Who Glares Wins (Lexi Graves Mysteries)

by Camilla Chafer

  I watched as Sylvia disappeared down a staircase at a half jog. A minute later, she reappeared, almost exactly beside Brian and the young man. She emerged through a panel in the wall, which appeared completely seamless from my vantage point. It made me wonder exactly how easy it was to move around the building without being noticed. I watched as she inserted herself between the squabbling men. I left her to save the day once again, thoughts whirring through my mind.

  Louisa was in her office when I walked past, so I made a point of stepping in and saying hello. "Sylvia said there were a couple more cancellations. Anything I can do to help?"

  "Not my department," said Louisa. "But I would guess not."

  "She seems stressed."

  "Everyone is. Work isn't exactly harmonious right now."

  I made a calculated guess. "I thought maybe it was the divorce."

  "Divorce?" Louisa looked puzzled for a moment. "Oh, no, Sylvia wasn't married."

  I must have looked surprised, because Louisa carried on. "No, she was engaged to Chef Fabien. They were going to get married next summer, but suddenly, a month ago, it was all over."

  "It must be hard for them to work together."

  "That's why I'm here,” Louisa said brightly. She clicked a couple of keys on her keyboard and looked up, resting her arms on the desk. “To keep things smooth. Speaking of which, how's the job? Has Edward apologized yet?"

  "No, but it's nothing. Really."

  "If he shouts at you again, you come tell me. I don't want any of my employees scared of the boss." Louisa smiled warmly and I thanked her before retreating to my office, shutting the door behind me.

  My list of suspects had increased considerably. I wondered if Sylvia could be mad enough at Chef Fabien to damage his kitchen, where most of the physical damage had occurred, thus enabling her to step in and save the day. I wondered if Chef Fabien could have sabotaged the bookings to retaliate. Maybe one suspected the other and that was why the engagement was off. I also added Greg Conlan to the list. Being worried about supporting his wife and a new baby, might be incentive enough to cause problems for the hotel, and Edward, in revenge?

  I tried to think about it logically. Chef Fabien was a tall, imposing man and he wore a distinctive chef uniform. The kitchens he could easily damage, but when I tried to imagine him moving about the hotel unseen, I just couldn't see it.

  Sylvia could probably go everywhere without being suspected. She always seemed to have a legitimate reason to be wherever she was, and it made sense for her to move between the restaurants, convention center and kitchens. Greg Conlan, I wasn't so sure about, so he went to the top of my list of people to investigate next.

  A commotion next door made me look up sharply and I ducked my head out of the office, hearing Louisa and Sylvia speaking in agitated voices.

  "Is everything okay?" I asked, hesitating in the doorway. Normally, I wouldn't stick my nose in. Temping generally required me to stay out of any office politics and arguments, but I was being paid to be nosy.

  Louisa threw her hands up in the air in exasperation, but Sylvia turned to me with a weary look. “I just had to send one of the event guys home for picking a fight with the organizer, and one of my other guys didn't show up this morning. Now, I get a message that the models I booked aren't coming in."

  "Models?"

  "We hired some models from a local agency. They were supposed to wander around wearing Pony gear, looking cute and handing out drinks." We all rolled our eyes simultaneously. "Anyway, that's out and Brian is spitting feathers."

  "I might be able to find you someone," I said.

  She stood a little straighter and blinked. "Really?"

  "Sure. Not models, but I know plenty of cute women."

  "Could you make some calls? It's a hundred dollars for the afternoon. It isn't much, but it is cash and I'm desperate."

  "I'll make some calls."

  "Thank you so much, Lexi."

  I ducked back into my office and called Lily. I told her to ask Ruby if she wanted to make some quick cash too. A few minutes later, Lily called back and said they were in. When I returned to the corridor with the good news, Sylvia was so pleased, she actually hugged me, but I tried not to let it cloud my head. After all, she was still high on my suspects list.

  "I'm going to be out for lunch, but I'll be back in time to introduce you to my friends," I told her. "Shall I call you when they get here?"

  "I adore her," Sylvia said, turning to Louisa. “Wherever did you find her?”

