“Are you going incognito, or are you a ninja?”
“Both,” she said, raising a finger to her lips, giggling. “Shhh.”
Feeling nervous, I linked my arm with hers as we walked to Harrison’s apartment. He lived in a ritzy renovated loft in the Strip District, the old warehouse area of the city. Located right on the Allegheny River, the apartment complex had once been a cork factory. Now it boasted luxury apartments that brilliantly combined brick walls with exposed pipes and ductwork that made it feel industrial and yet somehow homey.
Matthew, the architect, would have loved this place.
As soon as I had that thought, I pushed it from my brain. Why did I keep thinking about Matthew? I needed to get over it now and focus on the problem at hand.
I gave Mindy a nervous look as we approached the door to the lobby. She whipped a key with a fob out of her pocket and used it to buzz us in. I let out a nervous sigh.
“I don’t think this is illegal exactly,” I said softly as we passed the lobby decorated with stainless-steel finishes and rich velvet chairs. “I mean, after all, you do have a key. He gave you the key. Having a key makes it a visit, not breaking and entering. He, uh, knows you have a key, right?”
She shrugged, completely comfortable with this whole situation. “He may have forgotten. I have a feeling Harrison handed out keys to a lot of girls.”
When we got to the door of his apartment, I took the key out of her hand. “I’ll take it from here. You’re about to leave on your Mexican adventure. If we get caught, I don’t want you to get into any trouble for this.”
She took off her sunglasses and winked at me. “Fine. I’ll stand watch. If anyone comes, I’ll make a birdcall.”
“Or you could ring the doorbell.”
She gave me a thumbs-up. “That works too.”
I unlocked the door and stepped into the apartment, closing it softly behind me. Spacious and modern and with a small balcony facing the river, it was also fairly neat and tidy. Harrison most likely spent little to no time here since he traveled so much for work.
I located his office and looked through his desk but found nothing out of the ordinary. I tried to open a locked file cabinet and wasted a lot of time looking for the key before realizing it was right on top. I shook my head at myself in disgust. I was a baker, not a spy. Being here was a huge mistake, but I had to do it.
Leafing through his hanging files, I found one labeled “Anderson.” Inside was a manila folder labeled “The Enchanted Garden Café.”
“Easy peasy,” I whispered to myself. The folder contained papers, notes, and piles of carefully documented information. Like the letter from the registry, this was pure gold. Maybe I didn’t make such a bad spy after all.
I couldn’t steal it, so I did the next best thing. Harrison’s printer sat next to his desk. I put all the papers into the document feeder, made sure the paper tray was full, and copied the contents of the file. It would take a while, so I decided to check out the rest of his apartment as I waited.
I stepped into the kitchen, which barely looked used. The only things in his pantry were bottles of alcohol, a jar of peanut butter, and ramen noodles.
“Are you still in college, Harrison?” I asked softly.
I rifled through all the drawers in the kitchen and those in the coffee table in the living room, and then I went into his bedroom. His large bed, covered in black satin sheets, was unmade. The only messy part of the apartment. I stuck my head into his walk-in closet and peeked through the row of suits and dress shirts still with their dry-cleaning bags on them. I was about to turn off the light and close the door when I noticed something strange in the corner. Something out of place in the otherwise tidy and well-organized closet. A lumpy, dirty garbage bag.
“Please don’t be anything gross,” I muttered to myself as I picked it up and looked inside. When I saw the contents, I frowned.
“Scott’s shoes?”
Inside the garbage bag, stained and filthy, was a pair of expensive men’s dress shoes with the name “Scott Anthony Lipmann” stamped in gold script inside. It didn’t make sense. Why would Harrison have Scott’s shoes? These had to be the ones Scott lost the night we all went out to dinner together. Although dirty and discolored, they were otherwise identical to the ones he’d had on the second time the fountain attacked him.
I giggled at the thought. Instead of an attack dog, we had an attack fountain. We should post warning signs.
