by Robin Mahle
“I understand you also worked with Tommy on occasion. I was sort of hoping we could meet up to talk.”
“About what?”
This wasn’t going as Allison had planned. The awkward exchange had grown uncomfortable and she felt like an intruder. “I was hoping you might know what Tommy had been working on. What his caseload was like before…”
“Tonight. I can meet you at 6 o’clock. Do you know the Wave Rider?”
“I do. I’ll see there. Thank you, Mr. Dawson.” Allison ended the call and took in a breath. Then the knock on the door came. “Leo.” She pulled up and shuffled to the foyer to open it. “Hi.”
“Hey. Can I come in?”
“Why not?” Allison stepped aside.
“Nolan told me what happened. I came to see how you were doing.” He continued inside and offered her a peck on the cheek. “I’d like to talk about it if you’re up to it.”
Allison headed to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. “You want some water?” She pulled out two bottles and met him at the breakfast island. “There’s no need to worry, Leo. Everything’s under control.”
“Everything’s under control?” He eyed her. “When were you going to tell me you witnessed the murder of two people? I had to hear it from our son?”
“First of all, I didn’t technically witness it. I only heard gunfire—and saw the flashes of light. You don’t know about Boyce then?” she asked.
“Who’s that? And no, I don’t. Maybe you should fill me in on the past couple of days.”
“I’m not in any danger and neither is Nolan.”
“I certainly hope not.”
“You knew about the job. I have to work, Leo. It’s not like I can sit at home and expect you to pay my bills. Hell, you’re a high school baseball coach, you can hardly pay your own bills.” She winced at the biting comment. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair. I just didn’t think I had to tell you everything that was going on in my life. We aren’t married anymore.”
“I know that, but we share two children, in case you forgot.”
“Oh, I haven’t forgotten. By the way, Micah’s tuition is coming due in two months.”
“I’m aware.” Leo walked around to the other side of the kitchen island and stood inches from Allison. “Whatever’s happening, Allison, it is so far removed from anything you’ve ever dealt with before. This isn’t some guy defrauding the system. This is murder. Two murders. And I can see the look in your eyes. You’re afraid, even if you won’t admit it. This shouldn’t involve you, okay? It scares me.”
Allison firmed her stance. “This is what I want to do, Leo. I know I’ll be good at it. You know how much I loved my job. This is just an extension of that.”
“I disagree. Not that you loved your job. I know you did. But what you want to do is a whole different ballgame. And who is this Boyce, anyway?”
“Well, if you’re concerned about my involvement in the double murders, then you’re really going to be pissed about this. Tommy Boyce was the man who hired me to get pictures of the cheaters, they were the ones who were murdered. Unfortunately, he was found dead at the marina only blocks away earlier today.”
“What?” Leo paced the kitchen. “That seals it. You’re not going to be a part of this anymore.”
She seized his gaze with a look of derision. “You have no input, Leo. You don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do. Look, I’m going to find out who killed Tommy Boyce. He was a good man as much as I knew. And he has a daughter. I promised her I would help. I won’t renege on that promise. I went to see Milo today…”
“Milo? What does he have to do with any of this?” Leo asked.
“He referred me to Tommy Boyce, the man who hired me for the freelance work.”
“Oh, well, great.” He threw his hands in the air.
“Can you please calm down?” Allison peered over her shoulder to be sure Nolan wasn’t alerted. “Milo gave me the name of one of Boyce’s counterparts. I’m going to meet with him tonight. Leo, I understand that you’re scared. Maybe I am too, a little. But I’ve come a long way since our divorce. I can do this. I need you to have faith in the fact that I would never allow anything to happen to either of our kids. If I feel like I’m getting in too deep, I’ll ask for help. I have Shane and Milo on my side. And Charlie.” She sighed. “Geez, Charlie. I have to tell her what happened.” Allison returned her attention to Leo. “She’s going to be a part of the plan. I want her with me. Once all this is settled, I’ll get my license and open an agency. I have to know that you’ll stand behind me on this, Leo.”
