1 3 7 – ZOË

by C. De Melo

  “Not at all.”

  “Take your time and make sure nothing of value has been taken,” the officer added.

  I called Lance from my wrist-phone the minute I was alone upstairs. “Lance, someone broke into the house while Michael and I were having dinner,” I whispered.

  “Where is Michael now?” he asked.

  “Downstairs filling out a police report.”

  “Did the intruder take anything?”

  “The only room disturbed was Michael’s office. Do you think it has anything to do with his meeting with Majed and the vandalized lab in Brazil?”

  “Maybe. Someone must be looking for something.”

  “I hear Michael on the stairs- I’ll call you later.”

  Lance’s image vanished from the tiny screen just as Michael entered the bedroom. “Anything missing up here?” he asked.

  “I don’t think so.”

  Michael opened the silver case where I kept my expensive jewelry and fished through the contents. “Every piece is accounted for,” he said.

  The officer who followed Michael upstairs stood by the doorway, waiting. “That’s good,” he said, recording the information into the tablet. “At least he didn’t get away with your valuables, Mrs. Adams.”

  I nodded and followed my husband and the officer downstairs.

  After the police left, Michael said tiredly, “I am going to look through my office again to assess the damage. Maybe you should go to bed and get some rest.” He paused and added fiercely, “I swear I’m going to find the bastard who did this.”

  I was about to turn around and walk away when I remembered that I should be playing ‘dumb.’ With a look of concern on my face, I said, “I hope you do, dear.” I then added sweetly, “Can I get you anything? Fix you a drink, maybe some tea?”

  “No, princess,” he said, looking in the direction of his office.

  I turned to go. “Goodnight, Michael.”

  “Where’s my kiss?” he asked, his head swinging around sharply.

  Oops…an oversight on my part. I walked up to my husband and dutifully kissed him on the mouth.

  “Sleep well,” he said, going into his office and locking the door behind him.

  I heard him cursing as he opened drawers. I went to bed and couldn’t stop tossing and turning. When sleep finally came it was the deep, dreamless sleep of exhaustion.

  ***

  When I awoke the next morning, I noticed that Michael’s side of the bed was smooth. I wasn’t surprised since he often slept in his office or in the guest bedroom. In fact, he rarely shared my bed these days. When I crept downstairs and called out his name, however, there was no response. I noticed his car was gone and wasted no time going into his office with the intention of searching through it. When I walked into the room, I noticed that Maria was standing behind Michael’s desk.

  “What are you doing in my husband’s office?” I demanded angrily.

  “Cleaning,” she replied too quickly.

  When my eyes went to the feather duster on the edge of the desk, she didn’t even have the courtesy to blush at the obvious lie. “Where is he?”

  “Mr. Adams left very early this morning,” she said, coming to stand on the opposite side of the desk in order to retrieve her feather duster.

  “You saw him?”

  Maria nodded. “He slept in his office last night.”

  I glanced at the long sofa. “I see.”

  “Would you like to have breakfast outside? It’s a beautiful day,” she asked innocently.

  “Yes, please.”

  Maria smiled and left the room. As she did so, I couldn’t help but notice the exaggerated sway of her hips. No wonder Michael drooled after her like a dog in heat.

  My wrist-phone went off. It was Lance. “Are you alone?”

  I closed the office door. “Yes, Michael is gone for the day.”

  “We need to talk. I’m on my way.”

  Before I could say another word, the screen went blank. After several minutes of searching, I stopped. I had found nothing even remotely incriminating. Whatever the intruder was looking for last night was gone. The question was: who was looking for what? I walked outside and sat down to my toast, fruit and coffee.

  Maria came outside with Lance in tow. “Mrs. Adams, Mr. Adams is here to see you.”

  I motioned for Lance to come forward. “Maria, please bring out an extra place setting so he can join me for breakfast.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Adams.”

  “Good morning,” he said, kissing me on the cheek.

