Bad Guys Don't Win (Janet Maple Series Book 4) by Marie Astor Page B

exhilarated to see her fiancé on her doorstep—Mrs. Chapman was
right—she was head over heels for the bugger. The important thing now was to
remain calm and not spoil everything by overreacting. Janet took a deep breath
and flung open the door.
    “What’s going on?” she asked upon seeing
her fiancé with a suitcase in his hand. Dennis often stayed at her place and he
usually kept a change of clothes in her closet, but now he looked ready to move
in.
    “I’ll explain in a minute. Can I come
in?”
    Perplexed, Janet stepped aside.
    Dennis quickly shut the door behind him,
carefully locking all the locks, including the door chain. Then he checked the
peephole and only after that proceeded into the living room. There, he
collapsed onto the couch and closed his eyes, completely oblivious to Janet or
Baxter, who had been trying to get his attention with loud, excited barks.
    “Calm down, Baxter.” Janet scratched
Baxter behind the ear and took a seat next to Dennis. “What’s going on?” she
asked, her voice filled with concern. Questioning Dennis about Mila could wait.
She knew Dennis well enough to guess something was seriously wrong.
    Dennis groaned. “Where do I start? I had
one hell of a day.”
    “Try at the beginning,” Janet suggested.
    “Thanks. Can I get a drink first? A
scotch would be perfect right now.”
    “Sure,” Janet resisted the urge for a
sarcastic remark—she could tell that Dennis was really shaken up. She got up
from the couch and headed for the kitchen cupboard where she kept the liquor.
She reached for a bottle of Pinch and poured two drinks—she could use a drink
too—and then settled back into her seat.
    Dennis took a glass from her hand and
drained it in one gulp.
    “Looks like you need a refill.” Janet
headed back into the kitchen and this time returned with the entire bottle.
    Dennis poured himself three fingers
worth of scotch and drained half his glass. Janet didn’t say anything, waiting
for him to finally spit it out.
    “Remember when I told you the Kovars
article was a sham?”
    Janet nodded, instantly connecting the
dots. So that’s what the meeting with Mila was all about—the Kovars were back
and she was reaching out to Dennis for protection. “Yes, so?” Janet asked
innocently, not wanting to admit she knew more than she was supposed to.
    “Mila Brabec called me today.”
    “She was the one you were meeting with
tonight?” Janet asked, already knowing the answer.
    Dennis nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell
you—I wanted to protect you. Mila was terrified when she called me, and I
wanted to know exactly what we were dealing with before telling you.”
    Janet resisted the urge to roll her
eyes. This better not be some story about a damsel in distress, she thought
irritably.
    “Mila found a note from Anton Kovar in
her apartment.”
    Dennis’s words hit Janet like a
cannonball. “What? How’s that possible—” she cut herself off, remembering
Dennis’s reaction to the article. Even back then she had inwardly known
Dennis’s hunch was correct. She just didn’t want to admit it, having much more
important things on her mind, like planning the wedding and finding that
perfect apartment. “What did the note say?” Janet asked slowly. “Are you sure
it was from Anton Kovar and not from some other dirt bag Mila used to date?”
    Dennis shook his head. “I’m sure. She
showed me the note—it was addressed to ‘Milochka’—a pet name Anton used for
Mila. It said, ‘I’d go to the end of the earth to find you.’ That’s what he
used to say to her when they were together, so she wouldn’t leave him.”
    “How romantic,” Janet quipped, but
inside she was far from feeling humorous.
    “Mila found the note in her apartment
the same night her bar had burned down. I’d say it wasn’t a coincidence.”
    “No, it probably wasn’t.”
    “It was stupid of me not to tell you
right away—whatever it is I get into, you have the right to know. And