The Daisy Dunlop Mystery Box Set: Lost Cause, Lost & Found, Lost Property

by JL Simpson

  She relaxed against Solomon as he planted a kiss on the top of her head. Daisy had a bad feeling about the day ahead.

  Chapter Nine

  Daisy stared down at the front of her shirt. The water she'd rubbed into the coffee had spread the stain and left her cold and shivering. Solomon turned the heating up in the SUV and she set the vents toward her chest but she was still damp as Solomon turned off the main road and headed ever closer to Liam’s office. This wasn't the way to impress anyone. She should start packing a clean outfit in her bag like she used to when Sherman was a baby. The boy had a habit of covering her in all manner of crap when they were out. Sherman had grown out of his digestive issues but apparently she wasn't past getting covered in food and excrement. Her jeans were still in soak in a bucket at home after the manure incident.

  Solomon reverse paralleled parked in a space in front of the office she would never have attempted to put a mini into, never mind a massive SUV.

  He glanced at her chest and then up at her face. “You're a bit of a mess.”

  Daisy tossed her hair over her shoulder, grabbed her handbag and clutched it to her chest. “I'm fine.”

  Solomon leaned forward and eased out of his jacket and then began unbuttoning his pale blue shirt. He tugged it over his head revealing a snug white t-shirt underneath.

  “Solomon, what on earth are you doing?” Why the hell was he getting naked? He didn't have anything she wanted to see, or to be honest, that she hadn't seen before.

  “My jacket's too big for you.” He held his shirt out to her.

  “So is your shirt.”

  “Not if you roll the sleeves up and tie the front. If you'd let me take you home you could have changed, but you wouldn't. Do you really want to spend the day smelling like a walking advert for Starbucks?”

  “Fine.” She began to unbutton her blouse. Solomon raised an eyebrow.

  “Do you mind?”

  He grinned. “Not at all. Carry on.”

  “Close your eyes.”

  “Why? I've seen you in your underwear before.”

  “That doesn't mean you get to see me in my underwear again. A gentleman wouldn't even have to be told to look away.”

  “So, I'm not a gentleman?”

  “Close your eyes.”

  He did as she asked and she finished unbuttoning and slipped her arms out of the soiled blouse before pulling on Solomon's shirt. It was still warm and smelt of his cologne. She got to work doing up the buttons and rolling up the sleeves.

  “Can I look now?”

  Daisy tied the front. “Yes.”

  His blue eyed gaze slid over her body. A smile played at the corners of his mouth. “I love to see a sexy woman wearing one of my shirts.”

  “I'm not a sexy woman.”

  He hooked a finger in the top of his shirt and looked down the front. “That black lacy number says differently, Princess.”

  She shoved him away and did up another button. “Keep your hands and eyes to yourself.”

  He chuckled.

  Daisy rolled her eyes and forced a smile of gratitude. He was a pig, but he was the pig that had saved her arse, again. Not that she needed him to save anything more today, or ever. “I guess I'll give your shirt back next time I see you.”

  “What?”

  “Thanks for the lift.”

  She collected her bag and notes before climbing from the vehicle. Solomon waved but appeared to be making no effort to leave. If he wanted to sit there all day that was his problem. She had work to do.

  Daisy strode into the reception area of Sparks. Melanie glanced up from her computer screen. “Daisy, Liam said you'd be in.”

  “Is he available?”

  On reaching the reception desk, Daisy leaned on the counter, ignoring the young woman sitting in the corner quietly sobbing into an enormous hankie. A blond haired toddler was careening around the room smashing a metal truck into every available surface. Melanie flinched with every thunk. If the crying woman was having some sort of life crisis, her kid was oblivious. Young kids were fairly resilient. Sherman never noticed when Paul was away serving in the army. Unless his constant staring at strange men and wailing, “Daddy?” in a plaintive voice was his way of letting her know he was distraught. Most guys ran a mile. On reflection it was funny, but at the time it was humiliating. The kid knew damn well who had fathered him. Not like Solomon. Solomon’s dad was still a mystery. She really needed to work on that when she had time, if only to piss Solomon off.

  Melanie shoved a buff-colored folder stuffed full of papers across the counter. “Liam's got back-to-back meetings all day. He told me to give you this. If you've got any questions, you can give him a call this evening.”

  Daisy took the folder and smiled. “Thanks. Now I guess I'd better rescue my car from the car park and get moving.”

  “Rescue your car?” Melanie's eyebrows met in the middle in apparent confusion.

  “Yeah. I left it here yesterday and by the time I got back the car park was locked up tight.”

  “What kind of car is it?”

  Daisy's stomach did a flip-flop. “Why?”

  “Not a yellow hatchback?”

  “Melanie, did something happen to my car?”

  “It might have been towed.”

  “Might have?”

  Melanie smiled and then frowned. “The police came and took it away.”

  “You called the cops?”

  “No. They just showed up and said they'd had a report of a suspicious vehicle. We had to evacuate the building for half-an-hour while they checked it out. That's why Liam is so busy.”

  “Did they happen to tell you why they thought it was suspicious or why they towed it? Don't they usually get the bomb squad and blow them up?”

