Old Flames Never Die (Valentine Mystery)

by Harte, Jenna

Her words were like a stab to the heart. He knew she was referring to his support of Liv. That she'd felt he'd chosen to believe Liv over her. He hadn't realized it at the time. Before it had been a difference of opinion. But now, he could see how she'd feel betrayed. “I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to dismiss your feelings. I was wrong not to give you more credit.”

  She nodded then turned back to her work. Any gains Jack thought he made were quickly gone.

  ~~~~

  Their first stop was at the day spa where Liv had spent most of the day when Charles was murdered. The high-end spa's entrance was decorated in a Mediterranean theme with mustard-gold colored walls and lush burgundy velvet curtains.

  Jack stood back as Tess approached the front desk. She looked back at him, and he nodded. She wondered if he was giving her space to do her job or if he didn't want to be a part of investigating Liv.

  “Can I help you?” the woman behind the desk asked. She had blond hair that Tess suspected wasn't her natural color and a white lab coat. She wondered why a spa would need lab coats and then considered that maybe it was a marketing gimmick.

  “Yes, I was wondering if you could let me know if this woman was here last weekend.” Tess held out Liv's picture,

  “Oh, I'm not allowed to give information about our clients.”

  “All I need to know is if she was here. I'm just here to validate her alibi.”

  “Liv needs an alibi?”

  “So you know Liv Danforth?”

  “I'd like to help you, but…spa rules.”

  Tess inwardly scoffed. How often had this girl talked to her girlfriends about clients? The shoes? The affairs? Her friends probably knew every detail of the spa's clients' private lives.

  “Who can help me?” Tess asked.

  “Constance. She's the manager.”

  “Is she available?”

  “Let me check.” The woman turned and entered a side room.

  Tess took the time to scan the spa. Her visual tour ended on Jack who stood and came to stand next to her.

  “You wanted to see me?” a woman's voice said. “I'm Constance Brockwood, the manager.”

  “Yes, I'm here to confirm that Liv Danforth was here last Saturday.”

  “I'm sorry, but I can't discuss anything about our clients.”

  Tess felt Jack move as he leaned in conspiratorially towards the woman and smiled. “Liv is our sister. It would really help us and Liv out if we could verify she was here.”

  Tess frowned at Jack's intrusion. The woman took a long, appreciative perusal of Jack. Tess could see the woman melting under Jack's dimple. It was obscene the things he could get with that dimple.

  “I didn't know Liv had a brother. Or a sister,” she added as if she just noticed Tess.

  “Liv and I haven't ever been close,” Tess said. “And she and Jack have sort of an on-again-off again.”

  “She's a black sheep, but she's our sister,” Jack added. “What can you do? When a sister needs you—”

  “Is she in trouble?”

  “No,” Tess said. “But it would help if we knew she was here.”

  “Her husband was murdered,” Jack said. “You know how the police think.”

  “The spouse is always the first suspect. We did get a call from the police,” Constance said. “Well, I guess we could just verify her appointment.”

  Jack turned on the smile wattage even more. “We'd appreciate that.”

  “Last week's book is in the office. I'll be right back,” Constance said excusing herself.

  “Power to the dimple,” Tess murmured to Jack.

  “What can I say? Some people like my charm.”

  “Hmmm.”

  “Yes, she had an all-day appointment,” Constance said as she joined them at the front desk. “She logged in at noon and was here until four.”

  “Four?” Tess asked. “What did she have done?”

  “She had a massage and a sauna. Facial, manicure, pedicure, waxing—”

  “We get the picture. Is there any way we can talk to the people who worked on her?” Tess asked.

  “I thought you just wanted to verify she was here?”

  “We do. But an appointment doesn't mean she was here,” Tess said.

  “We just want to be sure she was here the whole time. Liv used to sneak out of the house when we were kids,” Jack added, with his signature smile.

  Constance regarded him a long minute. “Okay. But I don't want you to disturb them while they're working. I'll list their names and break times.”

  “Perfect,” Jack said. He reached out his hand and Tess thought the woman was going to melt to the floor when he took her hand in his. “Thank you very much, Constance.”

  Tess rolled her eyes.

  Two hours later they left the spa with no new information. Yes, Liv had been there. No she didn't seem preoccupied, nervous or upset. No one had called her and she hadn't called anyone.

  “Well, that was a bust,” Jack said as they walked up the busy New York street.

  “At least Constance got something out of it,” Tess said.

  Jack grinned.

  “After the spa, Liv went to Bergdorf Goodman and then Harry Winston's.”

  “That explains the expensive timepiece she's been sporting,” Jack said.

  In Bergdorf's they weren't able to find the cashier who helped them, but a manager did verify the receipt was genuine. At Harry Winston's the clerk remembered Liv from previous visits.

  “Sounds like Liv was a regular there,” Jack said.

  “I wonder if that is how she planned to walk away from the marriage with more than the clothes on her back.”

  Jack gave her a quizzical look. “She had a prenup and it doesn't look like his death was going to give her much more. But jewelry, like real estate and art, holds its value.”

  He nodded. “She'd think up something like that.”

  They watched their hired car as it pulled up to the curb. “But spending your husband's money isn't a crime. And her alibi checks out.”

  “But, you still think it’s fishy,” Jack asked.

  “Yes. But the evidence says otherwise. It's not like there aren't other more viable suspects.”

  “Like who?”

  Their driver opened the door and Tess slid in first. She wondered how much she should tell Jack. Her instinct was to say nothing. But Daniel had helped arrange this trip. Helped Jack arrange to be with her. Did that mean Jack was part of the investigation now? Then she remembered spilling the beans about Liv's baby to Daniel and decided maybe she owed Jack some information in return.

  “The partner. And the son.”

  “The partner? On that land deal?”

  Tess nodded. “Turns out that land is sitting on a gold mine…well, not gold, but an industrial mineral worth millions and only Charles owns the rights to it.”

  “I thought they owned the land together?”

  “The land, yes. Not the mineral rights. Charles owns that. He stopped all construction on the land to mine it. The partner gets nothing.”

  “Ouch,” Jack said.