  I felt suddenly self-conscious and blushed as I took in his crisp, fashionable clothing. His hair was slicked back and he looked gorgeous. He also smelled delicious; fresh and masculine. I, on the other hand, hadn’t showered yet and my long hair was loose and disheveled. Also, I was still wearing what I had slept in- a comfortable white tank top and grey yoga pants.

  “Sorry for my appearance,” I said.

  “Nonsense. I think you look sexy,” he said with a wink.

  Maria came out and placed extra porcelain and cutlery on the table.

  “Thank you. Please close the sliding door behind you,” I said to Maria.

  When we were alone again, Lance said, “You will never guess where your husband is at this very moment.”

  I poured steaming coffee from the French press into his cup. “Where?”

  “New York.”

  “New York?” I repeated in disbelief. “He left without so much as a goodbye; he didn’t even leave a note!”

  “He took a six o’clock flight to JFK.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “Brady called me this morning. Michael’s name popped up on his computer- they can track anyone on any flight.”

  “You mean he took a commercial flight?”

  He nodded. “Weird, huh? The break-in last night in your home and the break-in at the lab in Rio are believed to have been done by the same person.”

  “What are they looking for?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to find out.”

  I stared off into space for a moment. “Who the hell am I married to?”

  Lance said nothing in response.

  My wrist-phone went off. “It’s Michael,” I said.

  Lance put his finger to his lips to indicate that his presence at the house should not be revealed. I carefully positioned the screen so that only my face would be visible. Michael’s face appeared. His eyes were red-rimmed and he looked absolutely miserable.

  “Good morning, princess. I’m sorry I didn’t wake you, but after last night I felt you deserved to sleep in late,” he said.

  “Maria said you left early, but she didn’t say where.”

  “I’m in New York,” he said.

  “What are you doing there?”

  His mouth tried to form a smile. “Emergency business…nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about.”

  “Does it have anything to do with last night’s break-in?” I boldly prompted, ignoring the emphatic shaking of Lance’s head and his disapproving stare.

  “Oh, no…this has to do with a real estate deal, that’s all. I should be back before dinner. I just didn’t want you to worry. I’ll see you later, princess. I love you.”

  “You too,” I said, forcing the words out as best I could before ending the call.

  “He’s lying,” Lance said.

  I sighed. “I know.”

  “This sudden New York trip has everything to do with the break-in last night.”

  I nodded in agreement. “So, what now?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess we have to wait and see.”

  I reached across the table and took hold of his hand. Lance gave me a reassuring smile as his thumb gently caressed my knuckles. The simple act sent chills up my arm. I saw sudden movement out of the corner of my eye and quickly turned my head towards the sliding glass door. Lance did the same. One of the curtains swayed slightly as if someone was peeking behind the f
abric and just ducked out of sight. Was Maria spying on us? She was starting to give me the creeps and I wanted nothing more than to fire the woman on the spot.

  “Don’t,” Lance said, casually pulling his hand away to grab hold of his coffee cup.

  “Don’t what?” I countered.

  “Don’t get angry and fire Maria,” he said, reading my thoughts. “Yes, she was spying on us a moment ago.”

  “And you’re not upset?”

  “She’s sleeping with Michael. She knows he and I are not on the best of terms, and feels it’s her duty to make a report whenever I come over. I’m sure Juana and Carlos do the same.”

  I took a sip of coffee. “You’re right. What should I do when Michael comes home?”

  He leaned forward. “Don’t let on like you suspect anything. Stay busy at the gallery and try not to worry, okay?”

  “Okay. I’m scared,” I confessed.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said. “That’s a promise.

  Lance left shortly afterward and I spent most of the day in my studio. True to his word, Michael was back before dinner. Maybe he actually did take care of legitimate business, but why fly commercially? Something didn’t gel.”

  I realized that his business trip had been nothing but a sham when several armed security guards showed up at the front door the next day.

