Plymouth Undercover

by Pamela M. Kelley

  “Will you have people over then, too?” Emma’s mother asked Brady.

  He nodded. “Everyone I know comes over then, including my mother. She looks forward to it.”

  They chatted a bit longer and then Brady’s watch beeped. “That’s my mother calling. I’m heading over there shortly to help her with a gardening project. So, I should be on my way.” He stood to go and looked back at Emma.

  “If you’re not doing anything later, I was thinking of taking a drive down to Fisherman’s View in Sandwich. Have you been there? It’s on the canal and a buddy told me I have to try their lobster sushi roll. Any interest in joining me?”

  Emma had no plans and welcomed the chance to do something.

  “I haven’t been there yet. Would love to go.”

  “Great, I’ll check in with you later.” He glanced at Emma’s mother. “It was nice meeting you.”

  Once he left, Emma’s mother raised her eyebrows. “Is there something you need to tell me?”

  Emma laughed. “What? No. There’s nothing with me and Brady. We’re just friends and neighbors, and I’m just glad to have something to do tonight.”

  “Well, he seems charming enough. Handsome, too. Isn’t he the one though that your brother warned you to stay away from?”

  “Yes, he’s the one. I don’t think Matt really knows Brady though.”

  “Maybe not, but be careful, honey. If you are interested in him as more than friends, go slowly. It’s been many years since you and Brady were in school together. You don’t really know him all that well, either.”

  Her mother had a good point.

  Emma smiled. “It’s just dinner. That lobster sushi roll sounds good.”

  Brady stopped by on his way home from his mother’s later that afternoon and they agreed to head to the Fisherman’s View around six. Emma knew this wasn’t a date, just two neighbors getting a bite to eat, but she still found herself taking more time than usual trying to decide what to wear. She finally settled on an old pair of jeans that were soft and flattering and a pink cashmere v-neck sweater.

  Oscar showed up at the back door and she fed him and made sure he was inside before she left. Brady knocked on her door at six sharp and they headed out. He drove and chatted most of the way during the twenty or so minute drive. They turned left on route 3A and meandered along until they reached Cedarville and jumped on the highway for the last ten minutes or so, over the Cape Cod Canal and on to Sandwich.

  Fisherman’s View was located on the canal and there was a great view of the boats going by. The restaurant was busy but two seats opened up at the long bar and they decided to eat there. Otherwise, the wait was at least an hour for a table.

  A bartender came right over once they were seated and Emma ordered a chardonnay and Brady got a local draft beer. Even though they were inside at the bar, they still had good water views. And the menu was extensive, with all kinds of seafood and lobster dishes. They decided to stay with appetizers and sushi and ordered the cooked lobster sushi roll and a spicy tuna roll, shrimp cocktail and an order of crab cakes.

  “So where did you go this week?” Emma asked. She’d noticed that Brady had been out of town for a few days.

  “Kansas City to a medical software client. They are doing a go-live for a new customer and needed something to integrate better.”

  Emma laughed. “That all sounds like Greek to me. But it went well?”

  He nodded. “It was a little hairy at first. But I was able to get it sorted out for them.”

  The bartender set down their shrimp cocktail a moment later, and they dug in. The shrimp were huge. Emma glanced out the window and saw a tugboat pulling a big barge. They could see the barges go by from their cottages too, but far off in the distance. Here they were so close they could see the names on the various shipping containers.

  “So, how are you liking being back in Plymouth? Do you think you might stay?” Brady asked.

  Emma nodded. “I do. Now that I’m back, it almost feels like I never left, but in a good way. I don’t think I could go back to living in California again.”

  “You don’t miss the whole Hollywood life?”

  She laughed at the thought. “I don’t, at all. I do miss the work a little. But I don’t miss the lifestyle. I’m very happy to be home. And I’m having fun at the agency. I like working with Mickey and my mom.”

  “How old is Mickey? He’s a character.”

