A Few Good Women (Lexi Graves Mysteries, 9)

by Camilla Chafer

  "We go out for brunch all the time."

  "We're not men sneaking around on their wives."

  "I still don't see him having an affair."

  "Brunch, Lexi, brunch!"

  "I'll go," I told her. "I'll find out what's going on."

  "Good. Can you wrap it up before Serena's engagement dinner? I want to enjoy my dinner, instead of seething with rage."

  "I'll get to the bottom of it before the appetizer. Promise."

  "Good. We can plot our revenge during dessert."

  Chapter Seventeen

  I could think of a dozen better ways to enjoy brunch than waiting for my brother and the mystery woman to show up. For starters, I wanted to be the one eating brunch instead of the half-melted snack bar I currently nibbled on.

  I could see why one of them would choose this place. It was tucked out of the way, nestled between a long-term, small storage business and a wholesale liquor store. I plugged the restaurant name into my phone's browser and had already perused the menu, wishing the Eggs Benedict were sitting in front of me.

  When I parked an hour earlier, arriving super early so I could get a good view of the restaurant, I hoped it was my last day of tailing Jord. Whatever my brother was doing couldn't be so bad, I reasoned. But I still wanted to work out how Solomon was involved. His assurance that neither Lily nor I had anything to worry about kept me awake in the early morning hours and still occupied the forefront of my mind.

  My phone trilled and I jumped. "Hey, Lily."

  "Are they there yet?"

  "No."

  "I asked Jord what he had planned for the day and he said he was going to meet up with your dad to play golf before work. I called your mom and she said Steve had already gone out to play. So I called the club to check on their booking and you know what they said?"

  "No."

  "They said there was a party of four under the name of Graves. But they wouldn't tell me who was in the party."

  "Probably Dad's old police buddies."

  "No wonder Jord used that as his excuse. Are they there yet?"

  "No."

  "Maybe I should come over. We could sneak in and then I could confront him."

  I shuddered at the idea and glanced over toward the restaurant. "No need. He's here already," I said, watching Jord get out of his car. He fed the meter and walked over to the entrance.

  "Damn. Where is she?"

  "Don't know." Lily grunted her annoyance, then made another funny, little noise. "Are you okay?"

  "My belly feels really tight."

  "Are you in labor?"

  "No. The doctor said I would know when I was in labor and this doesn't feel like it. It's just tight. Maybe I'll ask Ruby to drive me to you."

  "Stay where you are. I have to get this straightened out so you can stop worrying." A familiar car parked behind me, the mystery woman inside. I slunk down in my seat, watching in the mirror as she checked her makeup before getting out. She walked past me obliviously, carrying a large folder under her arm. "I'll call you back," I said, hanging up before Lily could protest.

  I watched her approach the restaurant. She waved to Jord and he raised a hand. I took a photo as they hugged before walking inside.

  There wasn't much I could do now except watch and wait, while hoping they didn't take too long. While I stared at the door, my mind drifted. Although I didn't want to think about Anthony, I couldn't help it. Knowing he was in hiding, and now trying to set me up for his fake murder weighed heavily on my mind. Just how callous could one man be? Why did he have to roll into my life just to try and ruin it again? Was this no more than a big game, or did he really want to destroy my life? If he did, would he try something else before he left town? What else could that be? As if accusing me of murder weren't bad enough!

  Now that the FBI could track his money from the fake sale, Anthony must have realized he was wanted and being sought. Unless he was totally clueless, he should have known by now that his murder had already been uncovered for what it was: a fake. Even if he didn't know a thing, and thought all that money in the offshore account was still in his possession, I couldn't see him leaving Olivia's cash behind. It was too substantial, and Anthony was too greedy to pass up any payday.

  I surmised he was hiding out in his apartment until I blundered in, but I couldn't guess where he might be now. While I considered possible locations, a woman walking into the storage unit with a suitcase caught my eye. I followed her for a moment before she stepped inside and disappeared from view. A few people strolled past, apparently in no hurry. I watched a child drop his candy in the street and start to cry before being comforted by his dad. Mostly though, I just tapped my fingers on the steering wheel and pondered how to approach Jord. The idea of following him from one lunch spot to another indefinitely left me cold. For a start, all this surveillance at eateries was making me extra hungry.

