by Tami Kidd
“Yes, I called the bank and that’s the date they gave me.”
“I’ll need a photo of your husband in order to have someone at the bank provide positive ID that he was the person who opened the account.”
“No problem. I have a photo of him in my purse.”
“You also said you searched your house and garage for other clues. You also reviewed the credit card statements for the past—how long?”
“Two years.”
“Do you mind if I review those statements? I’m sure you were thorough, but it’s possible you may have missed something.”
“Absolutely, I’ll bring them in tomorrow.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll come by and pick them up if that’s okay with you. I’d also like to look around; maybe talk to some of the neighbors.”
“The neighbors?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be very discreet.”
“Well, all right, but please be mindful; I have lived in the neighborhood since Thomas and I were married, so everyone knows everyone. Some relish airing others’ dirty laundry to their friends.”
“I understand. I will be very careful. I think I have enough to get started. Do you have any questions?”
“Yes, about the charges? How—”
“You won’t receive a bill till the case is closed,” Alex interrupted. “I’ll give you an itemized statement at that time. If you don’t agree with the cost, we can negotiate. Does that sound fair?”
Mara looked shocked.
“What’s wrong?” Alex asked.
“No. I guess I thought you’d want payment upfront—or at least half. I didn’t know what to expect.” One end of her mouth twitched. Mara giggled. “You’d think I knew how this worked after writing several novels, but I’ve never hired a PI for myself. It’s more than fair.”
“Good. I think I have everything I need for now. I have your number if I need any further information. If you have any questions or think of something you want to add, please call me. I’ll give you my cell phone number so you can reach me at any time.”
“Thank you, Mr. Strange.”
“No, please call me Alex. I’ll see you tomorrow morning when I stop by to pick up the credit card statements. Will 9:00 a.m. be convenient for you? Oh, one other thing. Do you mind if I hold on to the letter? I’ll give you a receipt for it, the credit card statements, and the photo tomorrow?”
“If it’ll help you figure it out, certainly. A receipt won’t be necessary. I don’t know why, but for some reason I trust you. I guess you have that kind of face.” Mara smiled.
Patches of red crept into his cheeks. “Thank you, Mara; I’m glad you can trust me. Believe me, I will do everything in my power to put your mind at ease. When I look at you, I can see how much pain this has caused.”
For a brief second Mara saw something in his eyes: sadness or pain. But as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished.
After she left his office, Mara felt very upbeat and hopeful that she would soon have the answers she wanted. Maybe then she could get on with her life, whatever that might be.
On and off, she had toyed with the idea of selling the house. She knew the task would be daunting considering the state of the economy. The idea of a cute little apartment or townhouse appealed to her. Something warm and cozy with a nice view, so she could look outside and lose herself in the scenery. Maybe inspire her to write again.
Mara loved the house that she and Thomas had shared, but it held too many memories. Everywhere she looked she saw images of Thomas: by the grill, in his Kiss the Cook apron, grinning so wide he looked like the happiest man on earth; on his knees in the backyard as he pulled dandelions; and the most painful memory, seeing him lay in bed reading with his glasses low on his nose. As he looked up at her with those incredible blue eyes, her heart melted.
How can I leave these memories behind? Deep down she knew no matter where she lived, the memories would be forever part of her.
Mara made up her mind to move and make a fresh start.
Thirteen
On Tuesday morning, Mara woke up refreshed and surprisingly happy. She hummed a little tune as she searched her closet for an outfit to match her mood. Finally, she settled on a yellow sundress that fit slightly looser than the last time she had worn it, and that was last summer. Huh. I must have lost some weight. No surprise, since she hadn’t been eating much. She didn’t really have an appetite of late, but day by day, it slowly started to return. In front of the mirror, she stopped to admire her new thinner body. Not bad. Odd, why the sudden interest in my looks?
Mara sat at her makeup table and studied her reflection in the mirror. Thankfully, the dark circles had faded. She shared her father’s earthy-brown eyes and dark-chocolate hair that fell in loose curls around her shoulders. She had her mother’s soft full lips and small nose that formed a slight slope. Petite at five feet, four inches, she didn’t consider herself to be overweight, but the experts claimed she should weigh somewhere around 120 pounds. So, by their calculations, she was fifteen pounds over her ideal weight.
Thomas used to tell her she was perfect. God bless him.
Mara was never unhappy with her weight, but she tried to be conscious of what she put in her mouth. She didn’t deprive herself because that would have led to disaster, so she ate what she wanted, but she always tried to make healthy choices—except when it came to banana split shakes.
She added a touch of blush to her cheeks and a little mascara to bring out her lashes. Looking at herself again, she smiled and nodded her approval.
The doorbell rang as she finished up with a little more mascara. She expected to find Alex, but instead, Mrs. Parker stood at her door holding a newspaper.
“Well, don’t you look all bright and sunny in you’re pretty little sundress. Are you headed out?” Mrs. Parker chirped in her perky voice. She stepped past Mara and headed to the kitchen without being invited.
“Uh, no, but—”
“Oh, here’s your paper, dear. The silly carrier threw it in our yard again.” Mrs. Parker set the newspaper on the kitchen counter.
