Perfect Paige

by Ines Saint

  “Did anyone mention seeing him around at any time, or did anyone mention anything unusual at all?” Boyd asked.

  Sherry and Ruby said no, while Rosa fished a notebook out from the same drawer and scanned it. “We jot down anything unusual or notable in here, just in case, and the only thing in here for the month of April is that you tore poor Sherry’s home apart on the twenty-seventh,” she said.

  “When did you decide to buy the investment property Paige is living in now?” Alex asked next, before they could tear into them about Sherry’s house.

  Back when they’d executed the first search warrant, they hadn’t known Glenn had been alone in Spinning Hills. Now they had to look carefully at any and all possibilities in town.

  “Let’s see . . .” Rosa again flipped through the notebook. “We first discussed buying it on May first, and we made the decision on May fourth. We closed on the sixteenth. And then we had to scramble to get it ready for Paige.” She frowned at them, then, as if the scramble was their fault.

  Alex ignored the look and thought for a moment. “Do you remember ever discussing buying the property with Paige or Glenn at all, before then?”

  “No,” Ruby answered. “We’ve learned not to tell our grandchildren any of our ideas. They butt in if we do.”

  Rosa smiled. It was the first time he’d seen her relax. “Despite all evidence to the contrary, they seem to think they know better than us.”

  Boyd grinned at that.

  “Please don’t tell Paige, but giving her and the kids a temporary place to stay was why we started discussing buying an investment property in the first place. We knew life wouldn’t be easy for her in Hidden Bend after that raid,” Sherry added, while shooting them a few more dirty looks. “Now, is there anything else, gentlemen?”

  “Yes. We’d like your permission to search the café,” Alex tried again. They had a fresh search warrant, but they preferred the women’s permission and cooperation.

  The women exchanged speaking glances. Alex couldn’t help but admire how they were able to communicate without saying a word. His most successful partnerships worked like that, too.

  “We gather you’re looking for that laboratory journal Glenn swears up and down he knows nothing about?” Sherry asked.

  So they even knew what they were looking for. It wasn’t unexpected; Glenn, and even Paige, had been interrogated enough over it, but it complicated things somewhat. The last thing they needed was for the ladies to get ideas into their heads if they happened to know where it could be hidden, or if they found it.

  Boyd gave them a simple nod.

  “And you’re sure it’s here?” Sherry continued.

  “We’re fairly certain it’s here in town. It makes sense to start here at the café,” Alex conceded.

  “And are you willing to sign the document?” Rosa asked.

  “If you help our technicians with the search, we will sign the document,” Boyd agreed. “But you need to understand that if you find anything you think is even remotely related to the investigation, you must turn it over to us—”

  “Of course. We’re not stupid enough to get slapped with some sort of accessory charge over Glenn. And we heard you loud and clear. Glenn is not the big fish. He’s your snitch. And you need to find this evidence before his lawyers can strike up a bargain so it can be included in any deal he makes. If it isn’t included and is found later, Glenn will have a new mess, and that would not be good for Paige and the kids.” Sherry stood up. “So let’s get started. We’re losing customers by the minute, and we certainly don’t want evidence needed in a federal investigation hidden here.”

  Hours later, after the alley and the café had been combed and nothing had been found, not even in the blasted priest hole—hidden behind a pivoted beam where they never would’ve found it without Sherry, Ruby, and Rosa’s help—Sherry let the technicians out and locked him and Boyd in yet again. “We’ve been discussing it, and we know exactly how you can find the evidence and solve the case,” she said.

  “You’re gonna tell us how to solve the case?” Boyd was pleasant, but Alex knew inside he was somewhat irked.

  Alex didn’t take offense. His great-aunt and grandmother had been giving him advice on how to do his job for years.

  “Yes.” Ruby nodded. “We’ve had great successes in matchmaking and in promoting the well-being of many members of our community. Ask around, anyone can tell you. We might as well lend our combined experience, powers of deduction, and knowledge of the human mind and heart to villain-hunting, as well.”

