The Knife Before Christmas

by Jamie Lee Scott

  “He’s a mechanical engineer, for Pete’s sake. He can afford it, unless Maggie is a crazy shopping addict. They live in a modest home and drive modest cars. Oh, and they don’t have kids, either. Maggie said something about adopting, but then Rhett started acting strange.”

  “How do you tell your spouse something like this without hurting anyone’s feelings? I feel for Rhett, I really do,” I said.

  “What I wouldn’t give to get a look inside that apartment. Rhett seems fashionable. Every day he, I mean she, has a new stylish dress and low pumps. Heck, I’d even go back to wearing high heels if I could find shoes that cute.”

  We were getting off topic.

  “What are you going to tell the wife?” I asked.

  “It’s your business,” Lydia said. “You tell her.”

  “It’s your case.”

  Lydia’s face was somber as she said, “Fine, I’ll tell her. I’m not exactly sure what to say.”

  “I wonder what she thinks would be worse, that her husband was cheating on her, or that her husband prefers to be a woman?” It sounded callous as the words came out, but I did wonder. It would be a shock to any relationship.

  I knew it would be a huge blow to me, but I’d hope that I love the person enough to be understanding. I’d cry like a baby, I knew that. But in the end, I hoped I was a better person and just wanted the person I loved to be happy.

  Lydia looked at me. “I feel sorry for the man. He’s not that old, but all these years he’s been a man, when inside he’s really a woman. If I was his wife, I don’t know how I’d feel. I just hope she’s supportive and doesn’t take it as a personal affront. That would be selfish and cruel.”

  “I don’t know about you, but I think I’d ask him for makeup tips,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Me too,” she said enthusiastically. “I’ve thought that several times. And that was before I was sure it was a man. Or not a man really, but a trans person. Heck, I’m confused.”

  “Do you think we need to follow him to work?” I asked.

  “Nope. I think we’ve done all we can on this case.” Lydia adjusted herself on the seat and put her seatbelt back on. “But I do think I want the chance to talk to Rhett before telling his wife. This isn’t like outing a cheater. This is much harder and much more personal. And he’s keeping it a secret from her for a reason.”

  “No kids, though,” I said.

  “That isn’t even the point. Rhett can’t continue to live two lives. Either they’ll accept her, or they won’t. Not a situation I’d want to deal with. Besides, his job doesn’t seem to have an issue.”

  “Maybe they’ve never known Rhett as Rhett.”

  Lydia wagged her finger. “Not true. I looked him up, and his name came up as employed by Glouten Engineering.”

  Rhett had already started the car and driven away. I continued to stare at the empty parking space at the curb, wondering how hard something like that had to be on a person, and if there was any support for someone dealing with this.

  “What’s the plan?” I asked.

  “I’m going to Rhett’s office on my own time. I’ll explain who I am, and ask him what’s going on. I mean, unlike an affair, I think he needs a heads up. His wife was suspicious enough to hire us, so she’s onto him somehow. Maybe he is just a crossdresser, or maybe he lost a bet. Who knows? But he shouldn’t be blindsided.”

  “Sounds good, but maybe wait for him to get back here. Knock on the apartment door,” I suggested.

  “I don’t think so. I may have a gun, but I’m not going into a stranger’s apartment,” Lydia said.

  “We did it all the time when we were younger. And you know you were a little party girl.”

  Lydia rolled her eyes. “That’s when I was young and dumb. But I was the life of the party, and I didn’t even have to be drunk. People just flocked to me because I was funny and cute.”

  “Okay, Charles.” He happened to have an overly inflated ego, and she sounded just like him.

  “He may be a bit cuter than I was at that age. And slightly more confident.” Lydia giggled like a teenager. “Though I was a cutie.”

  I cranked up the windshield wipers to the highest level, as the rain was now coming down in sheets, and put my car in reverse, backing out of the parking space. I avoided looking toward the grocery store as I drove out of the parking lot. I didn’t need the muffin, but I sure did need more coffee.