“Thanks for bringing it to me,” Mara said as the doorbell rang again.
“Oh, it sounds like you’ve got company.”
Mara paused, not knowing what to do. She didn’t want to explain Alex’s visit to Mrs. Parker—not that it was any of her business anyway; however, it seemed she planned to make it her business. Just like she always did with any news or gossip that floated around the neighborhood.
“Better get that, dear; it might be important,” Mrs. Parker urged.
Mara walked to the door, took a breath, and smiled as she swung the door open. Alex! He looked like he stepped off the cover of an L. L. Bean catalog in his dark-blue denim jeans, ink-black Chino shirt, and Allagash Penny loafers.
“Good morning.” He beamed a smile of white teeth.
“Good morning.” Mara bit her lip as she invited him inside, dreading the reaction from Mrs. Parker.
“Well, hel-lo.”
Mara imagined Mrs. Parker’s brain working to list every person she would call with this tidbit of gossip.
She held out her hand. “I’m Patricia Parker. Mara’s next door neighbor. You can call me Pat.”
“Very nice to meet you, Pat. I’m Alex Strange.”
“Thank you for delivering the newspaper, Mrs. Parker,” Mara said, trying to corral her to the front door. It didn’t work.
“Have you known our Mara long?” Mrs. Parker asked.
“No, not long; in fact, we just met,” Alex said.
“Mara’s a sweet girl. She’s been through a bit of a rough patch, but she seems to be getting along just fine.” Mrs. Parker glanced at Mara with a sly grin.
“I couldn’t agree more.” Alex winked at Mara.
“Well, I’ve overstayed my welcome. It’s time I get back home and do some cleaning. It was very nice to meet you, Alex. Mara, I’ll be talking to you later.”
And everyone else you come ac
ross. This Mara knew as Mrs. Parker’s secret language for giving her the third degree later.” Wonderful, just what I need!
“Hope to see you real soon, Pat,” she heard Alex call out when Mara closed the door behind Mrs. Parker. Shaking her head, Mara walked back to the kitchen. She put her hands on her hips and gave Alex a long hard look. “You enjoyed that a little too much,” Mara said.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Alex said innocently.
“Don’t give me that.” Mara couldn’t help but smile and laugh. “You do realize she’s on the phone right now to all the neighbors?”
“Of course! That’s what makes this so much fun. One of the perks of the job.” He smiled, exposing a pair of delightful dimples.
“Okay, you’ve had your fun. Can we get down to business?” Mara asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Mara went over and sat at the breakfast nook. Alex sat on the opposite side. For a second, she felt uncomfortable seeing him there instead of Thomas. She shook it off. “Would you like a cup of coffee or something to drink?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
Mara slid a manila envelope over to him. “Here are the credit card statements. There’s also a more recent photo of Thomas inside. And I wrote down Nathan Bradford’s phone number, along with Jack and Kay Lewis’ number.”
Alex opened the envelope and studied the photo. He slid it back inside without saying a word. “I think these will help a lot.” He paused and said, “I should be going. I want to get as much accomplished today as I can. I’ll give you a call either this afternoon or tomorrow morning with a status report. In the meantime, if you think of anything that might help the investigation, please don’t hesitate to call. Any time, day or night.”
“All right, I will. One more thing. I want you to know how much I appreciate this. I know you are a busy man and that this investigation may seem trivial. You probably think I should let it go. After all, nothing will change, one way or the other—”
“No, I don’t think it’s trivial at all.” He reached across the table and put his hand on hers and gave it a gentle pat. “In fact, I understand exactly what you’re going through.”
“How?”
“My father had an affair. Devastated, my mother committed suicide.”
“I’m so sorry, Alex. That’s a horrible thing to live with.” Mara reached out and put her other hand on top of his. “How old were you when this happened?”
“Seventeen. A senior in high school.”
Her heart ached for him. To have lived through such a tragedy during an important time in a teenager’s life was almost more then she could bear to imagine. Mara wondered how much pain a person had to endure before leaving a child behind. Suddenly, her problems seemed unimportant—trivial.
“Alex, that breaks my heart. You were so young. And to have it happen at such a critical time in your life, it—”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I told you. That’s not something I usually share with my clients. I only wanted you to know that I understand what this means to you.”
“No, don’t be sorry. I appreciate that you feel you can confide in me.”
He got up from the table and picked up the manila envelope. “I really should be going. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.”
“Don’t you want to look around? Aren’t you going to talk to the neighbors?”
“No, not today. I think I have enough to start with for now.”
“Okay, whatever you think.” She rose and followed him to the door. As he walked away, she leaned against the door jamb.
He turned and said, “For what it’s worth, if your husband had an affair, he was a fool.”
His words hit her so unexpectedly; she didn’t know what to say. Looking down at her hands, she shrugged, and then watched him climb into his truck and drive away. What a sweet, sweet man.
****
At one o’clock, Mara arrived at Helen Hill’s Real Estate Office on Market Street, off the Pomona Freeway. Helen seemed genuinely thrilled to see her. She hugged Mara till she couldn’t breathe.