  Just as I finished playing out a couple of scenarios in my head — one where Jord admitted to living a double life, and another where several years from now, my entire family reminded me of the time I stalked him on Lily's orders — the woman stepped out of the storage unit, still tugging her suitcase along. There was something familiar about her. She tugged and pulled at the suitcase before waving to someone inside, and tucking a curl of brunette hair behind her ear. A uniformed employee strolled over and stooped over the case, trying to pull it before pointing toward the wheel.

  "Brynn?" I mouthed, recognizing the last of Anthony's girlfriends. What was she doing here? And why was she struggling so much to pull a suitcase that appeared empty twenty minutes before? She had no business going to a storage unit in Montgomery. Not being from here, what could she possibly have stashed? Was it something she needed before running away with Anthony? "Oh, no," I groaned, when it dawned on me what she had to be collecting. And if I were right, it wasn't a line of beachwear for Mexico.

  I grabbed my phone, dialing Garrett.

  "Yup?" he said.

  "I think I just found the money," I said quickly, reeling off the address. "You need to send someone over here right now."

  "Say what? What money?"

  "Olivia Steadman's stolen money."

  "You have it?"

  "No, but I think I know who does. I'm watching Anthony's girlfriend, Brynn, with a suitcase at a self-storage facility. It looks heavy and one wheel is currently stuck in the track of the door."

  "That the one he ran the realtor scam with?" asked Garrett.

  "Yep," I confirmed, knowing the FBI had already filled him in on the finer details.

  "How do you know she has the money?"

  "A small storage facility seems like a good enough place to hide it; and she's the only woman left who still likes Anthony."

  "If I send a squad car over and it turns out to be a suitcase full of dirty laundry, I'll hear about this for the rest of my career."

  "If it's full of bills, you'll hear about it for the rest of your career too."

  Garrett paused, clearly contemplating my argument. "I'll come over now with Grunt."

  "Yippee, my two favorite people."

  "Stay put."

  "She just got the suitcase free. If I lose her now..."

  "Don't approach her," Garrett warned. "She's a fugitive. I'm on my way."

  "Got it," I said. Brynn stepped outside, looking to the left and right but not stepping off the sidewalk. If she got into a car right now, I could lose her and the cash-filled suitcase. A car pulled up in front of her and she leaned down. I could just see the back of the driver's head, a man with very short, tight, black hair. Not Anthony. They spoke and he got out, moving toward the trunk.

  I had no choice; I had to stop her.

  Without further mental conflict, I got out of the car and ran across the street, nearly skidding to a stop in front of her. "Brynn," I said, parking myself between her and the car.

  "Lexi? What are you doing here?" she asked, frowning angrily at me.

  "I need to see what's inside your suitcase."


  "My suitcase? There's nothing. Just, um, laundry and er, my shoes."

  "That isn't your suitcase."

  "Yes, it is."

  "The initials OS are embossed on the luggage tag," I said, pointing to the bright red leather hanging from the handle. "Olivia Steadman."

  "No, it came from the shop called, er, Oversized Suitcases."

  "Really?"

  "I... um... Get lost! My Uber driver is here and I need to go. Get off!" she yelled, grabbing for the suitcase as I scrambled to beat her to it.

  "What's going on?" asked the driver. "Are you trying to steal her suitcase?

  "Police business," I said.

  "She's not the police," said Brynn.

  "Show me your badge," said the driver.

  "Yeah, show him," sneered Brynn.

  "Open the suitcase," I said, ignoring them both. "Did Anthony send you to pick it up?"

  "I haven't seen Anthony at all. I don't know where he is." She thrust her chin out, and pushed her shoulders back, trying to appear more convincing.

  "Yeah, sure. Open the case."

  "Unless you have a warrant or something, get out of my way. I have to go," she said, attempting to bypass me. When I didn't move, she rolled the suitcase toward my leg. I jumped out of the way and it landed in the gutter, instantly snapping open. The sleeve of a sweater popped out. "See? I'm picking up my clothes," she quickly stated, stooping to stuff the sleeve back in.