  “I have a full plate. It’s a Monday, which means I have to catch up on files and business stuff,” I said as I turned right onto Alisal Street and headed back to the office.

  “You know I can take on some of that responsibility.”

  “Thanks, but it’s all good. I need to keep track of the business end of things. I feel like I’ve already given up so much control. Back when Jackie was with us, I felt the need to keep everything stealthy because I didn’t want hard feelings if she knew what the agency was making compared to the twenty-five dollars an hour I paid her. Besides, I need to make some calls and get some more insurance company business. They pay well and rarely complain about our rates.”

  “Twenty-five an hour?” Lydia turned to look at me.

  “Yep,” I said, distractedly, looking carefully out the windshield. I hated driving in the rain.

  “When am I going to get a raise?” Lydia asked, almost whispering.

  “I think you have a review coming up.”

  I’d have to have a chat with Charles about that. Dang me for opening my fat mouth.

  Two

  CHARLES

  Early mornings were my favorite: hot shower, fresh everything, bacon and eggs cooking in the kitchen, and coffee waiting to be consumed. On rare occasions, Max Daniels and I even got to have a hot breakfast together. With Max working for the FBI, and me owning the agency along with the other obligations I had, it made us a dysfunctional couple, to say the least. I wondered how long we’d last.

  I stood at the window in Mimi’s office with the drapes pulled aside and enjoyed watching the inclement weather from inside. It was my favorite time of day, when the world was quiet and I was all alone. Normally, I would spend the mornings at home, but Max had been gone a long time on his latest assignment, and the house felt sad and lonely.

  I was on my second cup of coffee when Uta came into Mimi’s office. I turned around and greeted her with a genuine smile. Uta was one of my favorite people. I didn’t know her real age, but I guessed she was in her late sixties, even though she acted more like forty and knew more about running a computer than most millennials.

  This morning she wore chocolate brown tights with wingtip high heels in the same color. Her skirt, also chocolate brown, fell about five inches below her knees and was topped off with a cream-colored blouse. When I said she looked like a forty-something year old, I wasn’t kidding. Her hair was up in a severe French twist, and her lightly applied makeup looked flawless.

  “Good morning,” I said, and raised my half-empty coffee cup in a gesture of camaraderie.

  “It looks like it’s going to be a wet one,” she said.

  “It does. A good day for working inside the office,” I said, though I didn’t really mind the rain. Not when we had all the modern conveniences of city living.

  “I was just letting you know I’m here if you need anything. Also, I saw Lydia’s car in the lot, but she’s not here. Is everything okay?”

  Leave it to Uta to be concerned. She watched over all of us like we were her kids.

  “Not sure. Mimi’s car isn’t here, so maybe they met early for breakfast.”

  Uta murmured to herself, “Could be.”

  “There’s a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen, so you won’t have to make any this morning.”

  “I smelled that as soon as I walked in. Thank you.” Uta turned and walked out, leaving me alone once again.

  It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet, and I saw Mimi’s Land Rover drive by the front of the office as I was looking out the window. The rain had come
and gone in a flash, and now the streets looked washed clean, ready for a new day.

  I was suddenly sad because my quiet, peaceful morning was over. Loud Mimi would come in and disturb the quiet, and Lola would come bounding across the room to say hello. I didn’t mind Lola. Just kidding, I didn’t mind Mimi, either.

  Normally I’d be enjoying the view from my own office, but I’d decided my office needed a makeover. A remodel. A brand new me. Not exactly a new me, because I’m perfect the way I am, but a new design to reflect the newer, more mature Charles. I hoped I wouldn’t be so thrilled with the remodel of my office that I’d want to remodel the rest of the rooms at the agency. We’d just remodeled the foyer and reception/living room recently, but it already seemed dated.

  I was thrilled when my partner, Max Daniels, said he knew a designer who had great subcontractors and could get the job done quickly and beautifully. I was in.

