Tracking A Shadow: A Jarvis Mann Detective Novel

by R Weir

  Chapter 19

  The next morning we woke up and stepped in together to a large oval shower stall to bathe, or at least attempted to. Once inside excitement from washing each other overcame us. Even though they make it look easy in the movies, the shower is not the best or safest place for sex. We rinsed off and fell on the bed again until twenty minutes of lovemaking ended like the previous two. It had been a long time since I’d enjoyed a night of exquisite pleasure.

  “Wow,” was my only word, as it echoed off the walls.

  “I could do this all day,” Melissa answered, a wicked smile on her face.

  “Oh, I could too, if only the body responded so quickly. I think you’ve tapped the well dry for now. Give me some nourishment, the day to recover, and tonight we can start anew.”

  She smiled and kissed me full on the lips again. We made it to the shower and this time managed to get ourselves cleaned up. Once out and dried off she found fresh clothes she’d stashed there in anticipation of our night together. The drawers had various men’s apparel too, but I had no desire to borrow someone else’s underwear so I’d have to wear the same outfit until getting home.

  We moved into the fully stocked kitchen and I poured us orange juice, while she whipped up several eggs for an omelet.

  “Is ham and cheese OK?” she asked.

  “Absolutely. I’ll make some toast.”

  We teamed up to create a splendid breakfast, doing a ballet dance around the kitchen without getting in the other’s way, as if we’d been together for many years. I set up dishes for us at the counter and we ate side by side silently, gazing at each other between bites. It was a wonderful feeling I hadn’t experienced in some time.

  “During our kissing I noticed a large bump on your head,” she stated.

  “Yeah, someone bashed me in the skull with a shovel handle. Once we got here the ache seemed to go away.”

  “Probably the blood rushing to your lower regions,” she said with a sexy smile. “Sex can be as good as Ibuprofen any day.”

  “Well, if the pain returns I’ll be sure to call you,” I said. “Will you tend to me in a nurse’s outfit?”

  “I might be persuaded,” she answered laughing. “Though I doubt I’d be wearing it for long.”

  I laughed as well, as the morning moved along smoothly. We conversed of all things new couples talked about, our lives before we met, past loves found and lost, our dreams of what we’d like to do going forward. Right now all I could foresee was being with her, though I was trying not to get ahead of myself. Melissa turned the conversation back to my current case.

  “Anything new on the stalking?” she asked.

  “Well, we did have an arrest and sort of an admission of guilt, though he retracted it. He is in jail right now.”

  “Was it her ex-husband?”

  “No, it was a former employee,” I answered. “He was a bit of a pig. Said he slept with her even though she claimed it wasn’t true. He showed up at her work begging for his job and punched one of the other owners. I had to chase him down and drag him back.”

  “Is that where the bump came from?” she asked.

  “No. It happened Thursday night after all of this at a bar. I’m still not sure who did it, as my memory is a little foggy of the event. Paramedic predicted it should come back, but so far nothing has jogged it loose. Of course, I’ve had other things keeping me busy.”

  “Gee, I can’t imagine.” She leaned forward and gave me a long passionate kiss that took my breath away.

  “Did you by chance get the name of the detective used on her divorce case?” I asked. “It’s important that I talk with them. It will help fill in some holes.”

  Melissa hesitated for a second and then smiled. “Yes, I did. Tony said it was alright to give his name to you so long as you didn’t pester him too much. It’s Adam King. I have his address and number in my purse.”

  Several minutes of searching deep in her purse turned up a business card she handed to me. I recognized the name and had a history with him. I doubt he would be forthcoming about anything, since we’d had a past run-in that didn’t go well and left him with a black eye and me with some bruised ribs. It wouldn’t hurt to try and contact him to see if he was open to discussing. If not, I guess I could go and punch him in the eye again!

  “Adam King, you say.”

  “So you know him?”

  “Oh yeah, we are old friends,” I lied. “I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to share.”

