by Rose Pressey
Once again, I knew Derek would be laughing at that comment. Ma’am? Did I really look that old? I might want to reconsider that face cream I was using. Anyway, I finally managed to get to the outer edges of the dance floor. Maybe I could hide there, although that might make me miss Mark. I scanned the crowd, trying to pick him out in the sea of young faces. There was a guy standing next to me. He leaned down and asked me if I’d like to dance.
I supposed I had to try to blend in, so I said, “Sure, I’ll dance with you.”
We moved out onto the dance floor. The music pulsed around us and I wasn’t even sure what I was doing. I was just moving my arms and my legs, flailing about and trying to look hip and cool. I tried to do exactly what the other kids were doing. I refused to do that twerking thing or whatever they called it. No way was I going to embarrass myself with that. Maybe when I was younger I would have attempted it, but now it wasn’t going to happen. I’d probably throw out a hip.
I danced until I felt like my feet were going to fall off. All I could think about was that comfy robe and my sofa waiting for me at home. I would probably need physical therapy after I got out of this place. Perhaps even surgery for a knee or hip injury. Every time he placed his hands where they shouldn’t be, I smacked them away.
The guy asked me if I wanted to dance to the next song, but there was no way I could do anymore.
“I’m completely exhausted,” I said. “I need a drink.”
“Okay,” he said.
That was when I thought he would offer to buy me one. Instead he said, “Catch you later.”
He walked off to dance with another girl. I couldn’t believe this. How rude. Now I had to go get my own drink. I managed to squeeze my way through the crowd again over to the bar. The tall, brown-haired bartender looked at me as if I didn’t belong there.
“Do you need to speak with the manager? Our liquor license is in order.”
Was this guy serious?
“No, I’m a customer,” I yelled over the new song that had started. I hadn’t thought any song could be louder than the last one.
“Yeah, what can I get you?” He sounded exhausted.
“I’ll just have water, please.”
He looked at me as if he was totally disgusted that I’d only ordered water. I was pretty sure he rolled his eyes a little bit. There went his tip. How did he know I wasn’t going to leave a big tip for the water? He brought me the glass of water and didn’t say a word.
“Thanks,” I yelled over the noise.
He didn’t acknowledge me as he turned to another customer. I took a drink of my water and then set the glass back down. That was it. I couldn’t find Mark and I was ready to give up. I couldn’t stay any longer. I was too exhausted. Yes, Derek would make fun of me for being old, but that was okay. I enjoyed being old. I had earned this.
When I finally made my way over to the door, I ran smack dab into Derek’s chest.
“What are you doing in here?” I asked. “You’re supposed to be out there in your creepy van, stalking me.”
“I heard everything going on in here and I just couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to come and rescue you. I knew you were getting ready to give up, so don’t even think about leaving yet. Get yourself out there on the dance floor and shake it. Twerk it if you have to.”
“I will not,” I said, a little bit embarrassed that he even thought of me doing that. “I’m too tired. I have to leave.”
“Cece, you can’t leave,” Derek said, grabbing both my arms.
He pulled me over to the side so that we could get out of the crowd a little bit. Our bodies were smashed together as we tried to talk over the loud music. He was trying to convince me that I had to stay. It looked as if he wasn’t going to let me leave. I noticed someone watching me. When I looked over, a tall dark-haired guy smiled and then he headed over toward me.
“Hey,” he said when he walked up.
Derek looked at him as if to say, What the hell does he think he’s doing?
“Would you like to dance?” the guy asked.
“No, thanks. She’s too tired right now.” Derek waved the guy off.
The guy stared at me for moment longer. He looked me up and down and said, “Maybe later?”
“Sure, maybe later,” I said with a smile.
When the guy walked away, Derek asked, “Who’s that guy? Who does he think he is asking you to dance when you’re talking to me? How does he know we’re not married?”
“Probably because he can tell by the way you’re acting,” I said.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Never mind that, Derek. Don’t be jealous. We have a mission here, remember?”
“I’m not jealous. What makes you think I’m jealous?”
“Your eyes are green. I can totally tell you’re jealous.”
“I am not,” he said.
“Deny it all you want. How did you get in here anyway?” I asked.
He smiled. “I have my ways. Now just go find this guy.”
“Yes, boss,” I said as I moved across the crowd again.
I knew he was watching me. He was probably watching my butt so I attempted a sexy walk. Of course it probably looked as if I had a rock in my shoe. I stood looking out at the dance floor again, contemplating what torture it would be if I had to go back out there. Then I noticed the girl beside me watching me.
“Hey, didn’t I see you today at the university?” she asked. “You were talking to that Mark guy?”
“Yeah, I was supposed to meet him here, but so far I haven’t found him.”
“Yeah, he’s kind of flighty like that.”
“So you know him?” I asked.
“We’ve been friends for a while.”
“What can you tell me about him?”
“I can guarantee you he’s not over his ex-girlfriend Brianna, so if he’s talking to you, it’s just a rebound thing. He’s like crazy obsessed with her, but she’s been trying to break up with him for a long time. She even went on to date someone else. He went crazy.”