  “I’ve hired these men to watch the house,” Michael explained.

  What the hell had happened in New York? “For how long?” I asked.

  “A few weeks, maybe a few months; I haven’t decided yet. I don’t like the idea of someone breaking into my house- especially when my wife is here alone.”

  Several big men in dark suits with silver communication devices attached to their ears were soon scattered throughout our property. Most of them looked like they were ex-military. I felt this new security measure was an invasion of privacy, but had no choice but to try and get used to them. Meanwhile, I took Lance’s advice and kept busy in the gallery. Most importantly, I continued to play dumb.

  Chapter Twelve

  Maddy paid me a visit on the hottest day of the summer. It was mid-August and (despite the CCT) it was uncomfortably hot. Lance had once mentioned something about extremes in temperature being hard to control. I was working on my computer by the pool and stopped to embrace my sister. I told Juana to bring out some cold drinks.

  “What’s new, sis?” Maddy asked.

  “Just trying to stay cool. Did you bring your bathing suit?”

  She began to remove her tank top and shorts, revealing a purple floral bikini. “You bet I did.”

  Juana came out with a tray, two glasses and a pitcher of freshly made lemonade. There was also a bowl of chilled melon balls.

  “Looking good, Maddy,” I said with a smile as I poured out a glass of lemonade.

  She accepted the glass from my hand with an appreciative nod and took a sip. Two security guards stood at opposite ends of the patio, the metal of their lethal weapons gleaming in the sun.

  “Do they ever get to you?” she asked quietly, eyeing one of the big men.

  “They bothered me at first, but now I don’t even notice their presence.”

  “Michael must be spending a fortune to maintain them.”

  “He can afford it,” I replied with sarcasm.

  Maddy’s eyes narrowed. “Is everything all right between you two?”

  “Fine,” I lied. “Come on, let’s jump in.”

  “You don’t have to tell me twice,” she said before diving in after me.

  “I’ll race you,” I said, splashing her in the face.

  After swimming a few laps, Maddy stopped to rest. “I have something to tell you.”

  I stopped next to her and clung to the edge of the pool for support. “What’s that?”

  She announced breathlessly, “I met someone.”

  I smiled. “Really?”

  “Yeah, she’s great. Her name is Naomi and she’s from Egypt. We’ve been dating for a few weeks now and I totally dig her.” She smiled and added, “I think this may go somewhere.”

  “Wow, that’s wonderful! Where did you meet her?”

  “At the little café where I get my coffee every morning. She was standing behind me in line and dropped her purse. I helped her gather her stuff off the floor and we struck up a conversation.” She laughed softly at the memory. “We ended up sharing a table while we drank our coffees. The rest is history…”

  “I’m so happy, Maddy. She’ll have to come over sometime.”

  “Or maybe we three can do lunch.”

  “Sure, lunch works for me. I would love to meet her.”

  “What about tomorrow?” Maddy asked, slicking her wet hair back from her forehead.

  I shrugged. “Tomorrow is fine.”

  “Great! How about that Indian place…oh, what’s its name? Mother India!”

  “Perfect.”

  “Why don’t we meet there at one o’clock?”

  “I’ll be there. I’m really looking forward to meeting Naomi.”

  “Oh, I think you’ll approve,” Maddy assured with a grin.

  ***

  I arrived at Mother India ten minutes before one o’clock on the following day, and was shown to the table Maddy had reserved. I ordered a glass of white wine and waited. It was not long before my sister walked in through the door accompanied by a beautiful woman.

  “Hi Zoë!” Maddy said, waving.

  “Hi Maddy. You must be Naomi,” I said, extending my hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” Naomi said with an Arabic accent.

  I took in Naomi’s large dark eyes. She wore her thick, black hair long and straight with blunt cut bangs. Her skin was naturally tan and it looked great against the buttery yellow fabric of her pricey Gucci pantsuit.

