“I called everyone from the list,” Nikki continued. “None of them knew any Kate, and they all said they didn’t have any female guest staying with them at this time.”
“I don’t get it,” Landen sighed as he set down the paperwork, and sighed. “She had a key card. I saw her go into the building.”
“I believe you,” Nikki said as she gave him a reassuring smile. “But whoever she is, she clearly doesn’t want to be found, because she has someone lying for her.”
“Okay,” Landen sighed as he rubbed his tired eyes once more. “You should head off for the night. I’m grateful for your help, Nik.”
“You should call it a night too,” Nikki replied, as she stood up. “You look tired. You’ve had a long week. It’s Friday; go home and try to get some rest.”
“Okay, Mom,” Landen said with a laugh as he stood up and slipped his laptop into his briefcase. Nikki turned, walking towards the door, but she stopped when she reached it and looked back at Landen.
“I know you wanted to find this girl,” she said in a soft voice. “I don’t know why, but knowing you, it’s for some noble cause. But, maybe there is a reason she doesn’t want to be found. And maybe it would be best if you let this one go.”
“Thanks, Nik,” Landen replied and gave her another smile. “I’ll take what you said into consideration. I promise.”
“Good,” she replied, smiling once more before she turned and disappeared down the hallway.
Landen stood there for a moment thinking about what his assistant had said. Maybe there was a reason she didn’t want to be found. Maybe that was the same reason she gave him the brush off the night before.
Either way, without knowing who she was, Landen knew there was nothing he could do to help her at that moment. He needed to accept that this time, he just had to let this one go.
He picked up his jacket, slipping it on, before he grabbed his briefcase from his desk and headed for the door.
As he rode down in the elevator, he knew he needed to push this girl from his mind. He had no way of finding her unless he sat outside the apartment building, and even then, he couldn’t be sure that she even lived there.
He sighed as he stepped from the elevator, knowing that there was nothing more he could do.
“Mr. Murphy,” Martin, the night watchman called out as Landen made his way across the marble foyer. “Do you need me to call your driver, Sir?”
“No thanks, Martin,” Landen said as he gave the man a grateful smile. “I think I’m going to walk this evening. “It’s such a beautiful evening out.”
“That it is, Sir,” Martin chuckled as he gave Landen a wave. “Have a good weekend.”
“You too, Martin,” Landen replied as he headed out through the glass, revolving doors and out into the cool night air.
Landen always loved the city after a storm, the heavy rain the night before had certainly cleared away the cobwebs. Landen had lived in D.C. and New York, but to him, there was nowhere else in the world he felt at home, than San Francisco
He had loved growing up here, and when he lived elsewhere, all he ever thought about was coming home. He loved the big city feel San Francisco had, but felt it also had the old charm of long ago.
He thought there was no other place in the world with as much character and charm as San Francisco. He loved that he got to call it home.
By the time he reached his apartment, almost thirty minutes later, Landen felt tired. He dropped his briefcase and his jacket on the sofa, as he made his way across his living room, to his huge kitchen that was at the far side of his apartment.
He opened the fridge and saw the dinner, Carla, his housekeeper had left for him in the chiller, but instead of going for the plate, he grabbed a bottle of beer instead, twisted off the lid, then headed back out to his lounge.
Flopping down on the sofa, he picked up the remote, switching on the game he knew was on tonight.
Landen kicked off his shoes and sunk down into the chair before he brought the beer to his lips, taking a long sip.
Kate suddenly crashed into his mind again, and he hated that he would be left with so many unanswered questions about her.
He rested his head back against the sofa, closing his eyes. He felt so worn out. Before he knew it, sleep had claimed him, and his dreams were filled with images of the pretty brunette he knew he would never see again.
Chapter 3
When he woke up on the sofa in the early hours of the morning, Landen felt like complete crap. Pulling himself up from the sofa, he could feel the cold, stickiness of the beer that must have spilled all down the front of his shirt while he was asleep, and immediately it made him think of Kate with the glasses of wine the night before.
He hated that she was just there, in the back of his head all the time. He had spent the entire day before thinking about her, and when Nikki said that this girl didn’t even seem to exist, he told himself he needed to put her out of his head. Still, there he was, at stupid o’clock in the morning, and she was the first thing he thought about.
He walked into his bedroom, stripped off his shirt and trousers, threw them in the hamper, then he headed into his en-suite where he switched on the shower, letting the water run before he stepped beneath it.
It was barely five a.m., but Landen knew he was not going to get more sleep, so he decided to wake himself up before he headed to the gym to work off some of the frustration he was feeling.
Once he was out of the shower, he dressed himself in tracksuit bottoms, and a sweatshirt, deciding that maybe going for a jog instead of hitting the gym would do him more good. He hoped the fresh air would clear his head.
When Landen stepped out of his apartment building, he stretched to loosen up, before he began to run with no clear destination in his head.
Each stride he took, his head became a little clearer and he knew deep down inside, he had to put Kate out of his mind once and for all.