  “The thing is, we have five marriages between the three of us. Three of them Ruby’s. We know how men think, and we know how to get Glenn to make a move,” Rosa explained.

  “Ladies, while we appreciate your input—”

  “Wait. Do you mind giving us a moment?” Alex asked. The three women acquiesced.

  “I think we should humor them,” Alex said the moment they stepped outside. What Boyd had said to the women was true. It wasn’t just good detective work that solved cases, it was listening to the observations of the people around the person they were investigating. Informants especially were invaluable. Annoying, but invaluable. They knew the little things an investigator could never know. Like what made a person tick, and, more importantly, what could make them desperate. He was always willing to entertain unorthodox ideas.

  Boyd looked at him as if he were crazy. “No. I’m done. They’re starting to give me a headache. Following their chatter is worse than looking at that hypnotic water tower. We can’t afford to waste time we don’t even have.”

  “My gut is telling me we’ll need them. Hear me out a sec, okay?”

  Boyd frowned, but trained his eyes on the ground to listen. Alex took a moment to gather his thoughts. Explaining a gut feeling wasn’t like laying out a logical argument. Galloway didn’t know the real reason they were looking for the journal, and McGee, the assistant special agent in charge of their office, wasn’t taking the threat seriously.

  “The three of them want what’s best for Paige and the kids. They’ll keep their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary, and they’ll catch it. I feel sure of that. They even keep a notebook of unusual activities, for God’s sake. If we hear them out, we could gain their full cooperation, and they might also help us glean information from Paige. Information she probably doesn’t even know she has. And we can make sure Galloway learns we’ve been here. If that makes him nervous, then we have further proof we’re in the right place. It could get him to confess or to make a wrong move.”

  And Alex didn’t care which, as long as they had the journal on their side. Not only were they tailing Galloway, but they had tracking devices under the cars of his mistress, his soon-to-be ex-wife, his parents, and his cohorts, and surveillance cameras set up in key places. Though it was redundant, he reviewed key facts to make his point. “Galloway was here two days after he stole the journal. He decided to come here with Paige and the kids hours after the story hinting at upcoming subpoenas and raids came out.”

  Boyd met his gaze. “You know your arguments for letting them think they’re useful can also go the wrong way, right? If they spot any funny business, they won’t call us—they’ll take things into their own hands. The last thing they need is our encouragement to get involved.”

  This was also true, but Alex shook his head. “Like you said, they’ll take things into their own hands whether we let them in on it or not. Even if we hadn’t shown up here today, you can bet those three will pounce if they see any funny business in their town. We’ll have more control if we hear them out, let them in, and gain their trust. Remember what you said in there? It’s always the people closest to the criminal who end up solving the cases. We just ask the right questions and put the pieces together. I know you were saying it to flatter them, but we both know it’s true.”

  Boyd bit the inside of his cheek. After a moment, he sighed. “You’re right. I don’t like it, but you’re right.”

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nbsp; They stepped back into the café and were met with three satisfied faces. Rosa put a finger to her nose before pointing the same finger back at him with a smile. “I knew you were smart.”

  Ruby nodded with approval. “Dry and joyless, but sharp, assessing, and respectful.”

  Dry and joyless? Boyd barked out a laugh. Alex didn’t like the sound of it. It was as if he agreed.

  “A sudden and unforeseen event,” Boyd said a short time later, after they’d listened to the women’s ideas and were walking to the car.

  “What? Their crazy plan?” Alex blew out a breath. “That’s an understatement.”

  “No, it’s what coup de foudre means. I just looked it up. But yeah, that, too.” Boyd chuckled.

  Chapter 2

  Paige dumped the fruit chew wrappers onto the table, tore open a bag of chips, sat down on the sofa, and tried to take in everything that was happening on the TV. But the sinking feeling in her stomach got worse, and the chips got stuck in her throat. The over-the-top antics on the long-running soap opera no longer felt like something to scoff or laugh at. The drama unfolding on the screen hit too close to home. Paige closed her eyes. It was getting harder and harder to keep doubts at bay. When she had time alone with her thoughts, it was nearly impossible.

