Reunited with the P.I.

by Anna J. Stewart

  “More productive than expected, actually. We’ll talk about it while we eat.”

  “Speaking of eating.” Eden ducked around the corner, eyed them and then the food, and grabbed some of Vince’s bags. “This is going to go cold while you two act googly-eyed, so I’ll take them. Feel free to continue behind closed doors. No window rattling!”

  Vince looked a bit like a deer caught in headlights. “What was that about?”

  “Let’s just say what happens in my office doesn’t necessarily stay in my office. Kyla outed us.”

  “Awesome.” He should have sounded more pained than he did, but what surprised her more was how he wrapped his free arm around her and drew her to him so easily. She wasn’t sure if he thought she needed the quiet moment, or if he did, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she slipped her arm around his waist, rested her ear against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. “I realize this isn’t the time, but just so you know, I made an appointment for us to visit Jason.”

  “What for?” The instant she said it, she recognized her mistake. “Oh, no, Vince, that’s not what I meant.” But his body had gone tense, as if another word from her was going to cause him to snap. “Of course I know what for.”

  “Because of the promise you made to talk to him? To look into my brother’s case again to see if you could get him out of prison?”

  “Yes. That. You know what we’ve been dealing with. I can’t just shift focus—”

  “I’m not asking you to shift focus. I’m asking you to respect our deal.”

  “And I will,” she snapped. “Just...let me save this case and my career before I jeopardize it again, all right?”

  “Yeah. We all know how important your career is.”

  “Hey, you two.” Allie poked her head around the corner. “Not to interrupt this stellar reality show you’ve got going on, but might I recommend calling a truce to eat dinner? We’ve got a long night ahead of us.”

  “Vince.” Simone reached out, but he moved too fast and was already gone.

  Probably in more ways than one.

  Chapter 15

  “Looks like you’re taking a road trip to Stockton in the morning.” Cole set his empty take-out container on the coffee table beside the key Vince had discovered.

  “Be still, my heart,” Simone mumbled.

  “Ignore her.” Eden waved a dismissive onion ring in her direction before she bit into it. “It’s all those seeds and soybeans she eats. Causes a serious erosion of any sense of humor.”

  Vince almost smiled. There was something oddly soothing about being surrounded by Simone and her friends. He’d never felt left out exactly when he and Simone had first gotten together, but he’d never felt as if he’d exactly fit, either. This time was different.

  Or was it?

  Simone’s forgetfulness when it came to Jason’s case shouldn’t have come as a surprise. If it was forgetfulness.

  He knew where her attention was, where it always was, and it was never on him. Maybe that grand sacrificial gesture yesterday in front of her coworkers and boss had been just that: a gesture.

  She’d known what buttons to push when it came to getting what she wanted and she’d wanted him on this case. Whether she’d actually follow through? That was the question.

  “According to the online search engine, that address Mara went to so many times is a motel right near the Stockton Airport,” Allie said. “We couldn’t pull up a street view, but it seems odd to me. It’s not the best area, and in fact most of the surrounding buildings have been abandoned or are scheduled for demolition.”

  “Maybe that key opens one of the rooms,” Cole said.

  Simone picked up the key, hefted it in her hand. “Why would someone hide a key fob in a toy? Fobs are usually for cars, right?”

  “We considered it might be to her glove box,” Cole told her. “We stopped at the evidence lab to check. No joy.”

  “So frustrating.” Simone gripped the key in her hand. Frowned.

  “What?” Vince abandoned his roast beef sandwich as she pried up the edge of the plastic. “Simone?”

  “Hang on.” She slipped her long fingernail between the metal and plastic then twisted the key. It popped free. She had to squint to read out the brand name. “Does that mean anything to anyone?”

  “It’s a line of lockboxes,” Vince said. “We used to recommend them when I was working security until they had a massive recall for not being as fireproof or waterproof as advertised.”