  Melanie shrugged. “I didn't think about it so I never asked.”

  “So, did they happen to mention how I go about getting it back?”

  The receptionist shook her head. “Sorry.”

  Daisy sighed. “No problem. Not your fault. I'll catch you later. “

  That was the second car that had become a victim of her new career. The first one was splattered with blood and defiled with human body parts. After that, she couldn't bring herself to drive it. Now its replacement had been locked up. God knew how much it would cost to get it back. Meanwhile she was stuck without wheels.

  With the folder tucked under her arm, Daisy tugged her phone from her bag. Who should she call first? The cops to get the skinny on the whereabouts of her car or the one person she knew was available to help her sort it out? The one person she didn't want to help her. She shoved the door open with her butt as she hit the green phone icon next to the name Irish Git.

  The door closed behind her with a clunk.

  “Princess?”

  Solomon's voice sounded to her right and it wasn't coming from her phone. She spun around as he reached out and took her phone from her ear before hitting the icon to end the call. She snatched her phone back. He was supposed to have left. Her car was missing and he was waiting for her.

  Why was he hanging around? Unless he knew she would need a ride. She could feel her pulse rate increase along with her anger. His contacts were spread far and wide. It would be all too easy for him to get her car towed under the pretense it was loaded with explosives. The man was like a dog with a bone when he wanted something. And for the last two days, he'd made it more than obvious he wanted to help her. He must be a really desperate to get it on with Belinda if he'd go to such lengths to keep Daisy close. “Why are you still here?”

  “Were you not calling me for something?”

  “No. Maybe.” Daisy glared at him. “Just answer the damn question.”

  “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Princess, but your car appears to be missing.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I went into the car park to check it for you and it’s not there.”

  She glared at him. “Is this down to you?”

  He raise
d an eyebrow. “Is what down to me?”

  She tossed her phone in her bag. “I need a lift.”

  “What happened to your car?”

  Daisy poked him in the chest. “Don't pretend you don't know.”

  Solomon grabbed her hand. “I don't. Can you not give me a clue? What is it that you're accusing me of, exactly?”

  *

  Solomon strode toward his SUV. Things had worked out better than he'd hoped. His plan to give Daisy a shove in the right direction was nothing compared to being able to spend the day dropping quiet clues and nudging her along. If she could tie this case up with his help, she'd do anything for him.

  God, he was pathetic. Was his ego suddenly so fragile that the thought of Belinda giving up on him without an explanation had him clutching at straws? He might be trying to convince himself this was all about helping Daisy to succeed as an heir hunter but he'd be lying. Sure, that was part of it, but mostly it was about his penis successfully breaching Belinda's defenses. The woman was so supple, she could make moves in bed that blew his mind, amongst other things.

  He started toward the passenger's side of the SUV but thought better of being a gentleman when Daisy flashed him a disgusted look. Apparently being chauffeur didn't run to opening and closing doors for her. Once he was safely behind the steering wheel, he turned the key, kicking the engine to life. Daisy was still beside the SUV, juggling her bag and the folder she had collected from the solicitor. As she wrestled the car door open, she lost her hold on the folder. Papers scattered around her feet. Solomon averted his gaze and studiously observed the back of the car he’d parked behind. Her huffs of annoyance, followed by the bouncing of the SUV as she flopped into the passenger's seat and slammed the door spoke volumes.

  Once she was belted up, he slid the vehicle into reverse. “Where to?”

  Daisy looked up from shuffling through the disorganized stack of papers on her knee. “Hamworthy.”

  “The house you visited yesterday?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Why?”

  Solomon shrugged. “No reason.”

  “Afraid you might get accosted by the kids again?”

  He eased the SUV out of the parking space and pulled into the traffic. “Not at all. I just wondered why you'd be going back over old ground.”

  “Because I barely had a chance to look around yesterday. I might have missed something.”

  “Like?”

  “If I knew what I missed then I would hardly need to go back, would I?”

  Solomon smiled. She had a point. Hamworthy was as good a place to start as any. Once they arrived, he could shove her in the right direction. That was if she didn't stumble across the best lead she had before he had to point out the bleedin' obvious.

  *

  Daisy wasted twenty minutes on the phone trying to track down her car. The police insisted they hadn’t been to Liam's office and hadn't taken her hatchback. If she wanted to report it stolen, she needed to go into the station. As far as she was concerned, there was no rush to make a report or claim her insurance because wherever her car was it was safe. She knew the car's disappearance was down to Solomon. He might deny any knowledge but she'd find out what he'd done, one way or another. Until then she refused to play mind games with him. Instead she spent the rest of the trip going through the documents Melanie had given her.

  There were copies of bills for the usual house-related expenses: gas, electricity, water and taxes. All of them were addressed to Mr. Jenks. Bank statements for the last six months were no more than a few pages long. No doubt the bank would have a lot of information about him, but they would never share it with her. However, a more thorough reading of his statements might give a few clues about his lifestyle.