  If she sensed my sarcasm she ignored it. “He tracked down a lot on the case. He was a huge help in getting Emily free from her husband.”

  “So, speaking of Emily,” I said, changing the subject. “She is having a barbeque tonight at her place to celebrate the closing of a big deal for her company. All of her employees will be there and she invited me. I asked if I could bring a date. Do you want to go? Or is it too early to show you off to other people?”

  She hesitated again, this time for a little bit longer, but perked right up. “That sounds like fun! And no, it’s not too early. I do have some errands I need to run. Can we head back to the office and meet up there tonight?”

  “Sure. It’s at four at her place. Do you have her address?”

  She didn’t, so I wrote it down. We headed out and decided to walk to her office. It was already starting to get hot, the sun reflecting off of all the tall buildings and baking the sidewalks. As we reached the parking garage and her Acura, she turned to me and kissed me again passionately for several minutes. She got into her car and gave me the call her signal with her hand. I watched her drive away and entered the Mustang and took the long trek to Southwest Denver.

  When I returned home I checked up on Emily to make sure there were no issues. She was busy getting ready for her barbeque and was at the store at that moment with the lady she was staying with, purchasing various items she needed to complement the food she was having delivered from Famous Dave’s. She said everything was good and she would be with her friend all day and not to worry.

  From there I was off to workout. I needed to keep my strength up to match the sexual appetite of Melissa, which appeared to be pretty strong and with no apparent inhibitions. It was early in the relationship, and sex was easy when it’s with someone new, but I had to make sure I could perform and working out helped in this department. I did the full compliment today, pushing myself even harder than normal. Once done, I sat in the hot tub to relieve some of the stiffness in this thirtysomething body. Believe it or not, my pelvic region had not been though this type of intimate workout in a while and I was hurting in places I hadn’t been sore in for years.

  I showered there and stopped by the store to pick up some food staples for home. Pulling into the parking spot, I noticed through the railing my front door was open. Grabbing the gun from the locked glove box, I loaded the magazine and cleared the safety. Quietly moving along the outside wall and slowly down the stairs I glanced through the opening but couldn’t see anything. I pushed the door completely open waiting for any reaction. I stuck my head around quickly and still nothing. I sprang into the room but no one accosted me. A room-to-room check revealed whoever had been there had left. The place had been tossed and was in shambles. Papers littered the carpet; my computer had been shoved to the floor and looked damaged. Cushions thrown about, food in the cabinets hurled in all directions. The bedroom mattress had been flipped over, and all the clothes from closets and dressers were flung in piles. The small safe protecting my other gun when I’m not home was left untouched. What they were searching for was unclear, and they made a mess trying to find it. Or was the mess a message from someone?

  I headed upstairs to talk with Kate, the manager of the salon, but no one there heard or saw anything. I pulled out my cell phone and called Bill at his desk, as he normally worked on Saturday’s.

  “Can you send a car over to my place?” I requested. “Someone burgled it and I’ll need to file a report for insurance.”

  “Did they ta
ke anything?” Bill wondered.

  “I’m not sure. I got home and found it like this. I’d been gone for a couple of hours. They certainly made a mess and damaged some items, but I haven’t had a chance to go through to determine if anything is missing.”

  “OK, I’ll roll someone over. It shouldn’t be too long as it’s been quiet today.”

  After hanging up, I started looking over everything. I didn’t keep money on hand, and important files on the computer were password protected, though was the mini-tower operational? My gun was still in the safe and the most valuable items like my TV and stereo were there, just knocked over. It didn’t appear to be a burglary but like someone was trying to trash the place on purpose. The question, though: who and why?