  ~~~~

  The driver took them to their hotel. “Daniel says I'm booked on the same floor Liv was on. Maybe room service or the maid will have something to tell us,” Tess said as she exited the car.

  “Not the front desk staff?”

  “Probably not. They have that 'don't talk about guests' rule too. I'll try, but I doubt we'll get information.”

  As expected, the front desk had nothing to share.

  “So what's your next move?” Jack asked as he walked with her to the elevator. The bellboy poked the button and held the doors for them to enter the car.

  “I make some notes, go over the notes I have…”

  Jack nodded and Tess noticed he looked a little nervous. Well, maybe not nervous, but unsure. No doubt he was uncertain as to her feelings about their relationship. She was uncertain as well, despite her heart’s insistence to give it another go.

  “Th
is is your room, Miss,” the bell boy said as he opened the door with her key. It was then Tess realized that she hadn't considered the room situation.

  As if he knew what she was thinking, Jack said, “I'm next door.”

  “There's an adjoining door,” the bellboy said.

  “I'll open my side…if you need anything.”

  “Sure. Okay.”

  The suite was what Tess would expect from someone like Liv. It had all the amenities, including a phone by the toilet. Tess couldn't imagine ever making a phone call while using the bathroom. She wondered what sort of people did.

  She spread her papers out on the coffee table and sat on the couch to write down her thoughts and her notes. Then she picked up her phone to call Daniel.

  “Are you mad?” he said when he picked up.

  She sighed. “No. Surprised, but not mad.”

  “Brad said Jack would be back.”

  “I'm not surprised Jack is back. I'm surprised you helped him.”