Still, less than an hour later Landen found himself standing on the front steps of his brother’s house. He knew it was early, but he knew if there was one person he wanted to talk to, then it was Finn.
Taking a deep breath, he reached up and rang his doorbell. When a couple of moments had past, there was still no answer, Landen reached up and pressed down on the doorbell once more.
“Jesus!” Finn groaned as he suddenly swung open the door to his house, looking more than a little stunned to see his brother standing there at such an early hour of the morning. “It’s six a.m., Landen. What the hell is so important that couldn’t wait for a couple of hours.”
“I need to talk to you,” Landen said as he gave his younger brother a pleading look.
“I guess you’d better come in,” Finn said with a yawn as he stepped back to let his brother into his house. Landen smiled as he walked in past his brother.
“Want some coffee?” Finn asked as he led his brother into the kitchen. Landen liked Finn’s house. It was different than his penthouse, more homey. Maybe one day he would consider getting a house of his own, but then a house usually came with a family, and Landen had no intentions of ever having children, or settling down for that matter.
“Coffee would be good,” Landen said as he slipped onto a stool at the breakfast bar in his brother’s kitchen.
“So,” Finn said with a yawn as he made both him and Landen a coffee. “You want to tell me why I was dragged out of my bed at six o’clock in the morning.”
“I was just in the neighbourhood,” Landen said suddenly feeling like this was probably the dumbest thing he had ever done. He had no idea what he was going to say to his brother. Now he wished he had just kept jogging.
“You live a forty minute jog from here,” Finn said with a sigh as he sat a black coffee down in front of Landen, then leaned back against the counter with his own coffee mug in his hand. “You were not just in the neighbourhood, also you said when I opened the door you wanted to talk. So, talk.”
“I met this girl,” Landen blurted ou
t just as Finn took a sip of his coffee, and Finn almost choked on it with surprise.
“You met someone?” Finn coughed as he wiped the coffee from his mouth. “I was definitely not expecting that.”
“I know, I know,” Landen groaned, knowing that this was something he would have never imagined either. He had always insisted that he was set in his ways, and his family knew that he meant it. He also knew that Finn was genuinely surprised, not just mocking him. Finn wasn’t like Landen’s other three brothers. He was sweet, caring, and didn’t really do the whole sarcastic, mocking thing. That’s why Landen always talked to him, when he had something on his mind. “But it’s complicated.”
“So, what’s the problem?” Finn asked as he walked around the counter to sit down next to his brother.
“Well when I say I met a girl,” Landen continued with a sigh, knowing that what he was about to say, made no sense at all. “I don’t really know who she is, but for some reason, she is all I can think about.”
“Maybe you should start at the beginning,” Finn suggested. Landen knew his brother was more than a little confused with what he had said, and considering Finn was a genius; that was no small thing.
So, he told him about what happened at the club; about how he had dropped her home, also how, when Nikki tried to track her down, it was like she didn’t even exist.
“So you have no idea who she is?” Finn asked as he took another sip of his coffee.
“Not a clue,” Landen confirmed with another sigh. “And the stupid part of it is, I can’t seem to get her out of my mind. It’s like, I know that she is in trouble, but I don’t know what trouble that is.”
“Why do you think she is in trouble?” Finn asked, giving his older brother a questioning look.
“It’s just a feeling I have in the pit of my stomach,” Landen shrugged. “I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s because being a lawyer, I have learned to notice the tiniest details, and nothing about this girl adds up.”
“But what is it that makes you think she is in trouble?” Finn replied, and he seemed genuinely intrigued.
“She was smart and classy, too classy to be a waitress in a place like The Voodoo Club,” Landen replied as he tried to explain the thought process that was going on in his brain. “And she hated it there, that much was written all over her face. So, it made no sense for her to even be there.”
“But that doesn’t mean she was in trouble,” Finn reasoned.
“No,” Landen replied. “But she lied about her name, as I am pretty sure it’s not Kate. And someone in that apartment building is lying about her staying there, why would someone do that, unless they have something to hide. Also, she said it herself, her life was a train wreck.”
“Okay,” Finn said, and Landen knew he was considering the information that he had been given. “So, if what your saying is true, maybe this girl just doesn’t want to be found.”
“I think that’s a given,” Landen sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, to try and relieve the tension headache he could feel was heading his way.
“So, what’s she running from?” Finn said, but it wasn’t really a question, it was more like he was thinking out loud. “That club. It has a strict privacy policy, right?”
“Yeah, staff have to sign an NDA before they can even step foot in the club,” Landen confirmed. “They don’t allow photographs to be taken in the club either, which is why so many rich and famous people head there.”
“Then logically, the club would be the perfect place for someone to work, who wanted to keep a low profile,” Finn reasoned.
“I guess it would be,” Landen agreed as suddenly he felt a little less like he was losing his mind. “I hadn’t really thought of it like that.”
“And you like her,” Finn said, surprising Landen.
“I feel guilty about her losing her job,” Landen replied, trying his hardest to sound as convincing as he could. “And I’m worried that she may be in some kind of trouble, but that’s all.”
“Really?” Finn asked, giving him a questioning look.