He held her gaze. “You’re so damn stubborn, you know that?”
“So you always tell me.” She reached for his hands. “Do you trust me to make the right call?”
“Of course I do. Trust was never an issue. I mean…” He seemed to realize he had been the one to break the trust in their relationship.
“I know what you meant. Thank you, Leo. I won’t let this get out of hand.”
“You’re assuming you’ll have a choice in the matter.”
Allison entered the bar and searched for the man named Finley Dawson. She knew nothing of his appearance but examined the bar for one who seemed distraught or otherwise forlorn. That would probably be the man for whom she was seeking.
There was one who matched that description. Although he seemed to have masked his feelings well. Her only real clue was that he was alone and staring at the entrance as if waiting on someone.
Allison’s lips parted slightly at the sight of him. The blonde-haired man appeared positively adolescent. Maybe that was a slight exaggeration. He was probably in his early thirties. And now her insecurities awakened like an angry lion. Suddenly, every joint cracked with each step she took and her arm flab wobbled like Jell-O. There were times in Allison’s life, as much as she hated to admit it, when she became acutely aware of her age. It was generally in the presence of younger, attractive people. Finley Dawson, with hair that skimmed his shoulders, a square jaw, and well-defined arms, was the most attractive man she’d seen in some time. And that was just what she could see while he sat in the booth.
Allison tugged on her form-hugging blouse and pressed lightly on the bouffant bun on her head. His magnetism had reduced her to an awkward teenaged girl and in the face of what she had been through today, was wholly inappropriate. “Mr. Dawson?” She approached the booth.
“You must be Allison Hart.” He raised just enough to offer a greeting. “Please, call me Fin. Have a seat, Ms. Hart.”
She slid into the booth. “It’s Allison. Pleased to meet you. And thank you for seeing me on short notice. I’m sure you’re very busy.”
“Not as much as you might think.” A hint of regret flashed across his face. “I can’t wrap my head around it—losing Tommy. He was a good friend and associate. This isn’t how I thought the day would turn out but now that it has, I have to ask what it is you want from me.”
“I have no doubt the police will get around to speaking with you about your relationship with Tommy. I’m sure they’ll want to talk to all of his friends and colleagues. But Mr. Dawson…”
“Call me Fin.”
“Fin, I don’t have that kind of time.”
“You mentioned on the phone you didn’t know Tommy well,” he added.
“No. I wish I had. I only just met him yesterday afternoon. It all happened so fast. He asked me to do a job for him and I did. The problem was, the people he asked me to stake out ended up being murdered. Then today Tommy turned up dead too.”
“I’d say that’s a problem,” he replied.
“I agree. That’s the real reason why I’m here. I’d like to know if you can shed some light on what Tommy was working on, apart from the assignment he handed to me.”
Fin raised a finger to garner the attention of the waitress. “I’d like a Land Shark, please.” He turned to Allison. “Can I get you a drink?”
“I’ll take the same. Thank you.”
�
�Two Land Sharks. Thanks.” Fin returned his attention to Allison. “I do know he had a full plate. I can’t say anything in particular stands out. Just the usual P.I. stuff.”
“Like taking pictures of cheating spouses,” she replied.
The beers arrived and Allison tossed back a long, slow drink.
Fin watched with mild concern. “Exactly.”
“I’ll be the first to admit that this is all very new to me,” Allison began. “I won’t bore you with my background except to say that I do have some experience that related to the work Tommy asked me to do. I don’t pretend to have the knowledge you do or that Tommy had. But I need to tell you that it’s starting to look like someone was trying to set him up. The work he gave me, he was supposed to do it. He was supposed to be there and instead I was. And I met his daughter. She said Tommy’s last known location was the very place where the murders happened—where I was.”
“You met Lucy?” he asked.