  “Maddy tells me that you’re from Egypt,” I said after we had sat down. “I visited Cairo once with my husband and found it fascinating.”

  “Really? I was born just outside of Cairo!” Naomi replied. “My parents moved to the United States when I was a teenager, and I’ve been living here since.”

  “Do you go back to visit?” I asked.

  “Quite often.” She paused and then added, “Maddy has told me so much about you- everything good, of course.”

  “That’s a relief!” I said, laughing.

  Maddy shot me a look of gratitude for breaking the ice. We ordered lunch and chatted amicably over curried lamb, spicy vegetables and basmati rice. I could tell that Maddy was smitten with Naomi. Not only was she exotic in appearance, but also pleasant and well educated.

  “What do you do for a living?” I asked of Naomi between mouthfuls.

  “I am an investment banker,” she replied.

  “And a successful one at that,” Maddy added.

  That explains the Gucci suit.

  “Maddy tells me you work in an art gallery,” Naomi said. “I love art. Perhaps one day you could give me a tour?”

  “It would be my pleasure, Naomi. You must come for dinner at the house sometime, too.”

  “We’d love that,” Maddy said, taking hold of Naomi’s hand.

  “Yes,” Naomi agreed.

  “It’s settled, then. Why not join us this Friday?” I suggested.

  Maddy looked to Naomi, who nodded.

  “Friday would be great. Thanks, sis,” Maddy said. “Invite Lance, too. I haven’t seen him in ages!”

  I smiled. “I will. I’m sure he’ll enjoy catching up with you, too.”

  We finished lunch, skipped dessert and ordered hot teas. Naomi insisted on picking up the check before announcing that she had to return to work.

  “She’s great,” I whispered to Maddy as we left the restaurant.

  “I know,” Maddy whispered back.

  Naomi looked over her shoulder coyly and smiled at us as if she had overheard what was said.

  ***

  Lance was the first dinner guest to arrive at the house on Friday.
>
  “Hello, Zoë. You look lovely as always,” he said politely after kissing my cheek in greeting.

  “Thank you, Lance,” I retorted, feeling the weight of my husband’s gaze upon us.

  “Ah, Lance,” Michael said as he stepped forward. “How are you?”

  Lance shook his older brother’s hand. “Good, you?”

  “Just fine, thanks. Have you been out on the golf course lately? I’ve been so busy that I haven’t played in weeks,” Michael said.

  “I’ve been rather busy myself.”

  There was palpable tension between the brothers.

  “Would you gentlemen care for a drink?” I asked in the hope that alcohol would make them both relax.

  “Vodka tonic for me,” Lance said.

  “Scotch neat,” Michael said.

  “Lime with that vodka tonic?” I asked.

  “You bet,” Lance replied.

  I busied myself with the drinks while the two brothers talked about golf. I handed them their respective glasses and then poured a glass of wine for myself. The doorbell rang and a moment later Juana announced that Maddy and Naomi had arrived. Maddy looked nice in a red sheath dress, but Naomi’s sexy black halter-top, tight white pants and black stilettos stole everyone’s attention.

  After introductions were made and cocktails were doled out, everyone took their seats for a friendly pre-dinner chat. I noticed how Naomi’s eyes flitted frequently to the armed security guards who stood discreetly in the background.

  “I have read so much about you, Mr. Adams,” Naomi said to Michael, her expression one of naked admiration.

  Michael smiled in surprise. “Have you?”

  “Oh, yes. I follow your strategies in business investments,” she replied, moving to sit close to him...a bit too close. “I would love to be able to predict the market the way you do.”

  “It’s not that difficult,” Michael said with false modesty, obviously flattered by the beautiful woman’s attention.

  While Maddy and Lance were busy catching up, I studied Naomi. She was fawning over Michael shamelessly, and if I didn’t know better I’d think she was flirting. Not the behavior one would expect from a lesbian. Was she perhaps bisexual?