  “Just about eighty. He’s awesome. He’s been a good teacher. He’s still sharp as a tack.”

  They both looked up as the bartender set down a platter between them with their sushi rolls. Emma had never had a lobster sushi roll before and it was so good, with big chunks of sweet lobster in the middle and a sliver of fresh tuna across the top.

  They both agreed the sushi was amazing and Emma was already starting to feel full by the time the bartender brought out the crab cakes. Those were also delicious, but she was glad they were splitting them.

  When their plates were empty and their drinks almost gone too, the bartender returned and asked if they wanted anything else.

  “What do you think? Do you feel like another drink?” Brady asked. “We could sit and relax for a bit before heading home.”

  “Sure.” It was still early. The sun was just going down and Emma wasn’t ready to go home yet.

  “Did you stay in Plymouth after graduation? Or move back here recently?” Emma asked. She was curious to know more about Brady and what he’d been up to since they went to school together.

  “No, I moved to Boston right after graduation and took a job with Accenture on their technology team. Lived right downtown in the Back Bay and worked out of the Prudential Center.”

  “I bet it was fun living in Boston. Did you love it?”

  He smiled. “I did. It was a great place to work and for a kid right out of school it was fun being in the city. I traveled even more then. We were road warriors, flying out most weeks on Sunday night and back home on Fridays. And then we ran around Boston all weekend.”

  Emma could picture Brady taking Boston by storm with his friends. She thought it sounded fun, except for all that travel.

  “So, you’ve always traveled then. You don’t mind it?” she asked.

  “I didn’t mind it then. It was exciting going to so many new places and different companies. But a few years ago I got sick of living in the city. My mother had a health scare, and I wanted to be closer.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know that. She’s okay now?”

  “Yeah, she’s fine now. The good thing about what I do is that I can live anywhere really and either deal with clients remotely or jump on a plane. I work for myself now and have a handful of key clients, and don’t have to travel like I used to. So it’s all good.”

  “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Emma didn’t think that he did, but wasn’t sure.

  “No, it’s just me. And my mom. I lost my father too, but I was so young that I barely remember him.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that. It seems like you and your mom are pretty close. You see her often?”

  He smiled at the mention of his mother. “I do. She’s incredible. We talk every day or so and I see her at least once a week, usually more. I drop by sometimes over the weekend and she loves that. She loves to go out to eat, so we have a few favorite places in the rotation.”

  Brady’s face softened when he talked about his mother. It was clear that he adored her and that made Emma like him even more. She was close to her mother too. She’d been close to her father as well, but not like her mother.

  “What are her favorite places?”

  “That’s easy. She loves 42 Degrees North, and Cafe Strega. Or if we want to be down on the waterfront, either the Blue-Eyed Crab or East Bay.”

  “All good choices.”

  “If I’m around, anytime you feel like grabbing a bite, just holler. I’m always up for going out,” Brady said. His easy smile lit up his face and Emma felt a twinge of something,
butterflies maybe? She forced the feeling down, though. Brady was her neighbor. A good friend to hang out with, and share a meal or a drink now and then. And she welcomed that.

  “Good to know. I’ll remember that.”

  The conversation turned to people they both knew from high school and where they were now. Brady had kept in touch with quite a few people and kept Emma laughing with his stories. Before she knew it, the sun had set, and their glasses were empty. It was time to go home.

  The ride home was comfortable. They chatted easily and soon they were on Taylor Avenue, parking and walking to their cottages. Brady walked Emma to her door and waited until she was inside.

  “I’m glad we did this, Emma. It was a fun night. Remember, anytime you want to do it again, let me know.”

  “It was fun, and I will. Goodnight, Brady.” Emma closed the door behind her and watched out the window as Brady walked to his cottage and disappeared inside. Something soft brushed against her leg and she jumped. She looked down to see Oscar staring up at her, demanding to be petted.