“Really?” I said. “That’s interesting.”
Just then Mark walked up. “Are you ladies talking about me?”
“There you are,” I said. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
The girl walked away without speaking to Mark. That was when it hit me. The woman was Regina Ward. She’d disappeared into the crowd. There was no way to find her now.
Mark and I went out onto the dance floor. His body was pressed against mine. This had better be worth it. I glanced over at Derek. He was staring. After dancing for what seemed like an eternity and me contemplating whether I should call EMTs, Mark guided me back off the dance floor.
“I just need to talk to my friends for a second.” Mark gestured.
I waved him off. “Yeah, go ahead.”
When he went over to talk to his friends. I managed to find a seat. Thank goodness for a miracle. I took off my shoes. I wasn’t sure I would be able to put them back on to leave. Surprisingly Derek didn’t come back over. I didn’t even see him in the crowd.
After a few minutes, Mark came back over. “Hey, some of the other guys are going to hit up another place, you want to go?”
“As tempting as that sounds, I think I’ll have to pass. I think I’m going to go home.” I shoved one of my shoes back on and cringed at the thought of doing the other one.
Mark looked a little disappointed, but I thought it was more because he thought he would have to give me a ride home than the fact that I wasn’t going with them.
“Hey, it’s okay, you go ahead and have fun. I’ll just catch a ride home.” I waved him off.
I had a ride from a van with a creepy private investigator inside.
“Whatever, yeah, you sure?” he asked.
As I nodded he walked backwards to the other guys, as if I couldn’t stop at this point.
“I’ll talk to you later,” I said.
“Yeah, I’ll call you.” he pointed.
Only if I needed more information from him would we talk. Would I even accept the call? Being in the club had made it impossible for me to ask him anything. This had been a terrible idea. I managed to shove my other foot back into the torture device and worked my way through the crowd again. Where was Derek? I didn’t see him anywhere.
I stepped outside into the fresh night air. I was so sick of sweaty bodies being pressed up against me and the smell of liquor and who knew what else. Thank goodness I was out in the fresh air, even if it was hot. I didn’t care. The van was nowhere in sight. If Derek had left me that would be it. Our relationship was completely done.
“Derek, where are you?” I said. “I’m out here waiting.”
I slipped my high heels off. I’d rather have my feet on the hot pavement. Just then Derek pulled up in the old creepy van. He opened the door. It looked as if I was being kidnapped. People on the sidewalk watched, probably wondering if they needed to call the cops. I hopped in and tossed my shoes on the floor.
Derek was already laughing. “That was completely entertaining. Can we do that again every Saturday night?”
“Absolutely not,” I said, leaning my head back on the seat. “And stop making fun of me.”
Just then a knock came on the window. I looked over and saw the first guy who had asked me to dance.
“What in the hell?” Derek asked.
I lowered the window. “Hello.”
“Hey, gorgeous, I wanted to catch you before you left. I was just wondering if we could go out some time?” He handed me a piece of paper. “This is my number. Call me, okay?”
“Yeah, sure, I’ll give you a—”
Derek pulled off without letting me finish my sentence to the guy.
Chapter 15
I was lying in bed staring at the ceiling, thinking about the case and all the other cases that I had. Most of them would be easy ones, although I really needed to work harder at solving something. Anything would do at this point. It had been weeks since I’d had a good outcome.
I tossed and turned a while longer. Still sleep wouldn’t come. It was midnight, but I just couldn’t drift off. I decided to get up and head over to the office. Since I couldn’t stop thinking about the case, I’d grab the file and look over it again. Maybe if I stared at it long enough something would pop out at me. At the very least maybe it could bring me some peace of mind. Then I could go to sleep. I got up, slipped on my sneakers, and headed out the door. Never mind that I was still in my pajamas.
The dark night filled the sky with twinkling stars. The street light was out, so it was completely black as I got into the car. Though the streets of Vegas were very much alive, the office parking lot was completely empty. I hurried out of the car and headed toward to the office. Night time always gave me the heebie-jeebies. It felt strange being here at this time of night. I hurried up the pathway toward the steps.
As I climbed the steps, I glanced over my shoulder. No one there. Whew. The strange vibe was all in my head, I told myself. Once I entered the hallway immediately something felt off. This definitely wasn’t just in my head. I couldn’t figure it out or pinpoint exactly, but it just felt like something was wrong. An uneasiness settled in the pit of my stomach. Everyone else who usually worked in this building was probably fast asleep. Why was I here?
When I reached my office door, I saw that it was slightly open. Ah-ha. This was the uneasiness that I had felt. Why was the door open? Apparently George had forgotten to lock it again. I didn’t have the heart to scold George about it though. He was so sweet, but he really needed to remember to lock the door. Maybe I should make sure to check it behind him, but that would require that I was always here. At least when it was time for him to leave.
When I stepped through door, the air-conditioning hit me at full blast. George had apparently forgotten to adjust the temperature. The dark of night had done little to bring down the heat outside.
