Uta, our sixty-something receptionist, who wore a red wrap-around dress and her hair in a bun at the nape of her neck, stood and reached out to shake Piper’s hand. “Welcome to the jungle.”
Piper laughed. “Sadly, I know what I’m getting into, and I’m thrilled.”
“Glad you have you aboard. Let me know if I can do anything for you. I’m pretty handy.” Uta sat back down.
“She’s not kidding. She’s a huge asset to our business,” Charles said. To Uta, he said, “Can you put together an employment file and bring it to Cortnie’s old office?”
“Sure thing. Would you like me to bring you a cup of coffee or bottle of water?” Uta smiled, working her charm on Piper.
“I’m pretty self-sufficient. I can get it. But thank you so much.” As Charles and Piper walked down the hall, I heard Piper say, “I’m so excited.”
I hoped she still felt that way after I told her I needed her in the office at seven in the morning, tomorrow.
Lydia stepped out from around the corner as I flipped through the messages Uta had given me.
“Who was that?” Lydia asked.
Before I could answer, Uta said, “She’s our newest agent, I think.”
Lydia looked at me. Something in the look seemed uneasy. “Can I talk to you in your office?”
I continued to read messages as I walked back to my office. If you knew me, you’d know this wasn’t a smart thing for me to do. I’m a klutz when I am paying attention to where I’m going.
Uta called after me. “Do you want me to pick Lola up from the groomer? I’m headed out to run errands for the agency anyway.”
I stopped and looked back. “I would love you forever if you could do that.”
Uta smiled. “You already do.”
I had to give her that one. Uta turned out to be the best chance the agency had ever taken. She came to us at the age of sixty-five and promised she’d be worth twice what a twenty-something was worth for the same price. She lied. Turned out, she was worth ten times a twenty-something. Her office skills, people skills, and coffee skills were all way above par. She singlehandedly increased our business with her social media prowess.
I walked around to my chair and sat at my desk, tossing half of the messages Uta gave me in the trash. Lydia continued standing.
Barely looking up at her, I said, “What’s up?”
“Are you going to lay me off?” Lydia’s voice cracked as she asked the question.
I dropped the messages onto my desk and looked up at her. “What are you talking about?”
“You hired a new agent. We don’t need a new agent, do we? So you must be letting me go.” She collapsed into the chair and crossed her arms in front of her.
“Cortnie is gone, Mom. We are swamped with cases. Do you think I’d have sent you to all of the continued education courses if I planned to let you go?”
She shrugged.
“You’re an asset. A pain in the asset, sometimes, but still an asset. Piper is replacing Cortnie.”
“But Cortnie is just having a baby. She won’t be gone forever. Then what?” Her voice still unsteady. “You can’t not take her back.”
“When and if she wants to return, she’ll be welcomed with open arms. And maybe, just maybe, Charles and I won’t have to work so hard. Besides, you know Charles, he’s gone on other business at least twenty-five percent of the time.” It had been at least half the time, but lately he’d been home for longer periods.
“Okay, so all of this travel hasn’t been for nothing. You still want me to work as an investigator?”
Now she tugged at my last nerve. “Yes. Now I have a lot of work this afternoon. And based on the files I put on your desk this morning, so do you.”
She stood and walked to the door, then turned around. “Where does he go anyway?”
Pretty sure she was referring to Charles, I said, “I don’t know, and I’ll never ask. Even though he makes me crazy, I like having him around. Too many questions wouldn’t be a good thing.”
Lydia shrugged. “I’m not sure why you put up with it from him, when you’d never let someone else disappear for weeks on end without explanation.”
As if I had to say anything, I smiled sweetly and said, “Because he’s Charles. Enough said.”
“I’ll see you in the morning, seven sharp,” Lydia said with a disgusted shake of her head. “I’ll be in my office doing research, then I need to go spy on folks.”
“Mom!”
She stopped. I rarely called her Mom at work, but it slipped out.
“You’re not sitting in on this case. I’ll talk to you if I need you, but I think Clive will be more forthcoming if you aren’t here.”
“Seriously? I brought you this case.” I could see the anger in her eyes. “I should be the lead, and you should be backing me up.”
This reminded me of why a person should never hire family or friends. They talked back. I hated when people talked back at me. I took a deep breath and reminded myself how much I loved my mom, and what a great investigator she’d become. And I reminded myself how much I hated training new people, for the second time in one morning.
“I know. And I appreciate it. I’ll keep you posted, but I can’t have you here when I interview Clive. You’re too close.”
She stomped off. “That’s just bullshit.”
Four
Charles
I left Piper to get started on the paperwork and slipped into the bathroom to check my hair. Not that it ever looked bad, but I’d been using a new conditioner, and I hoped it didn’t make the blonde look greasy. It had looked fabulous when I left the house, but that was hours ago. Not sure why I bothered. I ran my fingers through it, and it fell nicely back into place. I smiled to myself as I returned to Piper’s office.
