Abandoned (The Beckett Series Book 6)

by Mary Martinez

  Effie snaked her arm around Glenna’s waist. “Now we just need to figure out what that grand scheme was.”

  Chapter Three

  Patrick McGinnis thumbed his phone off and dropped the thing on the table with a thud. What had he just agreed to? He held in a groan, barely.

  “What’s up dad? You look like you just ate a sour grape.”

  Finnegan, his sixteen-year old son, and the joy of his life, walked to the cupboard and pulled out a bowl. He filled it with cereal and added milk and then joined Patrick at the table. He dipped his spoon for a large scoop, and as he brought it to his mouth, Finn gave him the I’m waiting look.

  “I just received a call from an old friend,” he said in way of explanation, he really didn’t like talking work with his son.

  “It must not have been a good conversation.”

  “It was good to catch up. He was with me at Quantico.” Best to focus on the old acquaintance part.

  “Dad, I’m in high school. You can stop sheltering me now. He must have called for a reason. One you’re not too thrilled about. What’s up?” He repeated his earlier question.

  Damn, Finn was growing up to fast. And the kid was right. He had a tendency to shield him from his work. Something he’d always tried to do, but more since Finn was three and the worst thing that could ever happened to a child had happened.

  “Tyler is an agent in New York, however, he has a sister in Calistoga.”

  His son let out a hoot of laughter. “Match-making from the east coast.”

  “Ha, ha. No, his sister seems to have lost her fiancé and her assistant.”

  “What they elope and left her behind? Why’d he call you?”

  “The fiancé never arrived at the wedding. And then when his sister went to open her shop she found the assistant had been shot.”

  “Oh.” Finn ate for a few minutes in silence. “Does the lost fiancé and the dead assistant have something to do with each other?”

  “That’s one of the things Ty wants me to find out.”

  Finn suspended his spoon half way to his mouth. “What is the other?”

  “He wants me to find the missing fiancé for his sister.” He pulled his fingers through his hair. “It’s a wild goose chase if you ask me. If the guy had wanted to get married he’d have been at the wedding.”

  “You’d think, unless he couldn’t.”

  Patrick contemplated his son. He would make a good detective. He’d already helped solve a few of his cases, by just listening and making comments that brought other solutions to mind. Patrick wasn’t sure he wanted that for his son. He loved being a federal agent. For a while, after the incident with his son, he’d tried something else. However, his true passion was law enforcement and he’d been placed back on duty within the year.

  You couldn’t help where your heart led you. No matter the consequences.

  “That is what I need to find out.” He stood and poured more coffee into his cup to warm up the cooling liquid. He leaned a hip on the counter while he sipped. “What’s going on at school today?”

  Finn finished his cereal and stood to wash his bowl out. He appeared to be thinking as he put his dishes in the dishwasher.

  “I have an algebra test. Just a fair warning, Dad, it’s kicking my ass.”

  “Language son.” But he smiled, he’d heard a lot worse. “I have a few minutes do you need my help?”

  His son gave him a skeptical look, which was well warranted. Algebra had thoroughly kicked his ass in high school, too, to the point he’d needed Saturday morning classes to pass the damn class.

  After a moment he answered. “No, Mrs. Stewart said she’d meet me before school.”

  “Old Mrs. Stewart is still there? I had her for Algebra.” He smiled and resisted the urge to ruffle his son’s hair. Since the boy was almost as tall as he was, it’d be a little awkward anyway. “You’re in good hands then. Do you want me to drop you on my way to Calistoga?”

  “Sure, let me grab my bag.”

  “We leave in five.”

  Patrick watched his son, then turned, rinsed his cup, and set it in the dishwasher. He might as well get this duty over with, he’d call his boss on the Bluetooth on the way and give him the details. He needed to see if they wanted to be involved or if he was doing this on the side.

  They settled into his ancient 4Runner. Living half way between San Francisco and the Napa Valley area, a sturdy reliable vehicle was a must.