“It was sort of unintentional, but yes. She’s a very sweet girl and I feel just terrible for her. Fin, you don’t know me from Adam, and I wouldn’t blame you one bit for walking away from me right now. But I could really use some help in finding out who Tommy had been in contact with.”
Fin tossed back a swig before holding her attention. “Let me ask you something, Allison, are you working this case or are the cops?”
“Let’s call it a parallel investigation. I have no intention of getting in their way, but I will see this through. You were his friend. I’m sure you’d like to know what happened to him and why.”
“Why are you so interested? He wasn’t your friend. You didn’t know him well.”
“Sadly, no. I’m doing this for Lucy,” Allison replied.
“I might be able to help but you’ll need to come with me to my house.”
“Your house? I see.” She nodded. “Is this how you go about picking up women?”
“First of all, you called me. And secondly, do I look like I need to strong-arm women to come back to my place?”
She averted her eyes for just a moment. “I’ll have to plead the fifth on that one.”
Fin chuckled. “I work out of my house, Allison. All of my files are there. I can tell you what I know about Tommy’s cases and who he might’ve been working with recently. If you want my help, that’s what I can offer.”
9
The home of Finley Dawson was exactly as Allison would’ve predicted. His looks alone evoked visions of riding waves and popping open a cold brew next to a bonfire on the sand. It was everything life was supposed to be living in this part of the country. She admired the lifestyle. Carefree, unattached. It wasn’t something she’d ever expected to admire or possibly envy.
“You’ll have to excuse the mess. The maid doesn’t come until tomorrow,” Fin said.
“You don’t have a maid, do you?” Allison replied.
“No, I don’t. Come in.” He pulled open the blinds and revealed a dusky sky. “It’s too bad you didn’t get to know Tommy. He was intimidating as hell but once you got to know him, he would do anything for you.”
“That’s what I hear.” Allison followed him to the living room. She eyed the futon couch and the recliner next to it. A small rattan coffee table was placed in front of the futon and a flat screen television was mounted on the wall; its wires hanging down to the plug.
“I think you might have been destined to meet him when you did. Someone or something must have seen fit to put you on this path,” he said.
“Funny. I never would’ve taken you for a destiny or fate type of guy.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Allison.” Fin stood in the center of the living room. “That’s my office over there.” He headed into the short corridor to the double doors that opened into a room filled with boxes and papers. A laptop rested on a folding table with a rolling chair beneath it. The beige tile floors were sprinkled with grains of sand.
“How often did you work with Tommy?” Allison observed the slight disarray.
“This year? Probably three, maybe four times. Usually only if he needed some help with the cops. He was a retired officer himself but had rubbed a few of the guys the wrong way. I could usually smooth things over if I had to. I know some guys with Tampa PD.”
“Oh yeah? Me too. Who do you work with?” she asked.
“I doubt you’d know them. They work in Vice mostly.”
“I lean on Detective Shane Sullivan, mostly because of my previous job and now this. We’re close. He made sure I was in the loop on identifying…”
“Tommy? Lucky you.” Fin walked to his desk and sat down. “Let me see what I can find here and try to help you out.”
Allison examined the room. Pictures on the walls of Fin surfing, a few medals she assumed he won as a result of that surfing. Then she spotted a framed photograph sitting near the printer. It was Tommy, Lucy, and Fin. She picked up the frame. “You’ve met Lucy?”
“I have. The Boyce’s were here for a few years before Tommy’s wife passed. That was taken before she died not long after I met him.”
“Forgive me, Fin, but it seems like you were very close to Tommy and yet I get the impression you would rather not get involved.”
He turned away from his laptop. “We all deal with grief in different ways. You’ll excuse me for not opening my heart to a woman I just met who was also one of the last people to see Tommy alive.”