  “You startled me. Let’s go settle down, Oscar.” Emma went into her bedroom, changed into comfy pajamas then curled up on the living room sofa to watch TV for a bit before bed. Oscar hopped up next to her. She reached for the remote and started clicking through channels to find something that looked good. Finally, she found a movie on Netflix and as it started, she saw movement outside and realized Brady had just walked out onto his deck. He was only out there for a few minutes before heading back inside.

  She’d really enjoyed Brady’s company. More than she’d expected. And she liked that he was so close to his mother. She was glad that he was living next door and a new friend for her to do things with. She thought about her own mother and her reminder that Matt wasn’t a fan of Brady at all. Emma dismissed the thought. Her brother clearly didn’t have all the information. The Brady she was getting to know seemed like such a good guy.

  Chapter 17

  Emma stopped at Clements, the neighborhood grocery store, on the way to the office. She picked up a healthy selection of snacks—carrot and celery sticks, some veggie sushi and air-popped popcorn. But then she walked by the bakery and they were just putting out freshly-baked muffins and she couldn’t resist. She picked up pistachio nut muffins for everyone in the office.

  Her mother was already in the office, and raised her eyebrow when she saw Emma set the box of muffins on the coffee table.

  “I got healthy stuff too. But these are still warm, and it’s a Monday. We deserve a treat.”

  Mickey didn’t hesitate to reach for a muffin. “I quite agree. Thank you, Emma.”

  Her mother laughed. “Fine. I’ll have one too.”

  Emma made herself a coffee and joined the others in the middle of the room where they were already seated on the sofa and chair. They’d gotten into the habit of holding Monday morning meetings to go over status updates and look at the week ahead.

  Just as they were about to start the meeting, the office line rang. Emma’s mother answered the call and after a moment, it was easy to tell that it was Belinda Russell.

  “Okay, thank you for that update. We will keep digging to see what we can find out.”

  “Did Belinda get an update from the police?” Emma asked when her mother sat back down.

  “She did. She said the police don’t know if there’s a connection, but they are looking more closely now at Justin Powell, Nancy’s boss. It seems that he has some kind of Ponzi scheme going possibly with some of his company’s clients.

  It came to their attention because one of his clients, an Andrew Sinclair, had a friend in the FBI and mentioned that something didn’t seem right about what Justin was doing. It was presented to him as an excellent investment opportunity, but he’s thinking now that it’s something else entirely. They’ve been slowly investigating and building a case.”

  “Does Belinda think that Nancy might have been involved? Maybe that’s what got her killed?” Emma asked.

  “She said that the police asked for her opinion on that and she doesn’t think Nancy would have been involved in anything illegal.”

  “Maybe she found out and was going to blow the whistle?” Mickey said.

  “That would give Justin motive. And he paid for the funeral, too. Maybe that was him feeling guilty,” Emma said.

  Her mother nodded. “It’s possible. But Belinda thought the world of Justin and said he was always wonderful to Nancy. She could see him being involved in something shady because most lawyers don’t make the kind of money Justin makes. But she doesn’t think he could have hurt Nancy.”

  “You never know what people are capable of,” Mickey said.

  “I could call Rachel and see if she can get me back over there as a temp. She said they really liked me and they could definitely use me again if I was available.”

  “That’s not a bad idea. You could snoop around a bit and see what you can uncover,” Mickey said.

  But her mother didn’t look convinced. “I’m not sure that’s a great idea, honey. If this guy Justin is involved with Nancy’s death, I don’t like the idea of you being around him. Especially if he finds out who you really are.”

  “Mom, he won’t find out. I’ll be very careful.”

  “Okay, but you don’t have to do that. I really am not keen on the idea.”

  “Seriously, there is nothing to worry about. I’ll probably just end up typing all day.” Emma grinned. “That’s about as safe as it gets.”

  “I think it’s a great idea,” Mickey said.

  “All right. I’ll give Rachel a call.”