I brought the bag to Harrison’s office with me, grabbed the copies I’d made, and shoved them into my purse. I put the file back into the cabinet, locking it, and heard a funny noise in the hallway. It sounded a bit like a birdcall. Then the doorbell rang. Franticly. Several times. Before I could respond, the door to the apartment opened with a swish, and an older woman stepped inside, an apron over her clothes and her dark hair pulled into a messy bun. Mindy stood behind her, a panicked expression on her face.
“This is Sue, Harrison’s cleaning lady,” she said. “We met outside, and I told her we were on our way out. Are you ready to go to lunch?”
I smiled at her, trying to still my pounding heart. “Harrison said you’d be in. I was dropping off his . . . uh . . . dry cleaning.”
Sue narrowed her eyes at me. “You’re the new girlfriend?”
“Guilty,” I said, heaving a huge sigh of relief that she didn’t know Mindy. We would have been in serious trouble if she had, but we weren’t out of the woods yet.
“What’s in the bag?”
“This?” I asked, holding it open for her and letting her catch a brief peek. “Shoes. I don’t know what he tramped through, but I’m pretty sure they’re ruined. Men. I’ll have to see if I can get them cleaned. Well, I’d better run.”
Sue nodded, still not convinced. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“Oh,” I said, racking my brain as I tried to remember the name Mindy mentioned of the girl who’d sent Harrison naked photos. Luckily, it came to me just in time. “Kelsey. Nice to meet you.”
When we got outside, I almost collapsed in relief. “I’m not cut out for this. I’m going to stick to making cupcakes from now on. That was so awful. Great birdcall, by the way.”
Mindy giggled. “I thought it was fun. Let’s do it again.”
Later, when I had some time alone, I went outside and stared at the fountain. I couldn’t believe what I’d done. Surely the cleaning lady would mention it to Harrison. We might be in some very serious trouble.
I pulled out the papers I’d copied and looked through them. Every single complaint that had been made against the café was listed. The notes were detailed. Methodical. Cruel. They’d worked on this together for months.
But as much as I searched and studied the pile of papers in my hands, I found no mention of Matthew. I still couldn’t understand what part he’d played in all this, but he didn’t seem directly connected to Scott or Harrison.
I dipped my hand in the fountain and thought about our first kiss. I’d jumped to get involved with Scott, someone absolutely wrong for me, and then jumped into the sack with Matthew. I’d lost my inner compass. I had no idea who or what I wanted anymore.
As I got up to go back into the house, I thought I heard the faint strains of the music Matthew played on his guitar in the gurgle of the fountain. I turned around, half expecting to see him sitting there with that sexy smile on his face and the yin and yang necklace resting on his chest. But the garden was silent and empty. I was completely and utterly alone.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Never annoy a chef, especially
one holding a big knife.
~Aunt Francesca~
“You did what?”
Mom didn’t respond well to the news that I kind of broke into Harrison’s apartment and copied files. I’d woken up early, made her coffee, cooked her some breakfast, and even arranged a little bouquet of flowers for her. I sat and waited for her with the files neatly stacked on the island. Unfortunately, all my efforts to sof
ten her up were for nothing. She seemed disappointed about what I’d done, which ticked me off.
“They’ve been spying on us the whole time. Even before I dated Scott. This proves it.”
She rubbed her temples. “That does not justify breaking into a person’s home. Haven’t you listened to a single word I’ve said about karma, Fiona?”
I rolled my eyes. “Karma shwarma. This is concrete evidence. Something we can use for our case. You’re being ridiculous. Can’t you see that?”
I gathered my files and stomped away, furious at her, mostly because I knew she was right. Breaking into Harrison’s apartment had been the wrong thing to do, but the value of information I’d collected assuaged my guilt. We had the upper hand now. Finally. But my mom would never see it.
I sniffed the odor of burning sage coming from the kitchen. It meant my mother was detoxifying our space, getting rid it of the bad vibes I’d just brought in. A typical Claire Campbell reaction to a crisis, stinky herbs and a lot of nonsense, but I was surprised to find Janet, our attorney, wasn’t pleased either. When I made copies of the documents and dropped them off at her office, she gave me an odd look.
