by Jen Talty
“Anyone else in the house?” Dispatch had told Ethan that the caller had said he was sure he’d been alone, but it was important to ask.
And check it out.
“No. Just me,” Colin said.
“Mind if I take a look inside?”
“Be my guest.”
Ethan unclipped his weapon and took the four steps up and into the house, scanning the immediate area. A blue plaid sofa lined the back wall in the family room across from the picture window. To the right of the couch was a dark-blue chair with matching ottoman.
“Anyone here?” Ethan called as he stepped into the dining room, which lead to a small kitchen in the back of the house. He peeked his head around the corner, noting the beer cans and empty bottle of vodka on the counter.
Backtracking, he found the one and only bedroom off the main living area. Clothes had been tossed all over the floor. Both dressers showed all the drawers hanging open, apparel cascading out as if it had been yanked haphazardly.
Satisfied the duplex was empty, Ethan made his way back to the front yard.
“Want to tell me why you called the police?” The bedroom looked as if someone ransacked it, either looking for something or in a rage. Then again, a single man, who Ethan guessed to be about twenty-five, lived in the space, and some bachelors liked a mess, and since he hadn’t seen a single stitch of a woman’s wardrobe, it seemed like a probable conclusion. Given the condition of the resident, it seemed like a good conclusion.
“I woke up, and my tux was gone,” Colin said with a slur before tipping back his longneck, swallowing twice.
“What do you mean gone?”
The man snapped his fingers over his head, barley connecting to make any sound at all. “Disappeared.”
“While you were sleeping?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Had you locked the door?” Ethan asked, ignoring Colin’s sarcasm.
“I honestly don’t remember.”
Fair enough answer. “You absolutely know the missing item was here when you went to bed?”
Colin laughed, shaking his head as he rubbed his temple with his free hand. “I got into a fight with my fiancée yesterday. She left, I started drinking. Heavily. I passed out at like four in the morning and woke up about twenty minutes ago.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“Jessica brought the tux over yesterday. It was hanging on the back of the bathroom door when she stormed off.”
“Jessica is your fiancée?” Ethan took out his notepad and made a few notes.
“I think she’d tell you she’s my ex at this point.”
“Can you show me where the tux was?” Ethan asked, even though he wanted to probe more into why she’d think that. He’d get into that line of questioning after Colin showed him around.
“Sure thing.” Colin stood on wobbly legs. His tall frame swayed as he stumbled into the house. The stale stench of alcohol filled the air.
Ethan followed him toward a small hallway between the kitchen and bedroom where the bathroom and laundry room were located.
“She’d hung it right here before coming into the bedroom.” Colin pointed toward the open door eight feet away.
“Did she come through the family room or kitchen?”
Colin shrugged. “I’m guessing the kitchen since I didn’t hear her come in.”
“What were you doing?”
Colin raised his beer, chugging the last few gulps. “I was in bed with another woman, hence the fight.”
Ethan tried to stifle his judgment, keeping his facial muscles tight and his expression unresponsive. “So, she walked in on you.”
“Only, I wasn’t doing anything with that other woman, but yeah.”
“Your bedroom always that messy?” Ethan glanced around at the rest of the house, which was clutter-free and clean, other than the empty bottles.
“No. Jessica went nuts, understandably so, though she never let me explain that nothing actually happened. Doesn’t matter. She trashed the place, told me the wedding was off, and then left.”
“Jessica doesn’t live here?”
Colin shook his head. “We were going to move into her place after the wedding. Half my stuff is there. I’m sure she’s burned it by now.”
“Does she have a key to this place?”
Colin nodded, tears lining his red eyes.
“Do you think she could have come in while you were sleeping and taken the tux?” It was hard for Ethan to have any empathy for the broken man leaning against the wall on the verge of bawling like a baby. If you play, you might have to pay, and someone else gets hurt, something Colin should have thought about before taking another woman into his bedroom.
But it wasn’t Ethan’s job to judge.
“I suppose, but I don’t see why she would, unless it was to return it.”
“Where’d you rent it?”
“I didn’t. It belonged to my dad who passed away a few years ago. My other dad thought it would be a nice way to remember him if I wore the one he wore at their wedding and Jessica loves my dads, so she wouldn’t do anything to hurt my living dad, or the one that passed.”
“Have you looked around to see if anything else is missing?”
Colin nodded, letting out a long sigh. “My computer, iPad, cell phone, and stereo are all still here.”
“Can you give me Jessica’s contact information? I’d like to speak to her.”
“Sure.” Colin stumbled into the kitchen and scribbled something on a piece of paper. “When you’re there, can you tell her that I didn’t sleep with another woman? I kissed her and then spent the next half hour fending off her advances, telling her I couldn’t cheat on my fiancée.”
“Sober up. Shave. And then go tell her yourself.” Ethan shoved his notebook in his pocket. “I’d do the flowers and chocolate thing, but then I’d do even more and be prepared for her to toss you out on your ass. But if you love her, and what you say is true, then prove it.”
Colin chuckled. “You sound like you’ve been in my shoes.”