  The squad car showed up about ten minutes after the call, and he filled out a report and even took some pictures. Since this was a straight B&E, no CSI crime unit arrived to dust for prints, collect fibers and search for microscopic clues. There wasn’t time in the real world of police work to do this on such a simple case. I needed the report to file a claim with insurance to cover any damages, though the five-hundred-dollar deductible would leave a hole in my bank account. The officer left me a copy and headed to deal with some real crime, probably a domestic case from the call he got on his portable radio. Spending the next couple of hours I tried tidying up as best as I could to assess the damage. My front door and lock needed fixing, so I found someone who would be over immediately to repair it. The computer booted up; though the LCD monitor was cracked, it remained legible. Some of the cushions on the sofa looked like they’d been cut with a knife, as were the sheets, pillows and mattress of the bed. Maybe this would give me an excuse to sleep at Melissa’s tonight.

  Chapter 20

  When the cleanup had finished, and the locksmith carpenter had repaired my door, it was time to go to the barbeque. Melissa said she would meet me there, and, since the weather was perfect, I decided to walk over. I was wearing white shorts, a sleeveless gray T-shirt, the Avia running shoes and a nice layer of sunscreen to cover my exposed skin from the hot August afternoon sun.

  Once I arrived the place was already crawling with people, some I recognized from Emily’s workplace. Emily greeted me warmly and began walking me around so I could meet those I didn’t know, while being introduced as the man who had saved her from her stalker, which got embarrassing the fourth or fifth time I heard her utter it. All in attendance were staff and family from her work. She knew them by name, even the kids. It was pleasant to find a family-run business where people seemed to generally care for each other.

  “I don’t see your date?” asked Emily. “Surely she didn’t stand up a good-looking guy like you?”

  “She was driving over on her own,” I answered. “She’ll be here shortly.”

  “I’m so happy you came. I can’t wait to meet her. Please help yourself to whatever you want.”

  I was not a big party person but I did my best to be social, and I ran into the man who’d been punched by Rickie at the office. He’d received a bloody and broken nose, and it was packed with cotton and taped up. He was one of the owners and his name was Roger. He stood shorter than me by a couple of inches, a bit heavier and older by about ten years. He smiled as best as he could when I walked up to him, his hand out to shake mine with a firm grip.

  “How are feeling,” I asked. “Is this your first broken nose?”

  “Yes,” he answered in the kind of nasal tone you’d expect. “Hurts like a bitch. Says I’ll need this crap in my nostrils for about a week.”

  “Yep, I’ve had mine busted a couple of times. It’s no fun, but heals pretty quickly. No one will even be able to tell so long as they set it right. It takes several breaks before it’s noticeable.”

  Roger took a short draw on the Killian’s Red in his hand. “We appreciate all you’d done to help Emily. A giant weight has been removed from her shoulders. She is a marvelous woman to work with and a good partner, but this type of stress can transform even the best person into a devil to deal with. We are all happy it’s over.”

  I shook my head in agreement. I didn’t want to rain on his happy mood, because I wasn’t completely sure it was over. For now it was best to take the stress off of everyone. And this party was the best medicine for all.

  “Excuse me, Roger, my date is here!”

  As she walked in I swore all in the room were looking at her. Melissa was wearing a bright summer lavender flower-colored dress with her hair tied back in a ponytail. She had beige sandals and pulled off her sunglasses and stored them in her over-the-shoulder purse. She smiled when she saw me and walked over to give me a hug. She smelled exquisitely of fresh flowered soap and light perfume. I could sense her heart beating through her chest, or maybe it was my own.

  “Everyone is staring at you?” I whispered in her ear.

  She glowed from the compliment, as I’m sure it wasn’t the first time she’d made an entrance where she had been noticed. I walked her over to Roger and introduced her to him, telling her he had been assaulted by a former employee.

  “Good to meet you,” she said. “I’m sorry about what happened. Does it hurt?”

  He smiled at her and decided to be a little more macho with her than he was with me. “Hardly hurts at all. It will be good as new in no time.”

  “Oh, don’t listen to him,” said his wife, who had joined us. “He has been a big baby about the whole thing. He thinks he’ll need plastic surgery for it to heal right. It gives him a chance to get out of doing his honey-do chores at home and watch sports on TV. He’ll milk it for what it’s worth.”