“And where exactly did you get these, Fiona?”
I lifted my chin, feeling defiant. “In Harrison’s apartment. His ex-girlfriend had a key. We didn’t break in.”
“How does your mom feel about this?”
I nibbled on her lip. “She isn’t happy about it. She’s worried about karma and stuff, but I think it was worth the risk. It could help our case.”
Janet shook her head and put the files back into the envelope. “I won’t be able to use this information, Fiona.”
“Why not?”
“Because it was stolen.”
I swallowed hard. Taking the files from Harrison’s office had felt wrong, but what he did felt more wrong. Using my mom’s karmic scale, his was definitely the bigger crime.
“But you used the letter . . .”
“Which was addressed to your mom. It was her property. And you didn’t steal it. It was given to you by a third party.”
“Oh.” When she explained it that way, I felt even worse.
When I stood up to leave, she walked to the door with me and put a hand on my shoulder. “I understand why you did it, but I have to advise you against this sort of thing in the future. Don’t stoop to their level, Fiona. I have to side with your mom on this one. You’re better than that.”
She was right, and I knew it. As far as I could see, the only good thing that came from stealing those files had been figuring out Matthew didn’t seem connected to Harrison or Scott. For that, it may have been worth disappointing both my mother and Janet. I now had the slimmest bit of hope that maybe Matthew wasn’t involved. But that hope led me nowhere. He hated me at this point.
I spent the rest of the day in a snit. I was mad at the world. Auntie Mags came in, and in spite of her rather aggressive efforts, I refused to let her even attempt to unblock me. She looked disappointed, but I stood my ground.
“I will not let you anywhere near my chakras ever again. You messed me up last time. You made me connect with my heart center, and before I knew it, I connected with a man I barely knew. In bed.”
Kate giggled, and I glared at her. “I’m sorry, Fi,” she said. “Your first sex joke. So cute. We need to put this in your baby book.”
That earned her another glare, but Auntie Mags continued to try to mess with my energy fields. “Unblocking your heart center led you down the path you were supposed to take.”
“The path that made me miserable? Thank you very much.”
She held up her hands and advanced on me, but I held up a spatula to stop her. “Don’t you dare come any closer. Put those away. Now.”
Auntie Mags let out a noise of pure exasperation. “I was showing you that these are only hands. Your heart and your dreams and your desires are all inside of you. The only thing I did was force that logical, beautiful mind of yours to realize your heart has a voice, too, and you need to listen to it.”
I was putting together salads for her reiki class. I picked up a large knife and slammed it down onto the cutting board, neatly slicing a tomato in two.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “There’s no need to get violent about it, girly. I’m only telling you the truth.”
I turned on the blender to mix the dressing for the salad. Auntie Mags rolled her eyes. “And I guess you don’t want to hear it.” She raised her voice over the sound of the blender.
I shut it off and gave her a tight little smile. “No, I do not. I’ve heard enough.”
Auntie Mags lifted her hands in defeat. “I won’t try to fix your chakra or give you any more advice, but I will tell you one thing. I love you and want the best for you. For a few days, when you were with Matthew, you seemed happier than I’ve ever seen you. I wish you could be that happy always.”
I had to blink away the tears filling my eyes. I seemed to cry at the drop of a hat lately. Totally out of character. “Thanks, Auntie Mags.”
She kissed my cheek and went back to her reiki class with a swish of the brightly colored scarf she had wrapped around her neck. Kate stared at me after she left. “She’s right, you know.”
I feigned extreme interest in the tomato I was chopping. My apron read “I Kiss Even Better Than I Cook.” I’d forgotten to wash the other aprons and was down to either this one or one that said “I Licked the Bowl,” which might not instill positive feelings in our customers.
“What do you mean by that, Kate?” I moved onto the cucumber. I peeled it in the kitchen sink and diced it on the cutting board.