  The plan was to de-modernize my office. I’d had a totally minimalist look for years, and I wanted a cozy office that felt like the library in a mansion. Sort of like the library in one of my mom’s mansions, only homier. There was nothing homey in any of my mother’s homes. Maybe that’s why she traveled so much.

  Max and I had a meeting with the designer before he left, and I’d just gotten around to scheduling the remodel. I was sure the paint and designer paneling (no, not shiplap, yuck) would take the longest, but the designer said delivery of the furniture and accessories would be four to six weeks. And they didn’t work over the holidays. In fact, even though they were painting that day, they wouldn’t be back to finish the room until after the new year.

  No worries. I’d just share Mimi’s office or work out of the formal dining room. The Gotcha offices were in a Victorian house, after all. And even though the real formal dining room was now Mimi’s office, we’d turned the old sitting room into a dining room. It was rarely used, but it was great for meetings.

  Lola came loping across the room, coming to a stop with her front paw on my suede shoes. I leaned down to pet her, and then she trotted off to see what Uta had for her. She always had a snack for the spoiled dog.

  “What are you doing in my office?” Mimi asked as she walked through the door.

  “What are you doing in my life?” I retorted.

  “I’m here to keep you humble, to keep you grounded, and to make your life miserable. It’s an exhausting job, but someone has to do it,” Mimi said.

  We both laughed. She was laughing because she thought it was a joke. I was laughing because I knew it was true.

  “What I mean is, what are you doing here so early?”

  Mimi settled into her chair at her desk. “It’s almost nine o’clock. Besides, I’ve already been here, gone, and back again. My mom had a client she needed a second opinion about.”

  “A second opinion? Hasn’t Lydia been here long enough to make the correct decisions?” I was still on the fence about hiring family, although I did love Lydia.

  Mimi straightened the calendar on her desk and pressed the button to open her computer screen. “This was a strange one.”

  “Considering the source, I’d expect nothing less than strange.”

  “Maggie Princel hired us because she was sure her husband was cheating on her, remember?” Mimi said.

  “How can I forget? She was the one in paisley that went out in the seventies and never came back. And that hair. I don’t think she’s cut it since the sixties.”

  Mimi leaned forward and rested her forearms on the desk, effectively pushing her keyboard out of her way at the same time. “Charles, you exaggerate. I don’t think Maggie’s mother was even born in the sixties.”

  “Whatever. What happened that’s so strange?” I pulled back the drapes and hooked them behind the finials at the side of the window, still enjoying the wet weather.

  “Are you even listening?” Mimi sounded irritated.

  I’d glanced her way a few times, but I’d mostly been looking outside. “I don’t have to look at you to hear you. I can usually hear you when you’re upstairs with the door closed.”

  Not missing a beat, Mimi continued, “The husband’s name is Rhett, and I went with my mom to confirm that Rhett wasn’t having an affair…”

  “That’s good. All’s well that ends well.”

  “He is going to an apartment across town from their home and changing into women’s clothing before heading to work though.”

  Now she had my attention. “I didn’t see that coming.”

  “I told you it was strange.” A smug smile spread over Mimi’s face.

  I stepped away from the window and sat across from Mimi’s desk. “I don’t think it’s so strange. Who are we to judge? Maybe he likes lacy things on his privates.” Though this may sound facetious, I was dead serious. I’d known a few men like that.

  “Strange, as in we’ve never had this happen before. Not that what he was doing was strange. Maybe ten years ago, I’d have seen it differently, but now, it’s no biggie. I mean, he may be more than just a crossdresser. He could be transitioning, or…I don’t know. I’m not well versed on this type of thing.”

  “And how are we going to break the news to wifey?” I had an idea of how I wanted to handle it, but I wanted to hear Mimi’s plan first.

  “Lydia is going to talk to Rhett today. She’s going to find out what she needs to know, and if Rhett plans to tell Maggie or not. Either way, I think this is one we leave up to the husband to explain. This is more delicate than an affair.”

