Jane kicked back on the leather sofa in Jake’s den. She laid her hand over her eyes and let out a sigh. “I was totally almost right. I’ll never get any credit for it, but really, all things said and done, that was a good piece of detective work.”
“Um hm.” Jake set his feet on the matching leather ottoman, one at a time, like his knees were bothering him, or he was ninety years old.
“It took a while, but who else would have suspected the sweet girl in the wheelchair? Sure, I was wrong about her husband, but that’s a minor point. And without any physical evidence. It was all observation and deduction, you know?” Despite her overwhelming fatigue, Jane grinned. “I could get used to being right.”
“Um hm.”
“What’s eating at you?” It had been days since they had exchanged more than a quick text, and though she was dying to rehash every detail of the case, it wasn’t any fun if he wasn’t going to listen. And, using her own skills of deduction, she thought it seemed like something was bothering him.
Jake took a deep breath. “You know the Crawford Family Restaurant Corporation?”
“Uh, yes, I do.” Jane laughed. “Founded by Robert Crawford Sr. in 1950, operating Roly Burger, the Burger with the Roly-Poly Bun, for over sixty years and, more recently, Yo-Heaven, what Yogurt will be like in Heaven.”
“Yeah, those guys.”
“What about them?”
“They fired me.” Jake’s monotone voice revealed nothing, but his slumped posture and sluggish movements for the last fifteen minutes said he wasn’t happy about it.
“What?”
“Exactly my sentiments.”
“Okay, hold on. You are the owner and CEO, right? How exactly can they fire you?”
“The board of directors has had time to go over the many, many board meeting minutes from the year between Dad’s heart attack and his death. They found ‘compelling evidence’ to support turning the Maywood Roly Burger into a Yo-Heaven.”
“Oh no.” Jane sat up.
“I wanted that location to stay hamburgers for Grandpa’s sake. And for memories and nostalgia. And because the burgers are great. And also so that that bum, the mayor of Maywood, wouldn’t get his own way.”
“How could the board decide in the mayor’s favor instead of yours?”
“All those meeting minutes. Dad’s intentions were loud and clear. And even though I inherited Dad’s shares, Phoebe got Mom’s. And unlike Dad and Mom, Phoebe and I aren’t a perfectly united front. The board had more votes than I did all by myself.”
“But that doesn’t explain why they fired you. That seems like a big overreaction.”
Jake just nodded.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“I’m just really bad at running a corporation. Apparently I’m not in my office doing office stuff as much as I should be.”
“Ahh.” A wave of guilt washed over Jane. She was pretty sure most of the times the flashy Jag had escorted her on detective business were actually times it ought to have been parked in the corporate office parking lot, down in Maywood, and Jake ought to have been parked at his desk.
“Did they give the job to your cousin Jeff?”
“It’s that obvious?”
“You once told me he would have been better at it.”
“He is.”
“That day I met Francine at your office, but the assistant wouldn’t let me in. Who were you fighting with?”
“Aunt Marjory. It wasn’t my finest moment.”
Jane moved to the floor next to Jake and rested her head on his knee. “It’ll be fine, though. Don’t worry about it.”
“The house is in a family trust.”
“What does that mean for you?” Jane traced the seam of his jeans. She wasn’t sure about the house, but she was fairly sure he’d have to stop buying two-hundred-dollar jeans.
“It means I have to get a job that pays the rent, or move out.”
Jane kissed his knee. “That stinks.”
“But it’s great about the murder thing. I’m proud of you.” Jake ran his fingers through her hair.
“It feels a bit shallow considering your news.” Jane turned her head so he could wind the length of her straight hair around his hand, and hoped it was as calming to him as it was to her. “What do you need to do next?”
“Remember the gig I had in Thailand?”
“Of course.”
“Great Commission International, the parent organization, wants to talk to me about a position in fundraising and development. Their head office is in Colorado Springs. I’m leaving Tuesday for a week of conversation about possibilities.”
Jane swallowed hard. “Would you have to move to Colorado?”
“I guess I’ll find out after a weeklong conversation.”
Jane pressed her face to his leg and didn’t say anything. Her thoughts swirled around like Dr. Seuss had written them. She loved Jake here or there, near or far. This wasn’t at all like when Isaac moved to Canada and her whole spirit revolted against it. When Jake said the word “Thailand,” her heart had said, “Yes!” And then, when he had said, “Colorado Springs,” her heart responded, “Anywhere!” It was a new, exciting feeling, and she liked it. Here or there, near or far. “Can I come?” she whispered, embarrassed to ask to tag along, but dying to hear him say yes.
“Without a chaperone? Nope.” Jake laughed, but his voice sounded more relaxed, even happy.
“Do you want to do fundraising and development for this missions organization?” Jane asked.
“Yes. I’d rather run away with them again, but barring that, I would love to raise money to save lives and souls around the world. Wouldn’t you?”
“Absolutely.”
Jake slid off his chair and joined Jane on the ground. He kissed her cheek. “But you and I had better pray about it. No more jumping in with both feet and hoping God will like what we did.”
Jane couldn’t agree more, so she closed her eyes, folded her hands, and hoped that the praying would be followed by a little more kissing, but even if it wasn’t, she was happy to be here, right now, praying with Jake.
In fact, she couldn’t ask for anything better.
Ready for the next Plain Jane!
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Spoiled Rotten Murder: A Plain Jane Mystery
A missing groom, a dead gamer, and a woman who had the nerve to design a popular video game. A case of possible insurance fraud turns into a bloody mess for Jane Adler and her new boss at the Senior Corps of Retired Investigators.
But the good news is Jane Adler has gone legit. As an intern for SCoRI, she's getting the supervised hours she needs for her Private Investigator's License. And her first case as a real investigator proves murder is not a game.
Now available in ebook and paperback!
About the Author
When not writing I knit socks, and accompany my mandolin playing husband on the spoons.
I’m also the author of the Tillgiven Romantic Mysteries, the Plain Jane Mysteries, and the Mitzy Neuhaus Mysteries. I was the Mystery/Suspense Category winner for the 2012 Christian Writers of the West Phoenix Rattler Contest, and have a Drammy from the Portland Civic Theatre Guild. I served as the Vice President of the Portland chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association.
I have a degree in history from Portland State University and still live in the rainiest part of the Pacific Northwest with my goofy family and two small dogs.
More of Traci's work can be found at http://www.tracihilton.com
This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real life people or happenings is coincidental and a little silly.
Health, Wealth, and Murder
Traci Hilton
Copyright 2014 by Traci Tyne Hilton
Cover Art by Andrew Rothery
All rights reserved
Contents
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Twenty-Six
Twenty-Seven
About the Author
Health, Wealth, and Murder: A Plain Jane Mystery (The Plain Jane Mysteries Book 4) Page 20