  He’d grown up in American Canyon and when he’d started his career by going to John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York all those years ago, he hadn’t seen any reason to move when he’d finished. Since he’d brought Finnegan home with him, all the more reason to stay. He couldn’t raise a boy on his own without the help of his parents.

  “Dad, you’re going to miss the road.”

  Patrick was startled to find he hadn’t been paying attention, so lost in his thoughts. He slowed and barely made the turn without screeching the tires.

  “Sorry bud, thinking.” He parked in front of the school and waited while his son grabbed his things and gave a wave then turned and headed inside.

  “Have a good day,” he called after his son’s retreating back.

  Gone were the days when his son wanted a kiss and a hug. Apparently he was too manly for those things now. Patrick smiled. Sometime he should embarrass him by doing just that.

  By the time he’d arrived in Calistoga he’d received the go ahead on delving into the disappearance of Lance Gordon. The man had been missing for over a week, during which time the murder had occurred, with the key connection, Glenna Beckett. His assignment was to find if the two were related in any way, or a coincidence. He didn’t believe in the latter.

  He slowed as he drove Lincoln Avenue keeping a look out for Glenna’s Surprisingly Vintage. What kind of name was that for a store? Tyler had said that his sister owned a shop of antiques and other knickknacks. He pulled into the parking lot between Glenna’s and another place with a sign gently swaying in the breeze, Effie’s, in elaborate looping letters. The words Coffee Bistro and More were in the same cursive style printed in gold on the front window. Both shops fit the Calistoga touristy area. The main street was a favorite for summer vacationers. Not only could they stroll and visit unique shops, they could toss in a few stops for wine tasting. After all, this was Napa Valley. Even after the devastating fires, the place had rebuilt. The area was full of determined people.

  He had a feeling he’d be here for most of the day. He hoped the and More meant he could pick up a sandwich, preferably something that didn’t contain anything organic.

  Placing the SUV in park, he checked his messages. He was expecting some Intel on Gordon. Unfortunately, his inbox did not have the requested information yet. Sighing, he couldn’t put off dealing with Tyler’s sister any longer. He climbed out and made his way to the side door. He knocked and after a moment a woman pulled the door wide.

  “I’m sorry we’re not open for business today.”

  The first thing he noticed was the resemblance Glenna Beckett had to her brother. If he’d seen her on the street he’d still know she belonged to the Beckett family. It wasn’t intentional, but he found himself surveying her from head to toe, and what he saw made him want to turn tail and run.

  His ex-wife all over again. Elegant, arrogant, selfish—came with the territory of elegant. She was exquisite, almost too perfect. Where her brother had almost black hair, she had streaks of gold through hers bringing out highlights that lightened the dark color. If her hair curled like her brother’s did, she’d done something to tame it. Instead, the locks flowed down her back in gentle waves.

  “Done staring?” Her voice interrupted.

  He cleared his throat, dammit. “I’m Patrick McGinnis, Tyler sent me.”

  God that made him sound like an errand boy.

  “Oh, come in. I’ve been expecting you.” She stepped away to let him enter.

  The smell slapped him in the face,
no mistaking the aroma of decaying death. He found himself in a small office, away from the crime scene. However, the doorway into the shop afforded him a view of yellow caution tape and he could barely make out the edge of the chalk line where the body had been.

  “Have a seat. What do you need from me? I want to help in any way I can. Alex was a good person. She didn’t deserve this.” He saw her throat work as she swallowed, her gaze darted away and she blinked several times to check the tears.

  “Tyler said that your fiancé is also missing?” She didn’t seem upset about that part of the scenario.

  “Yes. Lance left to go to Brussels a week before the wedding. He was supposed to arrive in New York the day before we were to marry. I didn’t think anything of him being later than expected. I thought he’d changed his itinerary to arrive with just enough time to get to the wedding.”

  “I understand he wasn’t on any of the flight manifests for the day of the wedding or for a few days prior. What do you think happened?”