I flipped on the switch. That was when I saw the mess. Papers from George’s desk were thrown all over the floor. Derek’s desk was flipped over along with the file cabinet. I ran over to my office door. It was in the exact same condition. Someone was obviously looking for something. Did they think I had money in here? If that was the case then they were severely mistaken. I guessed they’d learned the hard way that I didn’t have any cash here, or anywhere for that matter.
I rushed back over to George’s desk and picked up the phone. I dialed 911.
“Someone has broken into my office,” I said breathlessly when the operator answered.
She repeated the address back to me.
“Yes, that’s it. Hurry. The person might still be here.”
“The police will be there right away,” the woman said.
What would I do while I waited? Was the burglar somewhere nearby still? That gave me the cold chills. I thought about going back to my car and waiting, but then the burglar could be out there too. Maybe it was best if I just stayed put. At least I had the bright office lights now and the burglar probably wouldn’t come back a second time. Better safe than sorry though, so I’d definitely stay put.
A couple of minutes later and a knock sounded against the door frame. I looked over and saw the officers had arrived.
“What seems to be the problem?” one of the cops asked with a smirk.
What was his problem?
“Well, as you can see, someone broke in.” I waved my hand.
“Aren’t you a private investigator? Can’t you figure out who did this?”
“Oh, ha-ha. You’re making a joke about my very serious situation. Very funny. I don’t know who broke in and I would have to investigate it for a while. Aren’t you supposed to take a police report?” I said. “Isn’t that your job?”
The officers gave me dirty looks. I answered some of their questions while they looked around.
“No, I don’t know what anybody might be looking for.”
“Was anyone mad at you?” the officer asked.
“Well, I had a lot of cheating husband cases. They’re probably pretty unhappy with what I uncovered. So I guess it could have been someone like that, looking for the photos that I’d taken.”
As the officers looked around the space, I stepped closer to the door. I peeked out into the hallway.
Derek was standing right there. “Cece, what happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m okay, but I can’t say the same for the office,” I said, blowing the hair out of my eyes.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be okay.” Derek touched my arm.
“As you might have guessed someone broke into the office and did all of this.” I shook my head.
“What do you think they were looking for?”
I don’t know, but I guess we’ll eventually figure it out when we find things missing. It’s probably a husband looking for their cheating photos.
“We really need to lock this place up better,” he said.
The police took a report and then left. Now I was standing in the middle of all this mess.
“There’s no need worrying tonight. Let’s just go get some sleep and we can tackle this in the morning,” Derek said.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Derek walked me out to the car and we said our goodbyes. I got in and drove toward my house, parked the car in the driveway, and headed for the door. I was still trying to wrap my head around what happened. Now maybe I could get some rest, although I was so wound up over what happened, maybe I would never get sleep tonight. When I opened the door and stepped in, I heard a noise and froze. It sounded like somebody was in my bedroom. The rest of my place was a mess.
I pulled the gun from my holster. Derek had bought me this cute little pink number and a holster to match. I kept it on me at all times now. I especially needed it after what had just happened, and now apparently somebody was in my house. I hoped they realized if they messed with me they were going to get a good look at the barrel of my gun. I wouldn’t going down without a fight.
I eased against the wall toward my bedroom with my gun aimed and ready to shoot. I’d shoot first and ask questions later.
My heart was pounding as I reached the bedroom door. I wrapped my hand around the knob and slowly turned. I eased the door open and aimed. That was when I saw the person climbing out of the window. They were dressed in black and I couldn’t make out if it was a man or woman.
My bedroom was a mess, just like the office. It had to be the same person. This was definitely connected and the person was looking for something. I ran over to the window to get a better look at the person as they ran across my backyard. It was so dark I couldn’t make out any identifying details.
It would take too much time to run back to the front door and around the house, so I decided to climb out the window too. Maybe I wasn’t as physically fit as this person. At least it wasn’t a big jump like at Chuck’s house. As I struggled to heave my body across the windowsill, I soon realized it wasn’t easy as it looked. Finally, I managed to scamper out and land on my feet with a short drop from the window to the ground. Derek would be proud. I still had my gun, so I headed across the yard, but by the time I got to the back, the person had already gone. There was a path back there so I didn’t know which way they’d gone.
Now I was faced with the task of calling the police again. I contemplated not even dialing, but then again, I definitely wanted a police report so that if I caught this person I could charge them with breaking into my house and my office.
“Put the gun down and your hands up.” The male voice carried across the night air. “No sudden movements or I’ll shoot.”
What the heck? My heart sped up. I didn’t know who had said that. The voice came from somewhere behind me. Apparently the man had a gun. Since I wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t shoot if I turned around, I had no choice but to do exactly as I was told. I eased down and placed the gun on the ground.
I lifted my hands in the air and slowly turned around. This might be the closest I’d ever come to death. Was this the person I’d caught in my house? Now they were going to kill me. When I looked across my yard, my eyes made contact with my neighbor Bill’s. He was on the other side of the fence, but he definitely had a gun in his hands.