  “And Lydia is good with this? I mean, she’s your mom, after all.” I was happy with the decision they’d made, but not about Lydia handling it.

  “She’s more open minded than you’d imagine, even if Luke isn’t. She’s happy to talk to Rhett and get the skinny.” Mimi stood. “More coffee?”

  I handed her my cup. “Sure. The usual.”

  Mimi walked out the back door of her office as Uta walked back in through the front door. “I didn’t want to interrupt, but I’ve got a call for you.”

  “I’ll take the call in here.” I walked around to the other side of Mimi’s desk, picked up the phone and pressed the line with the red flashing light. Yes, an old-fashioned phone system. Crazy.

  “Line four,” I heard Uta say as she walked away, as if I didn’t see that it was the only line with a light.

  I realized I’d forgotten to ask Uta who was on the line. Well, crap. “Gotcha Detective Agency, this is Charles Parks.”

  “Hello, Mr. Parks, this is Guillermo Ibara, attorney at law.” Guillermo had a smooth, slick voice. I distrusted him by the time he’d said mister.

  I’d heard of the guy, but I didn’t know him. “Yes, Mr. Ibara, what can I do for you?”

  “It’s not what you can do for me, it’s for my client. I represent Hector Varga.”

  Now that was a name I had heard. Nick and I discussed the murder of Hector Varga’s fiancée over the weekend. I wasn’t sure if it was his case, but we’d talked about how the girl had been stabbed.

  “The gang member Hector Varga?”

  “Yes. He’s being held in the county jail without bail while he awaits trial. And he asked me to hire the best private eye I could find. Sadly, there aren’t many of them in Salinas.”

  I wanted to hang up. “You could always call someone outside of Salinas. There are plenty to be found. Thanks for calling…” I acted as if I was going to hang up.

  “Wait,” Guillermo pleaded.

  I held the receiver away from my ear and waited, just like he told me to.

  “Hello? Are you still there?” Guillermo asked.

  “I’m waiting, just like you said.” Wow, I felt a bit snarky. Not enough caffeine. As if reading my thoughts, Mimi walked back into the office and placed a fresh, hot cup of coffee on her desk. I mouthed, “Mine?”

  She nodded. “Who are you talking to?”

  I ignored her.

  “Hector would like to hire you to look into the murder of his fiancée,” Guillermo said as I took
a tentative sip of coffee.

  The coffee was just the right temperature, and she’d added the perfect amount of flavoring. It was like we’d known each other for years and she did this all the time, which she didn’t.

  “I heard he’s in jail. Seems like the police have all the evidence they need to convict him. Besides, I’m not sure you, or he, can afford our rates.” We weren’t cheap or easy.

  The man chuckled as he said, “Money won’t be a problem, I assure you. I do a lot of work for the families, and your services will be paid for in advance if that’s what you prefer.”

  Mimi shoved me lightly. “What is it?”

  I put my finger over my lips and put the phone on speaker.

  “So, you’re saying known gang member, Hector Varga, who is accused of killing his fiancée and is in jail for the crime, awaiting trial, wants us to investigate? Why us?”

  Mimi’s eyes went wide.

  “I told you, he wants the best around. He didn’t commit this crime, and the police aren’t looking for other suspects. They are sure the right guy is on the hook. This is what busy lawyers do, they hire a P.I. to do the grunt work.”

  He made taking the job sound so appealing. Grunt work. Pffffft. Then I realized we needed to hang out with lawyers more often. Bring in enough grunt work and we could hire another agent.

  Mimi now shook her head. She whispered, “No way.”

  I understood her concern, not wanting to get involved with anything related to the Mexican gangs in Salinas.

  “He’s a Sureno, right?” I said.

  “Absolutely not! He’s Norteño,” Guillermo corrected.

  Excuse me. That made me feel so much better about taking on the case. And at the same time, I didn’t want to say no. I weighed what would be worse.

  “I’ll send you back to our reception desk, she’ll be happy to set up an appointment.” I hoped I could put him off for a bit.