“Nope. Your fiancée’s, only worse.” Ethan pulled out his sunglasses. “I’ll be in touch if I find anything out about your tux.”
“Thanks for coming out and for the advice.”
Ethan nodded. “I’d also like the contact information on the other woman.”
Colin closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I only know her first name. Renee. She’s a waitress at the Shipwreck.”
Ethan headed toward his car, phone in hand. There were too many capers involving weddings, and he needed to talk with Palmetto.
Chapter Ten
Love and mystery, an intoxicating mixture of pure passion at its finest.
I curl up on the sofa in front of the television. Annabel tends to leave it on a local channel that plays a three-hour national entertainment and news program with constant cut-ins from the local news. I’ve decided as much as I enjoy Jupiter, the rest of the area seems like quite a dangerous place to live.
Annabel is getting ready to leave, gathering up her laptop and that box of wedding material that I simply do not want to get tangled up in, yet again.
I roll to my back, stretching my paws over my head, shimmying back and forth. The plush leather feels good. It’s nice and cool and feels like silk. My new human sure has good taste in furniture.
She strolls into the family room, scanning the area, in search of something. I poke my head up and then leap from the sofa, looking in all the areas she can’t see. I’ve learned in my brief stay, Annabel loses her keys.
A lot.
I spot them under one of the recliners. If she kept them in her purse, like most women, instead of her pants pocket, she wouldn’t have this problem.
I meow, reaching my paw under the stylish piece of furniture.
“What’s under there?” Annabel steps behind the sofa just as I push the keys toward her feet.
“Aren’t you the crafty cat.”
I wouldn’t use the word crafty. I open my mouth to meow my distaste in her word choice when the local newscaster cuts into the morning show. A beautiful wedding dress displayed on a hanger on the television is the object of the anchorman’s story.
I perch myself in front of the large screen, swinging my tail back and forth as I sit and listen. I’ve never had much of an interest in weddings until now.
The camera pans to a woman singing on stage. Her name is Hillary Monta and she’s a lead singer in a band. She lives in Jupiter, so says the newscaster. It’s also reported that she got married this past weekend, but when she and her new husband returned, they found out their house had been broken into. Her wedding dress, his tux, and all their wedding gifts that had been left in their family room, had been stolen.
This town certainly has turned into one big wedding caper.
I meow, loudly, raising up on my hind legs, pressing my paws on the television. Annabel has to see this. I know it’s all connected to the items in the storage unit and to the robbery in the building. I’m going to need to meet this Danny person, so I can know for sure if he’s the man I saw in the bushes.
But that seems a tad too obvious. I’ve learned over the years that nothing is what it seems and who seems to be the best suspect only leads to closed thinking.
My mind is always open to other possibilities, even the outrageous ones. Humans are notorious for doing the exact opposite of what one would predict. It’s a little thing called being predictably irrational, and humans are exactly that.
I glance over my shoulder, but Annabel is in the kitchen, her head in the fridge.
Why is it that even with the smartest of humans, I have to resort to parlor kitty tricks?
I race around the room as if I’d seen something of perhaps the mouse persuasion. I claw at the floor, meowing wildly, then jump up at the screen.
“What on earth?” Annabel races over, but it’s too late. A commercial for men’s underwear has replaced the news story. “What did you see?”
I turn my head to the television. The commercial is over, and now a meteorologist is discussing the heatwave in the Northwest sector of the country.
I purr, rubbing my body against her leg, glancing up at her.
“Seriously, Trouble. You don’t act crazy unless something got under your fur.”
I raise my paw, and she picks me up. I lap at her fingers. They taste like strawberries. I like most berries.
Annabel picks up the remote. I meow as she holds it up. I know the program won’t cut back to the local news for another half hour, and she’s late already.
That said, she needs to know about the singer’s stolen finery.
“Never a dull moment with you, Trouble.”
Annabel pulled open the door to the coffee shop on the beach. Her senses were immediately assaulted by the bitter scent of freshly ground beans mixed with powdered sugar, butter, and a hint of bacon. One of the reasons she picked the condo community where she lived had been because it would only take five minutes to walk to this spot. Best breakfast in the world, and you couldn’t beat the view.
The one thing she missed the most when she’d been living in New York City, had been the calming sound of the ocean lapping against the sand.
She glanced at her watch. Her morning hadn’t gone quite as planned. Touching her lips, she remembered every mouthwatering moment of Ethan’s kiss. He’d certainly turned her world upside down faster than a cascading waterfall.
And she couldn’t turn it off if she tried.
Nor did she want to.
Trouble popped his head out of her handbag, and she quickly but gently pushed him back down. She didn’t think the patrons or employees would appreciate her furry friend.
“Can I help you?” the hostess asked.
“Can I get a large coffee, and some eggs and bacon to go?” She’d only planned on getting a second cup of coffee since she’d already had a scrumptious pastry, but since it was pushing eleven and she knew she wouldn’t have time to eat again, she might as well satisfy her taste buds now.
Besides, Trouble looked like he could use a little more nourishment.