  "She's certainly a wonder," agreed Louisa, ushering both of us out of her office, and slamming the door behind us.

  Dead on noon. I had a sandwich from the staff kitchen in my purse, along with a fat slice of chocolate brownie, and was driving to Serena's house. Getting there and back while having enough time to talk during my lunch hour was going to be tight, but I didn't want to sit on the information I had. I promised my sister that I would find out everything I could about Ted and his double life. The fat file now weighed heavily in my purse.

  Ruby was good to her word and emailed me the sound recording of her fake impromptu meeting with Ted. I listened to it after Maddox left for work and found it thoroughly unpleasant. Talking to Ted was always a challenge, but listening to him slime onto Ruby made my stomach churn. I'd put the recording onto a memory stick, along with digital copies of the photographs I'd taken, and the grainy video of the coffee shop meeting. I also included a profile of Donna Keegan.

  I hated the idea that I was going to hand this file to Serena. The whole drive there, I wanted to turn around and hide, pretending that I knew nothing. Except, wouldn't that be worse? Serena knew her husband was a cheat, and had the right to all the information, so she could decide what to do next, whether to stay with him or get a divorce. Either way, the decision wouldn't be easy for her.

  Suddenly, I saw Donna Keegan's Cruiser parked on the side of the road. Making a quick turn into a side round, I did a one-eighty and pulled out again, parking across the street, my palms feeling suddenly clammy, as I double-checked her plate. Definitely hers.

  Donna could be at lunch, I told myself, or maybe she was meeting a girlfriend. Except, this was kind of a distance from her office and it would have been more convenient to meet in one of the sandwich bars nearby. What if she were meeting Ted? What if they were taking their lunch break to enjoy a little one-on-one? My stomach heaved and I thought nasty thoughts. I looked around for Ted's Mercedes, but didn't spot it. Somehow, I didn't think Ted would risk taking a ride in her car. As I scanned the area, I saw Donna exit a bookshop, walk down the street and into Emmet’s Bar. I saw a board outside the building, advertising the lunch menu, and a quick scan inside told me the bar wasn't exactly overflowing with people.

  I waited until Donna took a seat at the bar before I realized this was the perfect opportunity to speak to her. Alone. During last night’s honeytrap, I’d forgotten something crucial, but Ruby’s recording reminded me. I reached into my purse and pulled out the wire Solomon had given me, sliding down in my seat so I could hook it up under my shirt. When I slid upright again, the wire neatly concealed and switched on, I saw she was still alone, but for the barman who nodded as she spoke and turned to get her drink.

  Taking a deep breath, and giving myself the now-or-never talk, I grabbed my purse and walked over. There were a couple of bar stools free, but I took the one next to Donna, smiling at her as she looked up.

  "Hey," I said. "Do you have the time?"

  She looked at the small, gold watch on her wrist. "It's ten after twelve," she said.

  I picked up a mat and fanned myself. "Thanks. I thought I was going to be late. I'm meeting my boyfriend. You know how they get when you're late. That whole 'women are always late' thing!" I rolled my eyes and Donna smiled.

  "Tell me about it," she said. "My boyfriend is a stickler for time."

  "Mine too. I get it, ya know,” I said, leaning in like we were old friends. “He doesn't have all that much time left."
>
  Donna's eyes widened. "He's dying?" she said, her voice almost a whisper.

  "Oh, gosh, no! It's just, well," I leaned in further and dropped my voice. "Don't judge me, okay? And I'm only telling you because I'll never see you again, but he's, well..." I mouthed the last word, "married."

  "Really?" Donna gasped, her voice as low as mine.

  "Yeah. Like, don't judge me, 'kay? I mean, we couldn't help ourselves. Love, right?"

  "I won't judge," said Donna, her attention totally on me now. She was pretty—I’d give her that—and not as young as I first thought. She was clearly in a chatty mood. "Actually, I'm kind of in the same position right now," she confided.

  "You are?"

  Donna nodded. "I'm in love with a married man too."

  "It's hard, isn't it?" I shook my head and signaled to the bar man. "I'm Alex," I said, as I ordered a white wine to match Donna's. "Can I get you one?"