  She seemed surprised by the question, though it was a logical one. “I don’t know. I stayed in Brooklyn for a week while my family searched for him.”

  She turned her head toward the doorway leading to the showroom. She bowed her head. After a moment, she raised it to regard him again.

  “I hadn’t called Alex since the day of the wedding. I asked if she’d heard from Lance and she hadn’t. And then I forgot about her. I didn’t check on her, or my shop. If I had, maybe she would have been found sooner and the clues of the murder would be fresh.” She looked down and seemed to struggle to gain control. “What kind of person am I?”

  The question surprised him as he’d labeled her in the category of Joyce, the ex-wife. She had been so self-absorbed she’d never thought about anyone but herself, and certainly wouldn’t have asked that question.

  He wasn’t ready to change his opinion of Glenna Beckett just yet. Joyce had been nice and thoughtful when he’d first met her, too.

  “You couldn’t have known.” Avoiding the actual question. “You trusted your assistant, correct? Had she watched the shop for you before?”

  “Yes. I trusted her or I wouldn’t have entrusted the shop to her. She took over when I was on buying trips.”

  “Could she be involved in anything that doesn’t concern your store, but may have resulted in her death?”

  He was reaching. He suspected the woman’s death had everything to do with the shop. He just needed to eliminate all the other possibilities so he could concentrate on the real issue.

  Had Lance Gordon and Alexis Hansen been connected?

  “I never associated with Alex outside of work. She was much younger than I am, plus she seemed to be more of a homebody.”

  “Do you know her friends?”

  “A few have visited her here. I can’t remember their names.”

  “Do you know how to contact her family?”

  “Yes,” she said. She dug around in her desk and finally found an address book and transferred the information to a card. “Here. I hope you can find something.”

  “I do too.”

  He pulled out his smart phone and found the recorder app, it was better than notes. First, he didn’t miss anything while writing. Second, he couldn’t read his own handwriting most of the time.

  “What are you doing? Have you contacted Officer Beckworth?”

  “The Agency has, I’m sure he’s thrilled.”

  She raised a brow, clearly catching his sarcasm. She nodded to the device. “And?”

  “I’m going to go over everything with you since you met your fiancé. Do you mind if I record it? I will listen to it later for clues to follow up on, or anything I missed. Sometimes listening even brings more questions to mind.”

  “I don’t mind. Where do you want me to start?”

  “How did you meet?”

  For the next hour she told him about her two yearlong whirlwind courtship. Two years didn’t sound like a whirlwind. However, apparently it was, because in reality the time the couple actually spent together consisted of only a few months. By the time she finished he only had a few questions, but one thing nagged at him.

  “It seems he pursued you, correct?”

  “Yes. And that’s what doesn’t make sense to me. I had wanted a wedding next spring. I love that season. But more importantly, which I’ve only figured out this last week, I wanted to know more about him as a person.”

  “What do you mean? Why would you agree to marry someone unless you were in love with him?”

  She sucked in her breath, closed her eyes a moment when she looked at him again, he detected something in her eyes. Almost embarrassment.

  “I’m sorry, you probably think I’m a shallow person. There are so many things that I’m learning about Lance and myself that my friend Effie tried to point out the time.”

  He had no idea what she was talking about. This was the first reference to a friend. His ex had been shallow, so he’d already categorized Glenna that way the moment he saw her. Which actually made him the shallow one. He held his silence and let her continue, hopefully to explain.

  “Lance was always romantic. Dinners, carriage rides when we visited New York. Aware of putting me first wherever we went. I’m ashamed to say I couldn’t see past the romance of it all. When he proposed I was swept up in the moment and said yes. That’s when the doubts started. Marriage is a big step and when I take it, I want the growing old package like the Elders.”