“Make that two orders of eggs and bacon.”
“Sure thing.” The hostess scribbled on a pad, then hit a few keys in the cash register before taking Annabel’s credit card. “It will take about ten minutes.”
“No problem. I’m going to step outside. I’ll be back shortly.” Annabel headed out the back door and inhaled the salty ocean air. The warmth filled her lungs like an intoxicating cocktail. The ocean gently lapped at the sand as the sun kissed the water with its finger-like rays. Nothing beat being near the ocean.
She turned her head toward the outdoor eating area, surprised to see Craig sitting at a table with papers spread out over the top. He rubbed his temples while shifting through a few of the pages. He’d sent her a text not to bother coming into the office until noon. He said he had meetings all morning and wouldn’t have any work for her, which she thought was odd because there was always something to do, but she didn’t argue. He never promised her full-time hours and had told her that the work would be sporadic, which was fine with her, considering her career end goals.
“Good morning, Craig,” she said as Trouble leapt from the handbag and started exploring under the table. That cat had to be about the most curious creature she’d ever met.
Craig lifted his head and dropped the pen he’d been tapping on the table. “Sorry, you startled me.”
“I didn’t mean to. How has your morning been?” she asked.
“I have three new listings, so busy.” He gathered up the folders and stacked them neatly to the side. “Please, join me.”
Annabel couldn’t help but notice the legal documents he’d tried to shove at the bottom of the pile. Her gaze kept darting back to them. She felt bad for prying, but whatever those legal documents were about, they had turned Craig from his normal flirty self to someone who was scared of his own shadow.
He also hadn’t shaved, which she’d never known him not to do. He was the kind of man that always dressed to the nines. Designer everything. He never went anywhere without looking his best.
“Is there something I can help you with?”
Craig let out a long breath. “Do you know a good lawyer?”
“Actually, I do. My father,” she said, eyeing the papers once again. Craig knew a few lawyers, every real estate agent did, so why was he asking her?
“That’s right. I forgot your dad’s an attorney. But what kind?” Craig seemed to perk up a bit as he leaned toward Annabel, with an eager look on his face. However, the dullness of his normally bright sky eyes indicated a sense of despair.
“He’s a corporate lawyer, but his firm handles everything, including criminal cases.” She cringed at the last couple of words that tumbled out of her mouth. She could have chosen a different kind of litigation to describe what her father’s firm did. Besides, people needed representation for all sorts of reasons and the majority weren’t necessarily criminal.
Craig raked a hand through his dark hair. “This has got to be the dumbest lawsuit known to man.”
“Does this have to do with the papers you were served yesterday?”
He nodded but didn’t elaborate.
Her mother always told her curiosity killed the cat. She glanced at Trouble, who currently sat at the corner of the building, looking over the parking lot. Being inquisitive, according to her father, was a sign of intelligence.
Something she and Trouble certainly knew a lot about.
“I’m happy to put you in touch with my dad, but he’s going to want the details first. That way he knows which of his partners is best suited.”
“I’d prefer people don’t know about this. Not that this situation is a horrible thing, but my family doesn’t need the drama.”
She nodded, understanding better than most that discretion goes a long way. That said, she couldn’t help unless she knew at least a few specifics. “My fath
er can’t help you unless he knows the nature of the claim. You can trust me. I’m not going to say anything.”
He scratched the back of his neck, glancing around the area. “My ex-girlfriend is suing me. She thinks she’s entitled to some of my assets because we lived together for seven years and since I’m the one who broke up with her, after she’d given up her job—”
“Given up her job?” Annabel bit the inside of her cheek to control her tongue. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be a gossip, but I briefly met your ex, Sarah, at a wedding of a friend of mine at the hotel she used to work at. I believe she was let go.” Fired was the proper term, but no point in being mean.
Craig’s lips parted as his eyes widened. “She was pregnant. We decided she’d stay home, but she had a miscarriage a month after she’d quit.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss.” Annabel decided at this time, it was best to keep her big mouth zipped shut. The breakup and subsequent loss of a pregnancy had only been a few months ago. Too soon to be poking at that bear.
Besides, Rosie had mentioned the information she had on Sarah and the food and beverage manager had been all hearsay. She had no proof and also cited they weren’t a couple, at least that Rosie knew of.
“I obviously mixed up your ex with someone else. I’m sorry.” Annabel did her best to keep from rolling her eyes at the absurdity of her own lie.
“Thanks, but honestly, the breakup was for the best. We’d been miserable for the last year, and for some strange reason, I thought finally giving her a baby would make things better.” He sucked in a breath through his nose. His eyes glossed over. “It was weird. I never thought I wanted children. She begged and begged until one day I just tossed my hands in the air and said fine. She was pregnant three months later. However, nothing got better.”
“I’m sorry.” Annabel reached out, pressing her hand over Craig’s. “Why does she think she’s entitled to your assets?” As much as she wanted all the dirt, she figured focusing on the lawsuit was what was in Craig’s best interest. “You weren’t married, and you’ve only been apart for a short time. Couldn’t you possibly reconcile?”