  "Oh, no. I just got this." Donna pointed to her full glass, then held out her hand. "Donna," she told me.

  We shook hands and I made a show of cooing over her ring.

  "It's a present from my boyfriend," she said, clearly delighted at my admiration. "He's so good at getting gifts. I know it's because he feels guilty that he can't be with me all the time. Because of her."

  I felt my fists clench and I forced my fingers flat, smoothing an imaginary rumple from my skirt. I'm not a violent person, particularly, but I had a brief flash of grabbing her hair and smacking her face against the walnut bar. Instead, I said, "Mine too. He bought me this." I held up my bag, purchased entirely honestly, by yours truly. "We were supposed to go away for the weekend and he couldn't." I shrugged. "You know how it is."

  "Her?" said Donna, and I nodded in agreement as if we were the wronged ones. "My Teddy took me on a fabulous weekend to New York this summer."

  My Teddy? Bleurgh! Also, that made my sister several months pregnant. Double gross.

  "Fabulous! He ever take you anywhere else?" I sipped my wine.

  "We had a week in Cabo, which was amazing. Great beach, not that we left the hotel much, if you know what I mean." Donna giggled and took a sip of her drink.

  "Wow. And I was pleased with earrings for Christmas!"

  "Teddy is great with jewelry. He's got fabulous taste." Donna held out her wrist. "He bought me this bracelet for my birthday."

  "Tiffany's?"

  "You bet."

  "Gorgeous." I took another drink and sighed, checking my watch.

  "Is he late?"

  "Yeah, kinda. I think his wife is onto us," I lied, fluttering my eyelashes just enough that said I might cry.

  "No!"

  I nodded. "Yeah. She's a total snoop. She knows he doesn't love her, but she just won't let go. He says she can't stand to see him happy."

  "Totally with you, sister. You know what my Teddy's wife did?"

  I shook my head.

  Donna raised her eyebrows and thrust her jaw out, shaking her head. "Got. Pregnant."

  "No!"

  "Uh-huh. Ted says she swears it’s his, but he's not so sure. She seduced him one night. She said she'd sue the pants off him if he ever left. He could lose everything. What a bitch!"

  "No!" Also: No way! That evil, lying, disgusting, betraying, sneaky bastard. How dare he talk about my sister like that?!

  Donna nodded and exhaled hard. "I'm just trying to be supportive, you know. I feel so bad for him."

  "I bet you're his rock." I could barely strain the contempt from my voice, but Donna didn't notice, so taken up in her story of being wronged.

  "That's what he said," she agreed, examining her pink nails.

  "Are you meeting him for lunch?"

  "Yeah. He's due anytime. We just can't stay away from each other, you know. Every moment counts."

  Shit! Time for me to go. I could just imagine Ted's face when Donna introduced her new friend, the slack-jawed response, the limp handshake as he struggled to put an acceptable face on their tryst. I shuffled in my seat, then raised a hand and waved in the direction of the street.

  "Speaking of my honey, there he is," I cooed. "It was so great talking to you."

  "Me too. Us sisters have to stick together. Good luck!"

  I hopped off the stool and grabbed my purse. "Hope you get everything you deserve," I said.

  Donna's face clouded for a moment, then she smiled. "You too!"

  It was hard not to run out of the bar. Just as I stepped outside, I saw Ted. I turned in a circle twice, like a puppy chasing its tail, suddenly with no idea which way to go, then shot off in the opposite direction.

  I had to walk around the block before it was safe for me to pick up my car, thanks to the plate glass windows of the restaurant, and not being sure where they were sitting. Finally, when I realized I was running out of time, I hoped they were in a dark corner at the rear, and hurried to my VW. Sliding into the seat, I hit the lock on the door, and unhooked my wire. I pressed the pin code into my cell phone and found the app Lucas installed, hitting “play” and hearing Donna's and my conversation replay loud and clear. I had the whole conversation on record and another nail in Ted's playboy coffin.

  I added a note to the file about my conversation with Donna and what she said about her relationship with Ted, noting that I possessed a recording.