“Hey, at least feed me first!” Mara said. “I’m not that easy anymore.”
“Oh, you. You haven’t changed a bit since college.” Helen slapped Mara’s arm.
“Obviously you haven’t either.”
“Come on, let’s get out of here. How does Thai food sound?”
“Divine.”
“Thank, God! I’ve been craving it all morning. I’ve worked up a mighty appetite. It’s hard work sitting behind a desk.”
Mara and Helen had been best friends throughout college, and Helen had been her maid of honor when she and Thomas got married. They were complete opposites: Mara quiet and reserved and Helen boisterous and outgoing.
Mara had called her because she was one of the most successful real estate agents in Riverside. If anyone could sell a house in this market, Helen could. They talked on the way to the restaurant about her house. Helen asked questions while Mara dispensed with pertinent details.
“How much do you want to list it for?” Helen asked as she pulled her red BMW convertible into the restaurant’s parking lot.
“I’m not sure. I wanted to see what you thought I could get for it.”
“I’ll take a look at it, get some pictures, and see what houses in the area are selling for. Then I’ll be able to tell you what I think.”
They walked into the restaurant and waited to be seated. A young Asian girl took them to the table near a bubbling fountain. Almost immediately, a gray-haired Asian lady handed them menus at their table. They looked over the menus. As soon as they’d closed them, the same server returned to take their order.
“What you have?” she said.
“I’ll have the Pad Thai and iced tea,” Helen said.
“I’ll have the Gai Pad Med Mamuang and iced tea.” Mara attempted to pronounce the words properly, but knew she failed miserably. Either way, though, the waitress wrote down the order without a fuss, smiled, and bowed as she left the table.
Helen unfolded her napkin and placed it in her lap. “What was that you ordered?”
“It’s stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts.”
“That sounds yummy. I’ll have to try that next time I come here.”
“It is good. I’ve never had it here, but I’ve had it at the little Thai place down by my house.”
“Now that we’ve ordered our food, let’s talk real estate,” Helen said. “What are you looking to buy? How much do you want to spend? Are you going to use the money from the sale of your current house to buy the new property?”
“No, I want to buy something right away. We—I own the house and the money from the sale will go into my savings.”
“Fantastic! That will make my job a lot easier. What’s the ballpark of how much you want to spend?”
“I don’t really know. I haven’t been watching the market.”
“What do you want? A townhouse, an apartment, a condo?”
“I want something with a view, something cozy, warm and quiet. Maybe two bedrooms—and I’ll need an office. A deck or patio too, so I can sit outside in nice weather. Maybe something in the country, if there’s any of that around here.”
“Okay, that will give me a place to start. I’ll put feelers out right away. We’ll have you in something as soon as we possibly can.”
Finally, to Mara’s relief, the meals were brought to the table, the plates piled high with steaming, beautiful food. Mara ate like she hadn’t eaten in days. Every bite was like a new discovery.
Helen looked at her and grinned.
“Honey, were you hungry? You’re treating that like it’s your first meal in weeks.”
“I feel like it’s my first meal in weeks. I haven’t had much of an appetite, so I guess it’s finally caught up with me.”
“Well, good for you. That means you’re getting better. Maybe you should slow down though, before you hurt yourself.” Helen laughed.
They left
the restaurant satiated and ready for anything. After driving to Mara’s house, Helen took pictures and made notes. She was confident it would attract a tidy little sum. She loved the neighborhood. The schools in the area were some of the best, which would appeal to a young family with children.
After taking another set of photos, this time outside, they drove back to Helen’s office so Mara could pick up her car. Her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and saw Alex’s name. She hesitated; uncertain she wanted to get into a conversation with him while she was with Helen. Instead she silenced the call. Hopefully he’ll leave a voice mail.
“Don’t you want to get that?” Helen asked.
“No, I’ll let it go to voice mail. Besides, it’s probably a solicitor or one of those annoying political calls.”
“I know what you mean. I hate those.”
They pulled into the office parking lot. Helen walked Mara to her car and gave her another rib-crushing hug. She must work out.
“Well, sweetie, I’ll crunch some numbers and give you a call. If everything is kosher, I’ll have your house listed in a couple days and will start looking for your new hideaway. Before you know it, you’ll be on the road to a new beginning.”
“Thank you, Helen. I really appreciate all your help.” Mara leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek.
“You’re very welcome. You’re my girl, and I’ll take good care of you. Count on it!” Helen said as she pointed an imaginary gun at Mara and winked.
Mara laughed. “You’d better or I’ll kick your ass! I’m bigger than you.”
Helen turned and called back with a wave, “Just try it! Now leave so I can get to work.” She disappeared into the office.
Mara got into her Toyota, longing for the feel and luxuriousness of Helen’s BMW. Suddenly feeling guilty, Mara patted Bonnie on the dash and said, “Don’t worry, baby, I won’t trade you in for a newer model. We go back too far.”
When Mara pulled into her driveway, she saw Nathan Bradford leaning on his car with his arms folded. She got out. A little surprised to see him, she walked over. “Hi, Nathan. This is a surprise.”