  “They didn’t find any lockboxes in her apartment, did they?” Simone asked Cole.

  “Not that I saw on the evidence sheet. We can check the crime scene photos to make sure, but we would have remembered that.”

  “I don’t know about you guys,” Allie said, “but I’m betting now you have an idea about what to look for when you get to that motel.”

  * * *

  “You going to tell me what’s going on with you and Vince or do I have to guess?” Eden carried the last of the empty containers and glasses into the kitchen.

  “Nothing new,” Simone replied.

  “Oh, this is new. Otherwise you wouldn’t be in here stewing. Come on.” Eden hopped up on the counter. “What’s up?”

  “Just because you’re awash in marital bliss doesn’t mean the rest of us are destined for the same fate.”

  “Getting annoyed with me isn’t going to solve whatever your problem is. Look, even I can tell this is different than the first time you two got together. What’s getting in the way now?”

  Simone sighed and planted her hands on her hips. “He thinks I’ve gone back on my word.”

  “About?” Eden asked.

  “When I asked him to take Mara’s case, I had the feeling he wouldn’t, you know? Too much history. Too much baggage. Plus, he’d gotten out of the business after what happened with his last case.”

  “Yeah, Cole was telling me about Vince’s walk on the dark side. Who can blame him?”

  “Not me, and I don’t.” She should be, though. “I might have sweetened the pot a little to make sure he came on board.”

  “I’m not a dentist, Simone. I don’t like to pull teeth.” Eden circled her hand in the air. “Get on with it. What did you do?”

  “I told him I’d look into his brother’s case again. See if maybe there was something that would qualify Jason for a reverse in sentence or an early release.”

  “Wow.” Eden whistled. “You were desperate. You spent weeks mulling over that case after Vince walked out.”

  “Which is why I know there’s nothing there.”

  The light dawned and Eden nodded. “But you led him to believe otherwise. Classy move. Surprisingly deceptive, and the sort of thing I might have done. I’m kind of impressed.”

  “I didn’t have a choice,” Simone whispered. “Vince is good at what he does and I couldn’t trust anyone else to help me.”

  “But you asked him to trust you with his brother’s life. Again.” Eden jumped down, but not before Simone caught the look of disapproval on her friend’s face. “That’s cold, even for you.”

  “Thanks for the support.” The criticism stung.

  “Given what that guy’s done for you in the last few days, you owe him, Simone.”

  “I realize that.” She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t hoping that maybe she and Vince could actually make a go of things again. Maybe not marriage, maybe not even permanent, but she couldn’t deny being around him, being with him, made her realize what a mistake she’d made three years ago. She’d let him walk out of her life without a fight. “What am I supposed to do exactly? If word gets out that we’re together just as I go poking my nose back into the case—”

  “How about you pass off Jason’s file to an objective third party and see what they migh
t find?”

  “That’s—” Simone blinked. “That’s actually a good idea.”

  “Gee, thanks. I’m all warm and gushy inside.” Eden’s mouth twisted. “Now go get me Jason’s file and I’ll see what I can come up with.”

  “Wait, you? You want to do this?”

  “I’d like to take a run at it, maybe work on it with Cole. See if he has any ideas. Problem?”

  “No. I’ll just go—” Simone backed out of the room.

  “Yeah, you do that. Cole! Let’s hit the road!”

  A few minutes later, Eden tucked Jason’s file into her bag and headed out with Cole.

  “Guess I’m off, too.” Allie stretched her arms over her head and let out a yawn. “There’s a bubble bath with my name on it.”

  “Have a good evening, Allie.” Vince pulled out his phone, sent a quick text, then set it on the coffee table. “I’m going to take a quick shower myself.” He walked upstairs with barely a glance in Simone’s direction.

  “Whew. Cold front moving in. I don’t know what you did, but please fix it.” Allie brushed a kiss on her cheek. “I like having him around. He keeps you on your toes.”