  “I didn't do it for him,” she heard tension in Daniel's voice.

  “I didn't think you did.”

  “So…is everything alright?”

  “All of Liv's alibis checked out.”

  “I'm not talking about the alibis.”

  Tess leaned her head back on the couch and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don't know.”

  “What'd he do?” Daniel's voice sounded angry.

  “He didn't do anything. Not anything wrong, anyway. I guess I'm gun shy. If I take him back, who's to say we won't be back to where we are now by the end of the day.”

  Daniel was silent for a moment. “What do you think of my parents' marriage?”

  “It's great.” As far as Tess was concerned, Helen and Tom had the perfect marriage.

  “Do you know my mom broke off the engagement to my dad when she learned he was going to work for Asa?”

  “No.” The information surprised Tess. She knew that Helen hadn't thought much of her brother's character, but she didn't imagine she'd let it get in the way of her relationship with Tom.

  “And nearly every fight they've ever had was about Asa.”

  “I didn't know they ever fought.”

  “Everyone fights, Tess. And there are some things that can't be fixed in one effort.

  There's a reason people say that relationships take work.”

  “How'd you get so wise?”

  “I'm just telling you what I've heard.”

  She smiled. “So you think I should give him another chance.”

  She heard Daniel sigh. “If you love him and he makes you happy most of the time, I think that's worth your fighting for.”

  Tess knew it wasn't easy for Daniel to encourage her to take Jack back. But he was putting her first. And he was making sense.

  “Thank you.”

  “Just be happy, Tess.”

  She set the phone on the coffee table then sat back on the couch. It was odd that Daniel was encouraging her to give Jack a chance. She thought about what he said about his parents. She hadn't known that Helen and Tom ever had any problems. She knew Helen refused to attend family functions involving her brother, Asa. Had she felt betrayed by Tom for his going against her wishes and continuing to work as Asa's lawyer? Had Tom been resentful of her attempt to dictate his career? She didn't think so. Somehow they'd overcome that. They'd decided that their love was more important than that one difference of opinion. Could she and Jack do that? It was difficult for her to not think that they would fall in the same cycle they'd been in. Every time they seemed to work things out, they went bad again. What did Helen and Tom do to stop history and old habits from repeating?

  She knew Tom and Helen loved each other deeply. Was that the answer? Tess had begun to think that love wasn't enough to keep a relationship going. If it were, wouldn't she and Jack be blissfully happy? She remembered Jack telling her that he felt like she always had one foot out the door. Was that true? No, she thought. No, the truth was, she'd never had both feet in the door. The realization made her feel both guilty and hopeful. She looked up to the door that linked her room with his. She knew his side was open. That he was waiting, hoping she'd come through it. The question was, was she brave enough to plant both feet on his side?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jack had made the decision to do better at letting Tess set the pace of their relationship, but he couldn't be sure she was even going to let him back into her life. She'd let him tag along on her investigation, but so far, she hadn't given him any indication that she'd forgiven him or that she would be giving him another chance.

  Once her door closed, he went next door to his room. He tipped the bellboy then dumped his overnight bag in the closet. He considered sending her flowers or ordering the most decadent chocolate confection off the room service menu for her. But he knew he needed to wait, a skill he wasn't very good at when it came to her.

  He opened the door adjoining his room to hers. Her side was still closed. He leaned close to see if he could hear her, and then decided it was a pathetic move. He grabbed a $12 bottle of water from the mini-bar and drank it in several swallows. He moved to the window to look at the view of Central Park. It was a beautiful day and under normal circumstances, he'd be walking through the park hand-in-hand with Tess.

  The wait was excruciating until finally he couldn't take it anymore. He tossed the empty water bottle on the table, and headed to the adjoining door, frantically thinking of some dumb excuse to check on her so she didn't think he was pushing her. Just as he reached out to knock, the door opened and swung back.

  He stood looking at her. The desire to touch her forced him to thrust his hands into his pockets. “Everything alright?”