“Would you please put down the knife first?”
I looked at her in surprise, with the knife paused in midswing. “Are you implying I might be dangerous?”
Kate sighed. “I’m implying you might not like what I have to say.”
I put down the knife and gave her a steady look. “Okay. Shoot.”
Kate sat up a little straighter in her chair. “You love Matthew. Auntie Mags is right. I never saw you so happy, and I’ve known you a long time. I know you think he lied to you . . .” I opened my mouth to protest her choice of words, but she held up a hand to stop me. “But maybe he had his reasons.”
I stared at her, dumbfounded. “What reasons?”
She shrugged. She wore a sexy off-the-shoulder black blouse that showed her creamy cleavage and tattoos. “I don’t know, and you won’t know either unless you talk to him.”
I stuck out my lower lip. “He’s leaving soon.”
Kate slid off the stool and sauntered out of the kitchen. “Then you’d better ask him soon.”
I frowned. Every time I considered talking with Matthew, my stomach clenched into knots of anger. Perhaps because I loved him, his betrayal hurt me so much worse than Scott’s, even though Scott’s was much more devious and cruel.
I thought about Scott as I put the salad on plates, trying to figure out what had attracted me to him in the first place. Sure, he was handsome, but other handsome men had asked me out in the past, and I’d never been terribly interested before.
The truth hit me as I put out butter for the rolls, even though most of the reiki people stayed away from butter or anything fatty. Scott had attracted me because he was the exact opposite of my mom. Truthfully, I didn’t want to end up like her when it came to money, security, or career and personal choices. The whole “live for today” thing seemed to work for her, but it would drive me nuts. I never understood, however, that I wanted to be like her in all the ways that mattered. She was beautiful and kind and creative and smart and fun. She made every day of my childhood special, even though I may not have appreciated it at the time. Not only a mom, she was also my best friend.
She came into the kitchen with an empty tray. She put it on the island and gave me a smile before loading it up with more salads. “Beautiful job on the salads, sweetie, and your rolls would make a French baker jealous.”
I gave her a hug, w
rapping my arms tightly around her waist. “Thank you, Mom. I love you so much.”
She froze for a second before putting her arms around me. “I love you too, darling.”
“I mean it. Everything I am, everything I ever was, is because of you.”
She looked confused. “You made those salads all by yourself, dearest.”
I laughed. “It isn’t about the salads. I was so stupid. I thought I’d be happier being someone different but didn’t realize I’m perfectly happy being myself.”
“Is this about Scott?”
“Yes. No. Maybe. I’m so glad I didn’t stay with that man. And now I’m scared. I almost made a terrible mistake. What if I do it again?”
She squeezed my hand. “I can’t promise you’ll never make mistakes, but they are well worth it if you learn from them.”
I stared at her. “Why do you always have to sound like some kind of inspirational quote with a photo of a sunrise behind it?”
She laughed. “Am I that predictable? I’ll have to change it up a little, I guess.” She wiped her hands on her apron. “Scott wasn’t a mistake, he was a learning experience.”
I frowned. “A bad learning experience.”
She winced. “Maybe, but it wasn’t entirely about the terrible, sneaky, despicable things he did. You were too young to be so serious. I wanted you to have some excitement and adventures before you settled down.”
“Maybe I will. I’m free and clear now.”
She gave me a long, steady look, the kind she always gave me when trying to see through what I was saying and find the truth of the matter. “Are you?” she asked, smirking at me as she pushed open the kitchen door and went back to work.
Chapter Twenty-Five
It isn’t a party without cake and kisses.
~Aunt Francesca~
The next few days passed in a blur. Moses got better every single day. Madame Lucinda had a special palm-reading session on Wednesday. She tried to sneak a peek at my palms every time she got near me, but I kept my hands clenched in little fists. I didn’t want her to look at my palms and tell me things about my future, good or bad. I didn’t want to know.
The Enchanted Garden Cafe (South Side Stories Book 1) Page 22