  “I can stay on my toes just fine,” Simone called, but the only response she received was the door slamming. She finished cleaning up, keeping an ear on the running water upstairs. When he didn’t seem to be in any rush to return, she sat on the bottom step and waited.

  When the door did open, she could feel the residual waft of steam against her back. “Do we need to talk?” she asked when he walked by clad only in his jeans.

  “Not tonight, Simone.”

  “Look, I’m sorry I forgot about your brother’s case.” She couldn’t remember ever feeling so tired before. “I promise, as soon as we get through this week—”

  “Please don’t promise me anything more.” He set his bag on the coffee table, rummaged around a bit before he checked his phone and stretched out on the sofa. “And I said not tonight.”

  “Since when do you sulk?”

  He threw an arm over his eyes as if to block her out. “This isn’t sulking. This is me wanting to get some sleep. We’ll head out first thing and see what we can find in Stockton. Unless you’d rather hang out here and work with Eden and Allie.”

  “I said I’d come with you. I’m coming.”

  “Then get some sleep. Something tells me it’s going to be another long day.” And with that, he went silent.

  Irritation mingled with anger. They were back to square one, not talking, letting things fester, except this time she knew it was her fault. There was only one thing he hoped to get out of this arrangement and for all intents and purposes, he believed she was trying to get out of it. It wasn’t something she could deny. Which meant he was right. There wasn’t anything to talk about. Yet.

  “Good night,” she said softly as she got to her feet, turned out the lights and disappeared into her room. Her last thought before climbing into bed was the hope that somehow tomorrow would end differently.

  * * *

  “Headache?” Vince glanced at Simone as she continued to rub her jaw. They’d hit Stockton’s city limits, but the drive had taken almost twice as long thanks to rush hour traffic and two separate accidents on the I-5.

  “Mmm. Woke myself up grinding my teeth last night.” She reached for the coffee she’d finished over a half hour ago, sighed and sat back. “You know that nightmare where your teeth turn to dust?”

  “Yes.”

  “That dream really stinks.”

  Especially when there were so many better ones to have. He might have physically shut Simone down last night, but his rejection hadn’t done much to quell the desire that had been building inside of him all day. He must have been nuts to have started what he did in her office. He hadn’t thought she could look any more desirable than when she’d come apart in his arms, but seeing her in action in the courtroom ran a close second.

  That his brother’s case had “slipped her mind” felt like a festering splinter under his skin. How many times did he have to be reminded that when it came to Simone and her career, he would always come in a distant second? His anger wasn’t directed at her. Not completely anyway. He was more furious with himself for daring to believe. “Any idea what Kyla and Eden are up to today?”

  “Kyla mentioned something about diving deep into Cal Hobard’s history. Eden’s good at that kind of thing, so she won’t let her do anything reckless.” No, Eden would be the reckless one and for once, Simone would choose to turn a blind eye.

  “Eden’s good at a lot of things.” Vince glanced into the rearview mirror. He’d spotted the same dark sedan three times. Were they being followed? The car didn’t have any issue speeding around other vehicles, but it had yet to pass them, despite Vince varying his speed. “What about Allie?”

  “She’s convinced Mara was leading some kind of secret life.”

  “You don’t agree?”

  “I don’t know what to believe anymore. I swear ever since this case started, things have gone topsy-turvy. If Mara isn’t or wasn’t who she said she was then what was her endgame? Why bring our office this case against Denton? Why start this ball rolling if she was only going to try to stop it?”

  “Hopefully we’ll find an answer at the motel.”

  “Come on, Vince, can’t you at least brainstorm some ideas here?” She turned in her seat and looked at him. “I know I’m not real high up on your likability list at the moment, but this case—”

  “This case will turn out to be whatever it turns out to be.” He hit the turn signal and merged over to the right to turn off for the airport. The sedan followed. “What good is guessing going to do? And your likability factor is fine, don’t worry. It’s your trustworthiness I’m having issues with.”