  She opened her eyes and looked outside, to where a bright, hot, late August day accused her of being lazy.

  A fist pounded on the door then and she jumped. The sound was too reminiscent of the day the FBI blew up her carefully constructed life. The image of the stoniest eyes she’d ever seen still haunted the worst of her nightmares. She sprung from the couch and swung the door open, not bothering to look through the peephole. Her two sisters were standing there. “You’re back—already?” She had to fight to keep herself from wailing the words.

  “Of course we’re back! It’s the first day of school, and we want to be here for you.” Her younger sister, Hope, entered.

  Fig. After four months of faking it for her kids’ sake, she desperately needed one day of complete and total pity-wallowing.

  The last thing she needed was to have her sisters hounding her steps. Especially when, right now, all she wanted was for those steps to lead from the kitchen, to the bathroom, to the couch. So she could mope. For just one day.

  Gracie peered into her face. “Oh. We’re sorry. You look as if you need to be alone. We just thought you might need us.”

  Paige swallowed. She desperately wanted to be alone. But she couldn’t tell them that, not when they were already there. “It’s not that. You know I’ve loved having you around so much.” Hope and Gracie had been constantly “dropping in” to check on her as if they lived next door, and not in other states. “But I worry about you two putting your jobs and careers in jeopardy. You need to stop physically checking in on me. You know Grandma and company check in on me often enough. Three to four times a day, in fact,” she said, biting back frustration. “And I’m fine.”

  “Honey . . . This doesn’t look like fine,” Hope said, looking down at the coffee table.

  Gracie carefully sidestepped Paige and walked over to where Hope was standing. “Oh, wow,” she breathed out.

  “I told you. The moment the kids started school, she’d drop her freaky June Cleaver smile and fall apart,” Hope muttered. Paige knew she wasn’t meant to hear that, but Hope had never been good at moderating her voice.

  At that moment, Paige had to work to moderate her own voice, which wanted to scream. “I’m not falling apart. I always enjoy a good pig-out session on the first day of school. Many moms do.”

  Hope held out a fistful of fruit chew wrappers. “Yes, but Red number forty, Yellow numbers five and six, and xylitol? You’ve been lecturing us on how bad this stuff is for years.”

  “And MSG,” Gracie added, picking up the chips. “Don’t forget MSG.”

  Hope then took a sip from the glass sitting on the side table. “Mountain Dew? At nine a.m.?”

  Paige looked away. The truth was, she had relentlessly hounded them on the evils of the crap she was now eating. For years. “That was from last night.”

  “It’s still cold.”

  Paige felt her cheeks go warm. Her nerves were beginning to grow hot, too. She could feel them pricking at her skin just beneath the surface. “You know what?” Paige tore the bag of chips from Hope’s hands. “I don’t need this right now.”

  Hope put her hands up. “You’re right . . . you’re right. We’re only trying to point out that you’re not yourself.”

  Not herself? Paige clenched her fists. “Look, I don’t need to tell you that the past four months have been hard on the kids, and I’ve been dealing with it day in and day out. Riley blames me for everything and then feels guilty about it, and her heartburn is worse than ever. They’re both also used to a lot more space, and they keep tripping over each other here and constantly getting on each other’s nerves. Other kids in town have been teasing Tyler about living on the street haunted by Bessie White, Mad Madeline, and Clyde Cupcake, and now he thinks all three of them live in his closet, and it’s taking him hours to get to sleep. And this morning—” Paige paused to breathe in and out, still not sure why, with everything that was going on in her life, that morning’s particular incident, a silly non-issue, had felt like the straw that broke the camel’s back.

