totally convinced Marco would be going along for the ride.

  He folded the maps and put them in his pocket. “When you get there, try to get into the city quickly. I need you to make contact with Pickles.”

  “Pickles?” I asked.

  “Yes, he worked in security in 1985. He was the bodyguard for the pop star, Rocksanna.”

  “Rocksanna?” Gertie asked, trying to tame the excitement in her voice. I gave her an evil eye, and she clamped her mouth shut.

  “Remember, he hasn’t met you yet, so he won’t know you, but if you show him your key, he will help you.”

  “OK, how do I know where he is or how to find Caiyan?”

  “Pickles said Rocksanna was performing at the Hollywood Bowl that year for the Christmas tour.” Jake had small beads of perspiration forming at his hairline, even though it was a brisk thirty-four degrees outside. I tried to pay attention to what he was saying, but my inner voice kept reminding me I had never seen Jake act like this before. “They are staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel. That’s where I would start.”

  I knew that was a five-star hotel, and if Pickles let us stay there, it would be a step up from the barns, country inns, and, God forbid, camping that I had experienced during my travels.

  “Here, put these in your cheek, and keep your mouths closed when you transport.” He handed Gertie and me two one-hundred-dollar bills folded in thirds and wrapped in plastic. “I made sure they were printed before 1985.”

  We walked over to my outhouse. Gertie eyed it nervously. “Don’t worry. I’m a much better driver now that I’ve had some practice.” That was the truth. Ace had taken me for “driving lessons,” and I pretty much could control the vessel with relaxation techniques. If I was nervous, the vessel didn’t travel as smoothly.

  “See you in a few minutes,” Jake said, and over his shoulder I saw Ace glance at his phone, then look anxiously at me. He gave me a small wave.

  Gertie and I entered my vessel and put the folded money between our cheeks and gums. I took a few deep breaths. Gertie had her eyes closed, and she was holding on to the handles with a death grip. I made sure the money was tucked tight against my cheek. I focused on the spot in Hollywood and spoke the word given to me by the ancient gods to make my vessel travel: “Hanhepi.”

  We rocked a bit, and then it stopped. We were both still sitting in the outhouse, in the pitch dark. A small amount of light filtered in through the slats in the outhouse.

  Gertie turned toward me and pulled the money out of her mouth. “That was real good, Jen. I hardly felt it at all.”

  I removed my money and agreed. It was easier. Maybe it had something to do with how far back in the past we travel. We stepped out and surveyed our location. I’d hit right on the mark. We’d landed in the small flat area Jake had indicated on the map. The Hollywood sign was below us, and the light was coming from the illuminated sign. The sign was much bigger standing next to it than I imagined. We were even with the top of the sign, and the view of the city lights was like tiny diamonds that had been poured over a black velvet cloth. The weather was cool but much warmer than the freezing temperatures of New York City or the current chill of Texas.

  Gertie was wearing a red dress, channeling Stevie Nicks, chosen for her compliments of my vessel. The dress was flattering on her. It clung to all the right places and had a killer headband and lace-up boots. Gertie looked down at her clothes.

  “Cool, I got the sexy outfit this time.” She spun around. The handkerchief hem of the dress and butterfly sleeves floated parachute fashion around her.

  “If you start singing ‘Leather and Lace,’ I’m taking you back,” I said.

  Gertie stuck her tongue out at me and then looked me up and down. I had on a skintight denim miniskirt, a blouse that had ruffles up the front, and a pair of clear plastic heels.

  Gertie inspected my outfit. “Ooh, that doesn’t look very comfortable to chase bad guys in.” I agreed but had to return and get Marco.

  I found a tree that looked to be a safe distance from our landing pad. I gave Gertie my cash, and she agreed to stay put by the tree. I entered my vessel for the return home.

  Smooth sailing and I was back in my normal clothes at the vacant lot. Jake and Ace were waiting for me.

  “It’s all good. I landed exactly where you showed me on the map,” I told them as I exited my vessel.

  “That’s great, Jen. You’re really getting the hang of traveling.” Jake put an arm around my back and squeezed my shoulders.