“Really,” Landen insisted. “You know me, you know I don’t do the whole relationship thing. I don’t have the time or the patience for having another person in my life. I like my life the way it is, and I don’t want any more complications.”
“Okay,” Finn replied with a nod. “You have me convinced, now maybe you can convince yourself too.”
Landen looked at his brother for a moment and realised that he was completely right. His interest in Kate was more than concern, but he wasn’t ready to admit that out loud.
“Well, none of it really matters now,” Landen said before he took a sip of his coffee. “I have no idea who she really is, or where I can find her. So, I think the point is moot.”
“You could go back to the apartment building,” Finn suggested as he stood up, walking around the counter to refill his coffee, before he held up the pot, offering Landen a refill too. Landen nodded, setting his cup down for his brother to top it up.
“And sitting outside like some crazy stalker,” Landen said with a sarcastic laugh. “I really don’t think that’s such a great idea.”
“Then maybe you should talk to Liam,” Finn suggested as he returned to his stool and took a gulp of his coffee. “He is, after all, the detective of the family.”
“Jesus, Liam is the last person I would tell,” Landen sighed as he took a sip of his coffee. “In fact, I would be grateful if you didn’t mention any of this to the others. You know what they’re like, and I really don’t need their shit right now.”
“Of course, I won’t say a word to them,” Finn assured his brother. Landen knew that Finn meant what he said. “You know you don’t have to tell me what they’re like.”
“Thanks, Finn,” Landen said as he patted his brother on the shoulder.
A little over an hour later, Finn walked Landen to the front door.
“Are you going to Mom’s later?” Finn asked as Landen stepped out on to the front steps of his house.
“I told her I’d be there…” Landen sighed.
“But you don’t want to go,” Finn said, finishing off his brother’s thought.
“I know Mom, she misses nothing,” Landen replied with a smile. “She’s going to know there is something wrong; she’s never going to let it slide.”
“You know she only does that because she worries about you,” Finn sighed, giving his brother a smile. “But who knows, maybe a night with your family might be just what you need. Help you put this girl out of your mind, even for a little while.
“Maybe,” Landen replied with a smile, before he turned and walked down the steps.
“Landen,” Finn called after his brother. “I’m always here, if you need to talk.”
“I know, Little Brother,” Landen called back over his shoulder. “I will see you tonight.”
“See you then,” Finn called out, as Landen began to jog once more.
Landen looked up at his parent’s house as he made his way up the driveway and sighed. He really was in no mood to play happy families, but he was here now, so there was no point in sulking about it.
He had considered calling his mother, and telling her he couldn’t make the family dinner, but he knew his mother would have been upset, so he sucked it up and confirmed he would be there.
As the car came to a stop in front of his parent’s front door, Landen took a deep breath before he reached for the handle of the door.
“Allow me, Sir,” Mike said as he took hold of the door, opening it for him.
“Thanks, Mike,” Landen said as he climbed out of the car. “It won’t be a late one. I’m feeling pretty beat tonight, so I think I will be calling it a night early.”
“Very good, Sir,” Mike replied with a nod as he closed the door behind Landen. “Enjoy your evening, Mr. Murphy.”
“Thanks, Mike,” Landen said once more, before he walked up the steps to his parent’s home.
Just as he reached the
door, it opened and Stella, his parent’s housekeeper appeared in the doorway. She greeted Landen with a broad smile.
“Good evening, Landen,” she said as he leaned in, kissing her on the cheek. Stella had been their housekeeper for as long as Landen could remember, and she was someone Landen loved dearly.
“Good evening, Beautiful,” Landen said. As always he loved that she blushed whenever he greeted her like that. Not many people got to see the real Landen Murphy, but Stella always did. “How have you been?”
“I’m good, thank you,” Stella replied as she held her hand out as Landen slipped off his jacket and handed it to her. “Your parents are in the study.”
“Thank you, Stella,” Landen replied, giving her another one of his most charming smiles. Maybe coming tonight wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Landen could already feel his mood lifting a little.
He made his way into the study, where he found both his parents; his father sitting in his armchair; his mother on the sofa, both reading newspapers.”
“You know you can get those things online now,” Landen said as he walked into the room. “And it would save a lot more trees if everyone remembered that.”
“You know me and technology, Son” Sean Murphy replied with a laugh as he folded his newspaper standing to greet his eldest son with a hand shake. “Good to see you, Son. And well done on the Shipman deposition this week. Everyone is talking about it.”
“Everyone?” Landen asked with a laugh as he turned to greet his mother. “And who is everyone.”
“Well the guys from the club were,” Sean smiled, and Landen couldn’t help but grin too. “You know they like to keep up with all the latest gossip, just like your old man.”
“Hey, Mom,” he said as he kissed his mother on both cheeks. “You look as gorgeous as ever.”
“Thank you, Son,” Nell Murphy said as she held her first born at arms-length and the smile on her face faded. “What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
“Nothing’s happened,” Landen sighed as he gave his mother a reassuring smile. “And why would there be something wrong?”
Landen Page 3