  “A mom from the school here acted super-nice and invited me to have coffee with her after we dropped the kids off, but it turned out all she wanted to do was get me to sign up for an auto-shipment of this vitamin water she sells, and then have me invite my old friends from Hidden Bend to a party at her house where we’d all drink the water.” Paige paused, looked down, and breathed in and out yet again. “So what you’re seeing here is me taking some much-needed time for myself. You don’t need to make a big deal out of it, and you don’t need to add to it by making me worry about you.”

  She had been staying in an apartment owned not only by her grandmother, but also by her grandmother’s two business partners. On top of every other humiliation was the added burden of knowing that the women’s investment wasn’t yet paying off, and all because of her. The three women had bought the property from the Amador Brothers, who had restored the beautiful old Tudor mansion that sat on the corner of the third most haunted street in Ohio into four apartments. But now that Paige was borrowing one of the apartments, they had decided not to rent the other three, because they didn’t want potential weirdos staying so close to Paige and her two kids. So the last thing she needed right now was to feel like her sisters were jeopardizing their careers over her, as well.

  Gracie put an arm around her. “We’re sorry. We know it’s been hard, and we just want to help. But it’s hard to help when we’re not physically here for you.” She hesitated. “Especially now that the kids are in school and the details of the divorce have been hammered out.”

  The word divorce hurt, but Hope put an arm around her, too, and Paige had to admit it felt good to be coddled for a change. Until Hope said, “It’s why we’re both moving in. We want to be a part of your new life.”

  Paige stiffened. So much for feeling good for a moment. Her sisters needed to focus on their own lives. They’d already taken too much time off to be with her. How could she convince them that all she needed was to be alone? Ranting hadn’t worked, so she tried speaking in slow, measured tones, to show them she was fine and in control. “You can’t move in here. You both have demanding careers elsewhere, and you know neither of you would like it if I upended my life for you like you want to do for me. The three of us are self-reliant, we always have been. I promise you, I’ve got it all figured out.”

  Gracie squeezed her shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about us, or feel guilty about us being here. We’ve loved spending time with you, Grandma, and the kids. It’s been good for us.”

  Hope narrowed her eyes a moment. “What exactly do you have all figured out? Do you have a plan?” She was trying hard to sound curious and supportive, but Paige knew in reality, she wa
s skeptical.

  She stifled a sigh. “I don’t need a plan. This is not a new life. This is a temporary situation.”

  Gracie sat up. “What do you mean, temporary situation?” Her voice was sweet, but there was a worried edge to it.

  “This whole mess with the feds is getting sorted out, and Glenn will soon be off the hook. He told the kids. And I have a feeling that the moment he can put this whole nightmare behind him, he and I will be able to work things out and get back together.”

  Gracie looked confused. “But . . . do you even love him, Paige? In four months, not once have you mentioned missing him. Not once have you expressed anything that isn’t concern over the kids.”

  Paige blinked, remembering the pain of the day Glenn had told her he didn’t love her anymore. They’d gone to sleep, each facing a wall. There had been a time when they’d always faced each other. Love. What was it, anyway? Something that morphed. Something that could be choked out of you. No, she didn’t love him, either. But it was possible to find something new. A friendly kind of love, based on respect on his side, and forgiveness on hers. “I chose to bring kids into this world with him. A responsibility to do my best for them came with that choice. They want their old life back, and I owe it to them to try. Glenn and I can make it work.”

  Hope raised her left eyebrow. The one she and Gracie had nicknamed, “Beater.” “I’m sorry, but this isn’t working. It’s time for some tough love,” she said. Paige drew herself to her full height, all the while preparing not to get drawn into an argument with Hope. Hope and her brow were unbeatable. “You say you’re self-reliant, and you once were. Unbelievably so. You were my idol. But you’ve been completely dependent on a man for the past eight years. Up until four months ago, you had an on-call babysitter, two cleaning ladies, and a gardener. All you were doing was shopping, getting your hair and nails done, and going to meetings. And the man you depended on, the man you still want to depend on, is in serious trouble, and he asked you for a divorce. You need to get your head out of the clouds and start making a new plan. Your old life is gone, Paige, and this next stage will be different.”