  The wail of a siren sounded, rapidly approaching us. I gulped. Garrett was definitely going to chew me out for calling him there just to inspect a suitcase filled with dirty laundry.

  "Put my suitcase in the trunk," Brynn instructed as an unmarked police car turned onto the street, instantly getting caught up in the busy traffic. The siren flashed and wailed. "Now!"

  "What's the hurry if it's just laundry?" I asked.

  Brynn frantically flapped at the driver and he grabbed the suitcase, squashing the lid closed before lifting it. The lid popped open again, and the body of the case fell back. Out tumbled a couple of men's sweaters before wad after wad of bound cash appeared. "Holy shit!" he said, his eyes widening as the cash continued to nearly explode onto the asphalt, creating uneven piles of Benjamin Franklins.

  "No!" Brynn wailed. She collapsed to her knees as she started to stuff the money back into the case but the faster she threw it in, the faster it fell out again. After a moment of watching her in disbelief, the driver set down the suitcase and backed away, raising his hands up. "I had nothing to do with this," he said. "I’m just an Uber driver."

  "Lexi?"

  I turned, expecting to see Garrett behind me, but instead, I found Jord. He and Diane stood side-by-side, both staring at the scene, enigmatic expressions etched across their faces. Brynn wailed and continued her cycle of trying to retrieve the money, only to lose it faster. "Hi, Jord!" I said, barely able to contain how utterly thrilled I was. It was a feeling so strong that I couldn't deny it even if I hadn't intended to draw his attention to me.

  "What are you doing? What happened to your face?"

  "Arresting this woman for theft and fraud and other stuff. I fell. I'll tell you later."

  "You can't arrest her. You're not a cop."

  "Good point. You arrest her!" I said, indicating Brynn.

  "What for?"

  "For that!" I pointed to the money. When Jord gave me a perplexed shrug, I huffed a sigh. "Never mind. I'll fill you in later. Hey! Garrett!", I waved to Garrett who was jogging towards us, after parking the car. "Arrest her!"

  "What's going on?" asked Diane. "Why does she have so much money all over the street?" She peeled off a hundred-dollar bill that the breeze stuck to her blouse. "And does she need an interior designer?"

  "Only if you're happy while working in tight, confined spaces," I quipped. "I think she’ll go for the minimalist look. Very Zen, but mostly concrete and steel."

  "I'm country chic," said Brynn, frantically trying to stuff the money into the suitcase as hot tears filled her eyes.

  "Stop what you're doing," said Garrett, flashing his badge. "Brynn Madden, you're under arrest for..."

  "What is going on?" asked Jord. I stepped away briefly so Garrett could read Brynn her rights.

  "I just stopped her from getting away with two million dollars in stolen money," I told him triumphantly.

  "That's amazing, Lexi," said Diane. "It’s so exciting to see cops in action."

  "How do you know my name?" I asked.

  "Don't you remember me? Diane Holt. But it's Diane Young now," she said, extending her left hand and flashing a small, diamond ring nestled beside a gold band. "I remember you from when I went to school with Jord."

  I squinted at her. The name was familiar. I vaguely recalled her tutoring Jord in math when he was struggling. Back then, however, she had mousey brown hair and a mouthful of braces. She looked nothing like the red-haired woman with perfect teeth standing in front of me now. "It's the teeth, isn't it?" she said. "Gotta love the sacrifice of your teen years wearing train tracks."

  "Lily said you were playing golf with Dad," I replied, turning to Jord before sneaking another look at Diane as memories began to rush back. Diane was always sweet to me, but shy. She and Jord didn't hang out in the same circles. Jord was one of the popular, sporty kids, while she was rather an introverted, bookish type. I remembered they were friendly, but never flirty.

  "I lied. I was having brunch with Diane."

  "Why would you lie to Lily?"

  "I was afraid she might not understand."

  "I definitely don't."

  "Because I was having brunch with Diane," Jord explained slowly, "and I didn't want Lily to know."