  “Where’s Marco?” I asked, looking around.

  “He should be along any minute now,” Jake said, but Ace pulled his phone out of his pocket, checked the time, and stared into outer space.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “It’s all good, love,” Ace said, as if he was trying to convince himself more than me.

  As he said the words, a flash of lightning crossed the sky and a Chinese sedan chair sat before us in the center of the lot. It was magnificent. Red tapestry formed the background and covered the rectangular box. Gold adorned almost every spare surface. Trellis-like borders and intricate miniature oil paintings framed with gold covered the walls. The roof winged out in the traditional Chinese architectural style I had seen in photographs. The top plateaued outward, forming little balconies for gold figurines as if they were gathering to enjoy a concert. It was as if a treasure from the Ming Dynasty had plopped down right in the middle of Brooklyn. It lacked only two eunuchs to cart the thing around. I started toward it, and Jake tightened his grip on me.

  “Hold on one second,” he said.

  A cyclone of wind and a loud bang had me ducking as a confessional set down next to the sedan chair. I was in awe. I had never seen a confessional like this one. It was definitely old Roman Catholic. A purple curtain hid the priest’s centered compartment. Instead of another room for the confessor, it had side kneelers. The mahogany wood formed an intricate cross at the arch, and small engravings carved into the wood followed the arch to the floor. Jake and I both stood in awe, making the sign of the cross.

  “Some of us have really cool sleds,” Ace said, looking a bit sullen.

  The dwarf pushed back the purple curtain and popped out of the priest’s lair. He went over to the sedan chair and pulled the door open. He reached inside and dragged out a man with the help of Tina, who was pushing the man from behind, and then exited the vessel herself. Tina and Gerald supported him on each side as they draped him over their shoulders.

  The man was obviously unconscious because he was unable to walk on his own. He had a pillowcase over his head, and because of their height, they dragged his legs behind them.

  “A little help here,” Gerald said.

  Ace went to help carry the man. Jake lowered his arm, and we walked closer. The man’s jeans were unintentionally ripped at the leg. His white T-shirt had a smidge of what looked like blood on it, and his head hung down on his chest. I could tell from his build that it was Marco.

  “Let’s get him in the outhouse.” Jake directed them to my vessel, a
nd they carefully lowered Marco on the bench inside.

  “What is the meaning of this?” I asked, placing my hands on my hips and taking a wide stance.

  “It’s the only way we could get him to go,” Ace replied.

  “What did you do to him?” I asked, worried. “I can’t take him like this. He’s too heavy for me to lug around.”

  The dwarf spoke up. “I had to spike his drink, but the sleeping pill should wear off in about twenty minutes, I think.”

  “What kind of sleeping pill?” I asked the dwarf.

  “I’m not sure.” He shrugged. “It was something Aunt Itty made.”

  “Oh jeez,” I said. “There’s no telling when that will wear off, and I’ve left Gertie stranded in 1985.”

  “Don’t panic,” Jake said. But the calm CIA agent had worry lines running across his forehead.

  The thought of what Marco would do when he woke up was frightening. I didn’t want to be the one explaining things.

  “He’s going to call his vessel and return the moment he wakes up.” I flapped my hands against the sides of my legs in frustration.

  “No can do,” Ace said, pulling the pillowcase up around his neck and exposing the lack of his key.

  “Where is his key?” Jake asked.

  “He only wears it when he’s racing.” Ace grinned like a two-year-old who had just had a good poopy.

  Tina stepped forward to explain. “We found him at Ibiza, you know the dance club, and Gerry spiked his drink. When he started getting woozy, we nabbed him.”

  “What’s the blood from?” I asked, indicating the smear on his shirt.

  “He fought us a little when we tried to put him in the vessel,” Gerry explained.

  “Yes, he cut his leg on the gold lion’s head.” Tina gestured toward the bottom of her vessel. “But then the drug kicked in and it was easy peasy from there on out.”

  “Are you people done with us?” Gerry asked.

  “Yes, thank you for your help,” Jake said.