Piper’s visit couldn’t have come at a better time. But something told me she wasn’t giving us the full story. I’d been working with people long enough to know when something bubbled under the surface. I could almost feel the bubbling when we spoke with Mimi. As much as I loved Piper, I wasn’t so sure how jumping right in and hiring her without some time, a background check, maybe even a little surveillance benefitted us. But we did it, and we’d stand by our decision.
Gotcha kept growing, and we hated to turn away business, so we needed a new investigator right away. Besides, if Mimi ever got out of her funk and started planning a wedding, she might need more time off.
She blamed her lack of wedding planning on all the changes since the engagement and so much business at the agency, but I knew better. Mimi was terrified. I knew she loved Nick, but I wasn’t sure she was ready for marriage again. And by putting off the planning, setting a date, and such, she could avoid the uncertainty.
When I walked back into the office, I could see Piper’s shoulders tense. Her movements looked tentative. She seemed unsure.
“Is everything really okay with you and Simone?” I asked.
“Peachy,” she said, but didn’t look at me.
“I know it’s been a long time, but look who you’re talking to here. I can see right through any bullshit. I just can’t see what the cause is.” I looked out the window at the parking lot, as if in casual conversation, not wanting to seem confrontational.
“I really wanted to be a cop again, that’s all. I loved that job. It’s all I ever wanted to be.” She continued to fill out the employment paperwork as she spoke. “And I feel bad for coming to you because you’re my second, maybe even third choice.”
I turned away from the window and pushed up the sleeves on my cerise cotton shirt. “Does this mean you’ll give us second or third-rate effort?”
Piper stopped writing. “No. Why would you even ask that? If I’m doing this, I’m all in.”
“For how long?” Charles said. “I ask, because training new employees costs us time and money. Unless you stay for at least a year, hiring you is a loss for us.”
“I’ll never go back to the department as long as I’m with Simone. W
e have an agreement: as long as we have kids in the house, no police work. Today’s environment, with all the cop hating, is too volatile. She doesn’t want me shot in the line of duty or shot while walking down the street, because I’m a cop. She doesn’t want our kids to be collateral damage.”
I clasped my hands behind me. “Then we’re good. Just so you know, I’m expecting a lot from you. If Mimi really does have this new client, this may be your lucky day. You’ll be a homicide detective without the badge or the constraints.”
Back to writing, Piper said, “I won’t let you down. I appreciate the chance to be an investigator, since I can’t be a cop for now.”
Mimi sent me a text. I read it and said, “Mimi wants you here for the client meeting tomorrow morning at seven. She said to get a key and security code from Uta before you leave. I’ve gotta head out. I have a lot on my plate, too.”
“I’m almost done here, so I’ll get this turned in. Then I’ll get to tell Simone I’m not going to be a cop anymore.” Piper didn’t sound all that excited. “She’ll be over the moon.”
“Calm down a little,” I said, a bit sarcastically. “You’re just working for the best agency in five western states.” Maybe the entire United States, but I didn’t have time to check out the other private detective agencies across the country.
Piper put her pen down, stacked her employment papers together and straightened them. She stood and pushed her chair back to the desk. “I really am excited. I’m also a bit terrified. I’ve never been anything but a cop since I was twenty-one.”
“You’re smart, you’ll catch on. Cortnie felt like family within a few days. Admittedly, things were a bit different back then.”
Piper smiled.
“What?” I asked.
“Remember how Mimi hated me when we first met? And how I got sick at seeing that victim’s head bashed in? I acted like such a rookie when I first partnered with Christianson.”
I snickered. “She was so green with jealousy. And pissed off big time when I took off my shirt and offered it to you to clean your face.”
Looking back, I must not have been myself that day. Taking off my shirt for someone to wipe the vomit off themselves really wasn’t my style.
“Christianson is bedroom eyes handsome. If I liked dudes, I’d have been all over him,” she paused, “I mean, if he wasn’t my partner. But jealous of me? That I never understood.”
“I shouldn’t say this, because you’re now my employee, but you’re smokin’ hot. Even with that nasty pixie cut and silver blonde hair, you’re still gorgeous.”
Piper slapped the side of her thighs. “I did a good job of getting rid of the baby fat. And, hey, if you had an infant or toddler, you’d cut all your hair off, too.”
“But the color,” I said. “That’s not natural looking at all. But I do like the way it flashes in the light.”
“You should have seen it last month, a soft aqua. Simone said it looked like I’d been in the pool too much. Which would have been fine, if I had time to go swimming.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “But this color, even you’d look good in this color.”
I grimaced. “Like I have time to color my hair. Besides, I look nearly perfect as it is.”
We walked back down the hall to Uta.
“I forgot how humble you are.”
Who had time for humble?
Uta stood as we entered the reception area. “Ms. Mason, I have a packet here for you. It’s our employee manual, papers to apply for your private investigator license, and some interesting things you’ll need to know about working here. I’ll have your business cards in a few days.”
I stared at Uta with my eyes wide. “We have an employee manual?”
Uta nodded. “You and Mimi approved it months ago. I’ve been putting it together since I started working here. There’s a general manual, and one specifically for investigators.”