  I gaped at him, my worst fears coming true, except... why was Jord telling me if he wouldn’t tell Lily? Was he confessing?

  "Some help here," said Garrett as Brynn launched her fist at him. The two struggled until she was flat on the sidewalk, wailing about police brutality between loud sniffles.

  "It's my money," said Brynn, "I saved it all up, I swear!"

  "It would be a lot better for you if you just told the truth," I said. "Do you really want to go to prison for grand theft?"

  "I didn't steal it! I'm just collecting it."

  "Yeah, we're a step ahead of you on that," said Garrett, helping her onto her feet. On the road, Turner and Grant grabbed the cash, stuffing it back into the suitcase until one of them sat on the lid while the other zipped it shut. "Where were you taking it?" I asked Brynn.

  Her lower lip wobbled. "I can't tell you."

  "You should," said Garrett. "I'm this close to adding a few more felonies to your arrest before calling the FBI," he said, using his thumb and forefinger to indicate a fraction of an inch.

  "No, I mean I can't tell you because I don't know. Oh, this is awful!"

  "Anthony called you, didn't he?" I asked.

  "Who's Anthony?" asked Diane but Jord shushed her.

  "Yes, he said he was in trouble and I was the only one who could help him. He was desperate. He said there was no one else he could trust."

  "Is that what he said when he asked you to help him sell a property that wasn't even his?"

  "Yes, all of them," said Brynn.

  "All?" Garrett sighed.

  Brynn pulled a face. "I meant... that one."

  "Let's go with all. You can tell me the rest down at the station."

  "But I have to get the money to him! His life is in jeopardy. Someone is trying to kill him!"

  "Patrick O'Connell?" asked Garrett. "We know."

  "Yes! He's a dangerous man. My poor Anthony!"

  Garrett rolled his eyes at me. "What did you plan to do with the money?" I asked.

  "Anthony was going to call me and tell me where to find him so I could give him the money. Then we would both leave town taking separate routes and meet up again when it was quiet. We just want to be together."

  My disbelief must have been plastered across my face. The bump on my head began to throb again. "You
know you would never have seen him again, right?"

  "Wrong! We plan to get married and have four children!"

  "Anthony doesn't even like kids," I told her. "He actually sneezes when he's around them."

  "I can cure him of that!"

  "Oh, for heaven's sake," I said, turning away. Jord and Diane waited patiently. "So are you two having an affair or what?" I asked.

  "No!" said Jord.

  "Absolutely not!" said Diane, her mouth dropping open to reveal her perfect teeth. "What made you think that?"

  "All the secret meetings, the text messages but mostly, lying to Lily," I said, the words tumbling out.

  "What? Oh, crap. I knew Lily thought something was going on! Every time I came into a room, she would jump up and toss my phone somewhere. She is the worst snoop!"

  "So... is there something going on?" I looked from one to the other, now feeling utterly confused.

  "Yes, but not like that," said Jord. He checked his watch. "I can't tell you. Can you just trust me and let it go at that?"

  "It's not me you should worry about. It's Lily."

  "She's completely irrational if she ever thought I would cheat on her."

  "Wait until she's feeling more rational before you tell her how irrational she is being," I suggested.

  "I feel really bad about this," said Diane. She glanced at Jord. "Maybe we should just tell Lexi?"

  "And let her tell Lily? No way!"

  "I don't tell Lily everything!"

  "Yes, you do! Oh, hell, can I tell you after the party later?" asked Jord.

  "Why wait?" asked Diane. "I can show you now. Jord, c'mon. When Lexi understands, she'll know why this had to be kept a big secret."

  Jord thought for a moment, then nodded. "Fine, but you have to promise not to breathe a word of it to Lily. She can’t know a thing."

  "I can't do that until I know what I'm promising to keep secret."

  "Whatever. Show her," said Jord.

  Diane slid the folder from under her arm and unzipped it as the three of us crowded around.

  "Don't worry about us," said Garrett, holding onto Brynn's arm. "We've got this."

  "I gave you the tip!" I told him. "I'm not even supposed to be investigating it. I'm out!"