  He frowned, again he had no idea what she was talking about, he did however, understand being swept up in the moment. Hadn’t he proposed to Joyce because he was swept up in the moment? Of course, she was pregnant and there was a certain feeling of responsibility as well. But he’d been thrilled. He couldn’t afford to get married, he was still at the University at the time. But he wanted to marry her. She was so perfect. Now he realized she’d been eye-candy and nothing more. She’d wanted to be a princess and he hadn’t been a prince.

  “The Elders?”

  Her face lit with a smile that quite simply knocked his socks off, if he’d been wearing any. He was still blinded by it when she answered, he almost missed what she said.

  “Sorry, the Elders are my parents. Not sure who started the term, but that’s what we’ve called them since before Rea and I were born. Anyway, after Lance proposed, he jetted off to somewhere for his beloved antiques. I love antiques too, hence the shop, but I believe he loved them more than he loved me.”

  “Wait. If he didn’t love you, why did he want to get married and more importantly why push for a fall wedding when you wanted to wait?”

  She gave him a look as she threw her hands up in a questioning gesture. “That is what I’ve been trying to figure out. As the wedding drew closer, he was gone more often and I had time to think away from his constant wining and dining. Yet, I was still caught up in the romance of it enough to agree to a wedding at the end of September. And then he left me waiting at the altar.”

  “And this is why you asked Tyler to have me brought in? So I could find him for you?”

  “Yes.”

  Patrick regarded her for a moment. “Have you decided you did love him after all and want him back?”

  Where the hell had that question come from? It was none of his business and had nothing to do with the case. Actually, it did. What bothered him, was the fact he wanted to know as a man.

  “No. I don’t think he ever planned to marry me.”

  “What?” That had caught him off guard. “Then why push? This is the most bizarre situation I’ve ever heard of, and I still need to find a connection to the vic.”

  “Tell me about it.” She sighed she raked a hand through her perfect hair. “Look, do you mind if we finish this conversation over at Effie’s. I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday morning, which I lost the moment I saw Alex on the floor. I’m not sure I can eat yet. But a latte would be nice.”

  Since his stomach was on a low rumble and he knew from experience it was
about to turn to a growl any moment, he shut off the recorder and stood.

  “I could use a sandwich. They have normal ones, right?”

  She pushed away from the desk, grabbed her purse and stood. “What do you mean by normal?”

  “You know like ham and cheese or turkey and Swiss? Nothing with Kale or Spinach on it.”

  She laughed and again he was glad he hadn’t worn socks to be knocked off.

  “Come on, I’m sure you’ll find something to your taste.”

  She reached as if she might take his hand. He was sure it was habit for her. She immediately dropped her hand and kept her gaze straight. Her cheeks turned a delightful shade of champagne pink.

  Deep in his bones, he knew he was in trouble. He had no clue how to extricate himself. Because he sure as hell didn’t want to go down that path again.

  Ever.

  Chapter Four

  Glenna kept her focus on Effie’s porch. What had she been thinking? She’d almost grabbed Patrick’s hand. There was something comforting about him. She hadn’t thought about what to expect when the man contacted her, she hadn’t had the time.

  As soon as he introduced himself a feeling of calm had swept over her. Unfortunately, she didn’t think he felt the same way. During their conversation she felt the weight of his attention and before he could mask the look in his eye, she’d seen something close to contempt or dislike. Why? She didn’t know.

  Maybe moving the meeting to a more casual spot at Effie’s would help him loosen up. He had seemed less tense for a moment when asking about the sandwiches. The normal sandwiches made her chuckle, which rewarded her with another glower from him. Maybe he didn’t like women. Hadn’t she missed the signs with Lance?

  At least the coffee shop wasn’t crowded. Effie’s was a popular place in Calistoga, and sometimes you didn’t have a choice but a to-go order. After they gave their order, for which Patrick seemed happy to be able to order something normal, they found a corner table and he brought out his phone to set to record.

  She hadn’t realized how embarrassing it was going to be to tell a stranger how gullible she’d been. Lance had duped her, plain and simple. The more she talked to Effie, and now Patrick, the more foolish she felt. Blinded by the fantasy of what Lance had offered.