I seriously didn’t remember going over the manual. Not that I didn’t, but I had so much going on, I probably read it and signed off on it without even thinking about it.
Piper took the packet Uta handed her. “Thank you, and please call me Piper. I already feel old being a mom.”
“I look forward to working with you, Piper. And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Lydia walked through reception without speaking, straight out the front door. I wondered what might be wrong, because her body language made it clear she wasn’t interested in speaking to any of us. And it wasn’t like her to storm out the door without saying goodbye.
What was I thinking, hiring another woman? I needed some testosterone in the agency to offset the estrogen lingering in the air.
“I’m outta here,” I said and walked away.
I had other business to attend to. Something far more interesting than private eye work.
Five
Charles
There are some relationships that aren’t meant to work out: actors, models, chefs, and law enforcement. Not for any reason other than the spouse/partner in the profession spent a lot of time working at said career, and everything else seemed to come second. Max being an agent with the FBI, and me working for the government and co-owning Gotcha Detective Agency with Mimi, we were in the same situation.
I think the only reason the relationship worked was because both Max and I worked crazy long hours. Neither of us got offended when the other couldn’t talk about a specific case. On the flip side, if we needed to vent or bounce something off someone, we had the same education and background to be able to help each other. The real reason we worked: we didn’t expect any more than what we were getting.
After a taxing day of work, Max and I had plans. A rarity that we ever even had a night out with friends. I looked forward to the evening, even if I was exhausted.
I met Max around seven at The Fogbank in Monterey, a quaint little two-story place just up from Cannery Row. The bar hosted local jazz and blues bands, and they served Cajun cuisine on the lower level.
Even though the fog had rolled in early and a chill nipped at the air, we chose to sit outside on the patio to enjoy our drinks. We didn’t want to take up seating for diners, and if we sat in the bar, the music would be too loud to carry on a conversation. As it was, Max, his friend Jared Williams, and I could hear waves of music on the air, with just enough volume to enjoy it and still be able to talk.
Jared had dirty blond hair, badly in need of a barber’s touch, and blue eyes. I’d have called him handsome, if I was asked, and he’d have called me gorgeous, but that was beside the point. He was tall and lanky and had a handshake that belied his lankiness. I liked him immediately.
He wore boot cut Wranglers, cowboy boots which had seen better days, and a plaid cotton long-sleeve shirt. Somehow his manner of dress fit his personality. Normally, I’d be appalled at such hick casual clothing, but not on him. His eyes looked like they’d seen too much for his age, which I guessed to be early forties.
Once he settled in and had his Rolling Rock beer in front of him, I asked, “How long have you been with the Marshal’s service?”
“Fifteen years and a little over four months. I started in prisoner transportation.” Jared’s voice was smooth, his drawl southern, and his words slow.
“I thought Max said you’re with WITSEC?”
“I said he was with WITSEC. Now he’s with fugitive apprehension. That’s why I thought you’d like to meet him,” Max said.
“It’s always fun to talk shop when we don’t all work in the same shop,” Jared said.
“Fugitive apprehension. So, you travel a lot.”
Jared drank a swig of beer and nodded. “A lot. But I’m not married, or even in a relationship, so I volunteer for a lot of cases.”
“That’s a dangerous job,” Max said.
“No more dangerous than what you two do. If I’m working with a good crew and good local law enforcement, it’s not so bad.”
“I guess it’s all perspective. A lot of people wou
ld think we’re crazy,” Max said.
“We are,” I said.
That brought up everyone’s glass for a round of cheers. We loved our jobs.
Call me paranoid, but I’d looked the guy up before having drinks with him. You can never be too careful, especially when you didn’t know who was on the right side of the law. And, yes, I was talking about law enforcement folks.
I didn’t see anything clandestine in his public and government records, so I investigated classified files, and even expunged juvenile files. With our government, no matter what they say, nothing is really expunged.
The WITSEC cases interested me more than the fugitive ones. I had clearance to find out who he’d gotten new lives for, but I didn’t see the relevance. Seeing which cases witnesses had agreed to give depositions for turned out to be eye opening. I looked forward to meeting Jared after going through his background.
“I feel like we’ve met before, but I can’t place it,” I said.
“I can’t say we’ve ever met,” Jared said as he flagged down the server for another round. “But after hearing your name and looking you up, I’m glad I contacted Max.”
“Looked me up?” I asked. Maybe I was a little paranoid, but hadn’t I done the same to him?
“You have quite the reputation in your circles,” Jared said.
“I didn’t know I was famous.” I knew I’d turned some heads, because I played at some crazy sketchy tables with sketchy players, and I won. Making sure to be three steps ahead of the criminals, I always won.
“The Playa case. Infamous.”
“Ah, Playa. I thought that was classified. But it’s been a few years, so maybe not anymore. I try to forget that one.” I had no intention of rehashing that nightmare investigation. “You’ve had quite the illustrious career with the U.S. Marshals. Your apprehension rate is impressive. Your work with WITSEC is harder to evaluate, other than you only had two witnesses tracked and killed after testifying.”
A Lie in Every Truth Page 3