Allison returned the photo to the table. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, well…” Fin returned to his laptop and reached for a pad of paper. “I don’t have much, but I have one name for you.” He scribbled it down. “He was Tommy’s go-to guy for his surveillance equipment.” He handed her the slip of paper. “I’m sure he would’ve been the one to help Tommy out on the last gig. The one you worked on.”
“I appreciate it, Fin. Thanks. I’ll give him a call.” Allison examined the slip of paper. “Listen um, if I run across anything, would it be all right if I reached out to you—for guidance?”
“I might not express my feelings well, but Tommy was my friend. And Lucy. I don’t know how she will get over this, especially after losing her mom. But I will tell you this, these cops, they know what they’re doing. I don’t want to stop you from looking into this, but you should know there’s going to be trouble just waiting for you. So, I guess what I’m saying is, yeah. If you find yourself in a jam, I’ll do what I can to help out. Just don’t expect miracles, okay? It doesn’t work that way.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
He stood from his chair. “You have my number. Call me anytime.”
Charlie stood outside Allison’s front door with her arms folded against her body and a grimace on her face. The night air was heavy and appeared to add to her foul disposition. She watched Allison step out of her car and head toward her. “Well, well, well. It’s about time you showed up.”
Allison wore her guilt like a cloak, eager to hide beneath it. “I’m sorry I’m late. The meeting went longer than I expected.” She keyed the lock and opened the door. “I thought Nolan would have been here to let you in.”
“Nope.” Charlie tapped her foot. “Been waiting here for half an hour.”
“Why didn’t you call me?” Allison asked before stepping inside.
“Uh, hello? I did.” Charlie followed. “It went to voicemail.”
“Oh.” Allison dropped her keys on the foyer table and retrieved her phone. “I didn’t hear the call, I’m sorry. I must not have had a good signal where I was.”
“Weren’t you at that bar?” She trailed inside, still in a huff.
“That was where we started but then we went to Fin’s house.” Allison walked into the kitchen. “Now before you go ape-shit, let me tell you why.”
“Oh yeah, you’d better. Tell me what happened with, what did you call him? Fin? With everything that’s happened, you went to a guy’s house who you don’t even know.”
“I wasn’t in any danger.
Trust me. If you met this guy, you’d understand. He was an associate of Tommy Boyce and had some information. The guy works out of his home. What do you want me to say?”
“Oh, I don’t know. That ‘hey maybe I should call ol’ Charlie and tell her where I’m going.’ You know, in case someone finds you in pieces in a body bag.”
“How long are you going to be mad at me? Just so I’m prepared,” Allison replied.
Charlie exhaled an exaggerated breath. “Fine. Did you at least get something worthwhile?”
“I think so.” Allison retrieved the slip of paper. “This guy here. Fin said he was Tommy’s go-to guy for surveillance equipment. He has to know what Tommy was working on so I’m going to contact him.”
“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Charlie pulled out a barstool and sat down. “Alli, I’m not going to lie. This is scary. Maybe you do need to let the police handle this. You can always ask Shane to keep you posted. People are dead. You get that, right?”
“I’m not oblivious to that fact. Consider this trial by fire. If I run away from it, what kind of private investigator will I be?”
“A living one.”
“Be serious, Charlie.” Allison retrieved a Pepsi from the fridge. “You want one?”
“No, thanks.”
She popped it open. “I’m not dismissing your concerns and apparently, you’re not alone. Leo said virtually the same thing.”
“If you tell him I said this, I’ll take you out myself. But Leo could be right. Three people are dead, including the one who hired you to photograph the other two.”
Allison turned squarely to Charlie. “You didn’t see his daughter. Lucy’s just a kid. Reminds me a lot of Micah. I told her I would help her find out what happened to her dad. I have to do that. You know me, Charlie. I’m not a quitter.”
“Which was why you stayed in your marriage longer than you should have.” Charlie peered at her sternly. “Okay then. Fine. But you’re crazy if you think I’ll let you do this alone.”
Allison smiled. “I figured you’d say something like that. We’re the same.”