  With an increasingly heavy heart, I continued towards my sister's house, pulling into Serena's driveway a short while later. I parked and took a deep breath, ready to confirm what a sleazy, rat bastard Ted Whitman the Third really was.

  Baby Victoria lay in her basket, her fat, pink legs kicking so that the layered skirt of her cotton dress fluttered upwards only to drift down again. Instead of sitting on the sofa, I settled down beside her on the floor. Victoria screeched, giggled, and kicked again, her little arms pumping.

  "I get the feeling this isn't a social call." Serena placed a glass of iced tea on the side table, far away from Victoria and settled on the floor on the other side of her, her fingers dancing across Victoria's belly, much to the baby's delight.

  "No, it isn't," I admitted.

  Serena breathed in sharply through her nose, then exhaled, repeating it twice. "Ted?" she asked.

  I nodded. I dragged my gaze away from Victoria and caught my bag by its long handle, dragging it towards me. Opening the flap, I pulled out the large envelope and placed it on the coffee table, its sharp corners now padded with plastic corner protectors.

  "This envelope is sealed," I told her. "It's up to you if you want to open it."

  "But there is something inside?"

  Again, I nodded.

  Serena focused on her daughter, stroking her hand over Victoria's short, dark crop of hair, then down, so Victoria could wrap her whole hand around a single one of her mother's fingers. Serena waggled her finger and Victoria wriggled her body and screeched, her legs rocketing straight, then kicking upwards.

  "I knew," said Serena, her voice sad, "but it doesn't make it any easier."

  "I know this is going to sound harsh, but remember that you asked me to get evidence. I only brought confirmation. It's up to you if you want to open it, and what you want to do with it," I told her. "You never have to open it, if you don't want to."

  "I'm not going to get mad at you," said Serena, her eyes firmly fixed on her daughter's. She kissed Victoria, then detangled herself as Victoria grabbed her hair. She reached for the envelope, holding it for a moment before calmly slitting it open. She pulled out the eight-by-tens and sifted through them, pausing for a moment on each one. Finally, she stuck them back in the envelope and read through my surveillance report and conclusions, including my last minute addition of my conversation with Donna, which I summarized as delicately as I could. It didn't make for pleasant reading. Ted was having an affair, and it had been going on a while, possibly throughout Serena's pregnancy, maybe even before. Donna Keegan, I found from snooping, was a junior at his office, and either stupid or career hungry. I also noted that Ruby was a honeytrap and might not stand
up in court, but could be good for blackmail.

  If Serena wanted a divorce, she had plenty of evidence. If she wanted to play hardball, she had evidence. Thanks to Donna’s frank comments, I also had audio of the sexual element to their affair.

  "I'm not sure what I'm going to do right now," said Serena. "I need to see my lawyer."

  "I understand."

  "I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything to the family."

  "Client confidentiality," I assured her.

  "Don't I have to pay you to be a client?"

  "No, you don't. You're my pro bono client."

  Serena pushed the file inside the envelope, which she then slipped inside her diaper bag.

  "Don't let Ted find it," I warned her. "I have copies, but don't let him know until you're ready. Keep it somewhere else."

  "My lawyer will keep it for me." Serena shuffled back to Victoria, picking her up and cradling her in her arms. Victoria stopped kicking and nuzzled closer to her, her little eyelids blinking and her lips puckering. My ovaries simultaneously twanged. "You think you know someone, huh?" said Serena, with a shake of her head.

  "Tell me about it." I thought I knew someone once, then one day, he just up and left, without even a note. A week later, I got a postcard saying, sorry, it didn't work out, but he got an awesome job in New York and couldn't pass it up. He left me with an engagement ring, a partly paid wedding dress, a lot of embarrassment, and a whole lot of unanswered questions. I sold the ring, canceled the dress and ran away to join the Army. It could have been worse. I could have married the bastard before he ditched me, so I had to count myself lucky.

  "We've been married eight years, together since college. We've got a new baby. And he's carrying on with his secretary. It's such a cliché!"

  "She's not his secretary."