  Two days later, Emma started a three-day assignment at the law firm. She’d be there Thursday, Friday and Monday.

  Since Sheila supported Justin, as well as acted as office manager, Emma hoped she’d have a chance to snoop around Sheila’s office-maybe at lunch if she went out.

  But on Thursday and Friday, Sheila ate at her desk, so all Emma was able to do was sit and type all day.

  But everyone was going to the 110 after work on Friday, so Emma happily accepted Sheila’s invite to walk over with her.

  Justin was already at the bar when they arrived and had ordered a bunch of food and a round of drinks for everyone.

  They found two seats at the bar and put their drinks order in. Emma went with chardonnay like usual. Sheila got a cosmopolitan again.

  The seat on the other side of Emma opened up and a moment later, Justin settled into it. He was drinking a martini on the rocks with extra olives.

  “You came back! Sheila says you do great work. We’re not looking for anyone full-time right now, but if you are interested, let Sheila know and she’ll be in touch if something opens up.”

  Emma smiled and pretended to be grateful for the opportunity. “Thank you, I will do that.”

  “So, it’s Emily, right?”

  “Emma actually.”

  “Of course. So, Emma, what do you do for fun when you’re not working?”

  “Nothing too unusual. I live on the beach, so I like spending time there. And I go the gym sometimes and of course out to dinner.”

  “Do you like boats?”

  “Sure.”

  “I just got a new yacht. Docked at the Plymouth marina. Biggest one I’ve had yet. It’s a seventy-five footer. You ever been on a boat that big?”

  “No, I can’t say that I have. It sounds lovely.” Emma couldn’t begin to imagine how expensive a yacht that size must be. Several million, probably.

  “It’s insane. I’ll be having a party on it soon. You should come.”

  Emma hesitated, not sure how to respond to that. But fortunately no response was necessary as someone tapped Justin on the shoulder and he was up and on his way to the other side of the bar.

  “He’s something, isn’t he?” Sheila said with a look of amusement.

  “He’s very energetic,” Emma said. She wasn’t sure what was safe to say to Sheila. As she wasn’t sure how close she and Justin were.


  “I think he has ADHD, seriously. The man can’t sit still for more than a few minutes at a time.”

  “He was telling me about his new boat. It sounds nice.”

  “It’s extravagant. Over the top, like Justin. He had most of the office over last Friday night to celebrate the boat’s christening. He has a driver for it and had a caterer to serve food and bartenders to keep the drinks flowing. We rode all around Plymouth Harbor for a few hours. It was fun.”

  “That does sound fun,” Emma agreed. She noticed Justin high-fiving two of the junior lawyers after they all did shots.

  “That’s Justin. Life of the party. He was pouring shots on the boat too. The guys, especially the younger ones that work for him, love it.”

  “You’re not fond of shots?” Emma asked with a smile.

  Sheila laughed. “Hardly. It’s been many years since I’ve done a shot. I’m too old for that. Or I should say, too mature. Justin is actually ten years older than me. You’d never know it by the way he acts, though. He’s like a big kid sometimes.”

  “He is very enthusiastic,” Emma agreed.

  “He is. That’s why I love working for him. He’s very appreciative and there’s never a dull moment.”

  “Have you heard anything about the investigation for Nancy? I wonder if the police are getting any closer,” Emma said.

  Sheila was quiet for a moment, then sighed heavily. “It doesn’t sound like they are any closer. Last I heard they were talking to my ex-husband, which is ridiculous. He wasn’t a fan of Nancy’s but I’m sure Peter had nothing to do with it.”

  “He didn’t like Nancy?”

  “Not particularly. She was my divorce attorney, and she was very good.” Sheila smiled and Emma sensed that Sheila had made out better in the divorce than Peter did, thanks to Nancy.

  “I think his dislike though was more that for a long time he was jealous of Nancy. When we separated, he didn’t expect things to go so easily for me. We share custody and it was hard at first to get used to being a single mother.”