  A cursory glance revealed that he had over a hundred thousand pounds until three months ago. A number of large withdrawals drained his account within a matter of days. She needed to check the withdrawal dates against the period he was in hospital. As far as she knew, his treatment was covered by the National Health. Did someone other than Liam have access to his accounts? If he withdrew the cash, what had he spent it on? There was no bill for a credit card in the file. Maybe he didn't have one and only dealt in cash. She shoved the statements back into the folder along with the utility bills.

  The rest of the documents were made up of some general mail and a few of Liam's notes about phone calls he’d received about the funeral arrangements and the release of the body.

  The car came to a stop and Daisy glanced out the window. She’d been so wrapped up in checking through the papers she hadn’t even registered that they had pulled on to the estate. Having a chauffeur was really working out well.

  “Anything interesting?”

  Daisy shrugged and undid her seatbelt. Before she could stop him, Solomon reached over and grabbed the folder and loose documents. She made a lunge for them. He held her off with one hand. “Hold up, Princess. I'm not going to muscle in on your investigation.”

  She folded her arms. “So why have you stolen my file?”

  He shoved the loose papers inside. “I thought it best we not leave it in the car.”

  “Why?”

  “I've a feeling anything not tied down around here will attract attention. And I know you'd not want Mr. Jenks' personal business to be spread around the neighborhood.”

  The man had a point. Liam would hardly be impressed if she lost the folder. She should have brought a bigger bag with her. Solomon undid his seatbelt and opened his door. “Why don't you let me keep a hold of it for you?”

  Daisy smiled. “Good idea. You can sit here and hold it.”

  “Can I not come with you?”

  A group of teenagers pushed away from the front of a derelict house across the street and sauntered toward them.

  “No. I've got it, Liffey. You can guard the documents—and the car.”

  Solomon grumbled and slammed his door shut. “I knew I should have brought my gun.”

  “They're thugs, not murderers.”

  “You don't know that for sure. Maybe I should come along to protect you.”

  “I can look after myself.”

  Solomon glanced at the shirt she was wearing and lifted an eyebrow. She shoved the long sleeves up and fluffed her hair. “Accidents can happen to anyone.”

  “Of course they can. Princess.”

  “They can!”

  “I'm not arguing with you.”

  Daisy pushed her door open. The man was more annoying when he was being agreeable, especially when she knew he didn't mean it. “Whatever.”

  She slammed the door and strode up the front path to Tomas Jenks’ house. Solomon could shove it.

  Chapter Ten

  Solomon waited until Daisy disappeared into the house before flicking the folder open. The bills were of no interest. Liam's file notes were mostly about the funeral arrangements. Melanie had included a list of assets and liabilities. It hadn't escaped Solomon's attention that Daisy spent some time examining the few bank statements she had. Large amounts were transferred out to another bank account on a regular basis, but there was no other account listed in amongst Mr. Jenks' assets. Who had he been paying? And what was he paying for?

  Solomon glanced at the house before sliding his phone from his jacket pocket. He took his time photographing the statements and then shoved everything back into the folder, adding a slip of paper from his pocket. Daisy hadn’t had enough time to look at all the documents in detail so wouldn’t notice the addition.

  A tap at the window made him swing his head around. The girl who'd been all over him on their last visit was back. She stood in the street, one hand propped on her hip. With a come-hither smile teasing her lips, she tapped the glass again. “Open the window.”

  Solomon checked the area. The teens who'd been loitering had disappeared. Apparently she was alone. Solomon started the engine and then pressed the button and the window slowly descended. She leaned her arms agains
t the side of the car. “Nice wheels. I preferred the other car, though.”

  “So did I.” Solomon raised an eyebrow. “What was it that you wanted?”

  She tugged a curl of her long black hair over her shoulder and twirled it around her finger. “I'm just being friendly.”

  “Well, that was nice of you. Now, if you don't mind.”

  “What's she doing?”

  “Who?”

  The girl nodded toward the house Daisy was searching. “Is she related to old Jack Off Jenks?”

  Solomon frowned. “Jack Off Jenks?”

  A giggle escaped the girl. “That's what we called him. Man was such a sicko.”

  “Why, what did he do?”

  “He kept the curtains closed all the time. And before he left the house, he'd check the street like he was expecting the cops to come and arrest him. Every week he'd be at the post office collecting parcels and big envelopes. You know what comes in parcels and brown envelopes?”

  Solomon shook his head. “No idea.”

  She leaned closer and whispered, “Porn.”

  “Does it now?” He chuckled. “And there I was thinking it was all online these days.”

  “I bet you don't need porn.”

  “How old are you?”

  She pouted and opened her pale blue eyes wide. He had no doubt she was leading the feckless young men she hung around with by the balls.

  “Old enough. Have you got a girlfriend?”

  “That's not really any of your concern.”

  Her focus shifted to Solomon's lap and then back at his face. “I could give you a blow job.”

  Solomon snorted. “Jeysus. Are you part of some police sting?”

  “No.” She glared at him. “Don't you like sex?”

  “There's not a man alive who doesn't like sex, but I prefer to keep it legal.”

  “I told you, I'm, old enough.”

  “And I'm too old.”