  “Yes. There's even a phone in the bathroom. I guess so I can call for help if I fall in.”

  Jack grinned. There she was. It still didn't mean he was forgiven, but at least she was acting like the Tess he knew.

  He stepped back from the door. “Want to come in? I haven't checked the bathroom for a phone, but I know I have a fully stocked mini-bar. Want something to drink?”

  She shook her head to the drink, but stepped into his room. “I spoke to Daniel.”

  That was not what Jack wanted to talk about, but he wasn't about to complain. “Did you give him your report?”

  “Yes. And I thanked him for helping you. And for helping me.”

  Jack studied her, wanting to believe she was getting ready to forgive him, but afraid he might be reading the signs wrong. “He's a good friend.”

  “It couldn't have been easy for you to go to him.”

  “No. But I think it was harder for him.”

  She nodded.

  “But he didn't do it for me,” Jack said.

  “No. He knows I love you.”

  To hear her say the words filled his heart. He was sure it was bulging through his chest. “But do you forgive me?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  Relief flooded his body. He wanted to hold her, but when he moved toward her, she stepped back, moved around him to the couch.

  “I have a few things to say before we start with the hugging.”

  She was torturing him, but he'd endure it. “Okay.

  “First, I don't do well with ultimatums—”

  “I know and I'm sorry about that. It won't happen again. You set the pace this time, Tess.”

  She held up a hand. “My turn to talk, remember?”

  “Right.” He gave her a rueful smile.

  She settled against the back of the couch. “I know I'm not blameless in all this. I said we didn't know how to be together or communicate and then I made it hard to do both. I kept thinking that if we were right, we wouldn't have problems. The truth is I don't know how to do this. Except for Tom and Helen, I don't have any idea what a solid relationship looks like. And they always looked like they never disagreed, but Daniel explained to me that that wasn't true. They always disagreed about Asa.”

  Jack began to realize that he owe
d Daniel a lot more than he thought. Not only had Daniel helped him get to Tess, but apparently he'd given advice that suggested she needed to give love a chance.

  “I know you said that people can be in love and disagree, but all I could think about was arguing was one step closer to losing you.”

  “No. Never.” Jack stepped towards her, but kept his hands safely in his pockets.

  “The truth is, I'm afraid, and even after today, I'll probably need more reassurance.”

  “Whatever you need, I'll do it.”

  She reached up and pressed a finger to his lips. “I need you to let me finish.”

  At her touch, his hands came out of his pockets, wanting to pull her to him. But her words stopped him. Instead he took her hand, kissed her palm and brought it to his heart. He nodded at her to let her know that he'd try to keep quiet.

  “Like I said, I'll still need reassurance and you're probably going to keep pushing…it's just what it is. We just need to figure out how to keep these issues from getting in the way.”

  He nodded.

  “You told me once that you thought I was looking for an excuse to prove my fears right. I'll admit there were times I wondered when the other shoe would drop. Partly because I'm afraid that true love doesn't exist and partly because I'm still baffled at how you can love me the way you do.”

  Jack desperately wanted to tell her why he loved her, how he'd always loved her, but he could see she wasn't done talking.

  “But I wasn't looking for a way out. Honestly, I don't think I was all the way in.”

  At first Jack wondered what the difference was. Either way, she had one foot out the door. But then he realized that she hadn't been pulling away. She couldn't take from him what she hadn't yet given.

  She blew out a breath and looked a little terrified. She looked up at him with her amber- colored eyes, swallowed hard and said. “I'm all in.”

  Jack couldn't believe that those three words could make him happier than hearing she loved him. But they did. God, he wanted to hold her, kiss her. But he held back, waiting for her next move.

  “We can get to the hugging now.”

  “Thank God.” She was in his arms before he finished the words. He pulled her tight against his body and held on as if his life depended on it. His hands cradled her face, his eyes tenderly looking into her own.