  “You don’t trust me?”

  “Should I?”

  “Yes. I told you I would look into Jason’s case and I’m going to.”

  “No offense, but I’ll believe it when I see you sitting in that visitor’s room having an actual discussion with him.”

  “You said you made an appointment, right? Get the details to Kyla and she’ll put it on my calendar. Best make it after Thursday.”

  Vince gnashed his teeth. Nothing said priority than having your assistant put it on your to-do list. “If you still have a job.”

  “Job or not, I gave my word.” She stared straight ahead with laser beam focus. “I’ll be there.” When he didn’t respond she muttered, “You don’t believe me.”

  “Let’s just say you’ve got some work to do in convincing me. Grab hold of something. I want to try something here.” He took a sharp turn, tires squealing, horns blaring, brakes screeching.

  “What are you doing?” She fisted the seat belt and sat back as he pulled a sharp left into a parking lot, slipped into a space and turned to see behind them.

  “Testing a theory.” He waited, counting the seconds until the sedan passed down the street at a semi-crawl. “We’ve picked up a tail.”

  “A what?” She twisted to look out the back window. “Someone’s following us?”

  “You’re the lead prosecutor on a case someone doesn’t want going to trial. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities. Hang on.”

  “Again?” She squeezed her eyes shut as he went into reverse and backed all the way out before following their tail. “That them?” She pointed to the car slowing down for speed bumps.

  “Sure is. Get your phone out and snap a pic of the plate.” One of the advantages to her never letting it out of her hand. “Got it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Great.” He veered off and slipped into an empty side street. “Get it to Cole or Jack and have them run the plate.”

  “But won’t that put the search in the system?”

  “Y
es, it will.” He circled the block and then headed back to the main road. “Let’s see who cares.”

  They reached the Sleep and Snooze Motel, but Vince didn’t see any sign of the tail. To be safe, he pulled into the parking lot behind the main office. The roar of airplane engines ripped the air as they got out of the car. The smell of gas and exhaust hung heavy, and so thick he thought he could probably chew it.

  “This place is as unsettling as we thought.” Simone walked beside him in her unusually practical attire of white slacks and a pink-and-white shirt. The odd splash of color reminded him of paintings he’d seen in some of his clients’ art collections. “I need a shower already.”

  “Seems even more incongruous that Mara would frequent this place.” He pushed through the office door, using his arm to avoid the crusty film of dirt coating the handle. One clang of the desk bell had a middle-aged platinum blonde emerging from a back room, the sour expression on her craggy face surely a sign of things to come. “Morning, ma’am. My name is Vince Sutton. I’m an investigator from Sacramento.” Her gaze barely flickered to the ID he flashed. “We’re wondering if you’ve seen this young woman here before?” He pulled out a picture of Mara.

  She squinted, moved in. His eyes burned against the stench of tobacco. “Pretty thing. What did she do?”

  “I’m afraid she was killed a few days ago,” Vince said in his most sympathetic voice before Simone could open her mouth. “I was really hoping you might be able to help us. We were just at the diner over a few blocks and they said they thought she’d been staying here. Used to come in regularly for their milkshakes,” he lied. “I’m sure you know the one I’m talking about.”

  “Corney’s, sure. She really dead?” Dull gray eyes dimmed. “Ah, maybe I can have another look?”

  “Certainly.” He set the picture on the sticky registration desk and she leaned in again. An old-fashioned guest book was wedged under her ample chest. “Her family’s asked us to look into her death.”

  “There’s some speculation she was murdered,” Simone added as if following his script. “Can you imagine?”

  The woman’s mouth worked as if she were chewing on her tongue. “Might have seen her here and about. There was a man, too. Tall, thin-haired guy. Rat-like eyes. Thinner than a weed. Wore one of those, what do you call them?” She motioned from her shoulders to her feet. “Long jacket things?”