  She stood next to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. She was his height, and maybe little on the heavy side, though not bad, wearing shorts and a blouse with butterflies on it. Her reddish-brown hair was straight and hung to the back of her shoulder blades. There were a few freckles on her face she attempted to hide with a light coating of makeup. She also had a bottle of Killian’s Red and you could tell it wasn’t her first, as she swayed slightly when she walked.

  “I’m Rose,” she said, while extending her hand to both of us. “Roger’s better half.”

  “I’m Jarvis and this my date Melissa,” I stated with a sense of pride. “How long have you two been married?”

  “Going on twenty-five years,” said Roger with a smile. “We were high school sweethearts and got married our second year in college.” He pulled out his wallet to show us two pictures. “These are our kids, Rita and Roger Jr. Both are going to CU. Rita wants to be a doctor like her mother, and Roger is an athlete. Plays field hockey and runs track, while in business school.”

  “Wow, you’re a doctor?” asked Melissa. “That must be demanding of your time.”

  “I’m a pediatrician with my own practice. Now that Rita and RJ are grown, I work more than when they were younger. I love dealing with children as patients. Not so thrilled with their parents at times, but the kids are wonderful. It does help to keep me young.”

  We talked a while longer and then excused ourselves to get something to drink and eat. I decided on a bottle of domestic light beer and Melissa chose tea with lemon. The food was spread out in the kitchen with a wide selection to choose from. There were ribs, St. Louis style and Rib Tips, roasted chicken and chopped pork. For sides there were garlic mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, baked beans and Famous Dave’s honey-buttered cornbread muffins I could eat all day.

  We both loaded up a plate of food, I stayed with the roasted chicken and a couple of ribs, with baked beans and two corn muffins. Melissa stayed with the chopped pork with mashed potatoes, and roasted chicken breast. We headed outside where several tables were set up and people were eating. We found an opening and sat down with Jeanine and her husband. I introduced them to Melissa.

  “This is Paul,” said Jeanine.

  Paul reached across and gave me a firm handshake. He was well built and about two inches taller than me. He had crew-cut blond hair a
nd a flaming eagle tattoo on his right bicep. His skin was darkly tanned and he looked like he worked out often. If he hadn’t been in the military I’d be shocked. Maybe a marine, from his appearance.

  “So you’re a detective?” he asked of me. “What is it like? Probably not Magnum PI glamorous?” He smiled at his humor.

  “This is about as glamorous as it gets!” I replied while holding up a corn muffin. “The food is tasty at times, like today. I might stuff some extra corn muffins in my pocket to take home with me.”

  Melissa slapped me on the shoulder. “Oh, you will not.” Everyone at the table started laughing.

  “So what do you do for a living, Paul?” I asked.

  “Well, as you probably guessed I was in the Marines at one time,” he answered. “Not a lifer but I did give them eight years. I now own a small jewelry store in Greenwood Village. It’s a much quieter job than I had in the Corps.”

  “Did you see action?” questioned Melissa.

  “The first Gulf War, fighting in Kuwait. It wasn’t a lot of fun, but you did what your Commander-in-Chief told you to. I was more fortunate than others and made it out unhurt. Unfortunately several members of my squad weren’t as lucky.”

  “I’m grateful every day he came home safe,” responded Jeanine as she hugged her husband.

  “What about kids?” asked Melissa.

  “We have two,” said Jeanine. “Both are in high school and doing well.” She pulled up recent pictures on her smartphone to show us.

  “They are both beautiful,” said Melissa. “It must be joyful to watch them growing up and becoming adults.”

  “It’s happened so fast,” stated Paul. “Time flies by. We try to enjoy it as much as possible.”

  “How long have you and Jarvis been together?” Jeanine asked.

  “This is our third date,” Melissa stated proudly.