The P.I. Contest

by C. J. Carmichael

  His eyes darkened. “No question.”

  Yet, he’d given it up for his nephew. She admired that. “Did you ever run into trouble during a flight? Something serious, that you didn’t think you’d survive?”

  He blinked, then gazed out at the passing city. “The vast majority of flights are pretty routine. And thank God for that. No one in their right mind would get into a commercial airliner otherwise.”

  She looked at him closely. “You just sidestepped my question.”

  “You think?” He smiled disarmingly. “What about you? Did you ever run into big trouble in your job at the Twentieth Precinct? Something you didn’t think you’d survive?”

  “A couple of times, yes. But it’s the cases that break your heart that are more difficult to handle.”

  Jay’s expression grew serious. “Yeah. It’s hard to see someone suffer. Even when they’ve done it to themselves.”

  “What always gets me is how fast it happens. One minute everything is good. The next—catastrophe.”

  “Maybe one night, when this is all over, we’ll get together and exchange war stories,” he said.

  “Maybe.”

  She felt relieved that the taxi was pulling up in front of the office. Jay was more complicated than she’d initially thought, more intelligent and more sensitive, too. And he had skills she hadn’t expected.

  Consider how easily he’d extracted that information about the lake resort from Rebecca.

  And how quickly he’d extracted information about her, as well.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  IT WAS GOING TO BE interesting sharing an office with Kate, Jay thought. She’d already claimed the big desk by the window, which was fair enough, since she needed the computer. Still, sitting at the smaller desk by the door meant that she could see his computer screen every time she got up to get a coffee.

  “Oh, stop being so paranoid.” Kate squeezed past him with a steaming mug in hand. “I’m not trying to sneak a look at your computer every time I walk by.”

  “Maybe you should be. Might save you some valuable time.”

  “Very funny, Captain. Hope you’re prepared for some turbulence ahead.” She grinned. “How are you liking your new desk? Not much room for your legs, huh?”

  She wasn’t kidding. He’d only been here an hour and he could already feel his muscles cramping. “Well, at least I have a good view of yours.”

  Her eyes widened, and she quickly uncrossed her legs and pulled down on her skirt. “You shouldn’t be looking.”

  “Why not? Beats the view out the window.”

  “What? You don’t like brick walls?”

  “I live in New York. I love brick walls.”

  She cracked a smile at that, then took a sip from her mug and leaned closer to her computer screen. “Keep quiet now. I’ve got to concentrate.”

  He should be doing the same. Only she was fun to talk to. She had an interesting mind, and a sly sense of humor that he rather enjoyed.

  Anyway, he’d already found where prospective dad number one, James Morgan, lived. All he’d had to do was type “vacation resort,” “Upper New York State” and “James Morgan” into his favorite search engine.

  Now he needed to rent a car. Taking his mug with him, and closing the door firmly on the sound of Kate’s clattering on the keyboard, he headed for the reception area to talk to Nadine.

  As he’d guessed on the first day, Nadine was a real sweetheart. Quick to smile and anxious to please.

  “Hi, Jay. The coffee is fresh. Is there anything—”

  The phone rang and she made a face, then picked up the receiver. “Fox & Fisher Detective Agency.”

  While he waited for her to finish with the call, he helped himself to the coffee. Every time he saw Nadine, she was busy. She wasn’t the sort to sit around and wait for the work to come to her.

  “I’ll have Lindsay call with an update as soon as she can,” Nadine said, scribbling a note on a message pad. She covered the mouthpiece for a moment. “Sorry, Jay. I’ll be right with you.”

  When the call ended, she gave him a smile.

  “You’re good at multitasking,” he observed.

  “I love this job.” She hesitated, then added, “Though, one day I would like to try my hand at the investigating side of the business. Lindsay and Nathan have given me a few small assignments.” She sighed. “But I have a lot to learn before I’ll be ready to take on a real case all by myself.”

  “You probably have as many qualifications as I do. Have you taken any courses?”

  “Not yet. I’m signed up for six weeks of online instruction starting next month. Much to my mother’s dismay.”

  “She doesn’t like the idea of you being a private investigator?”

  “Not hardly.”

  “Is she worried it’s dangerous? Because according to Nathan, most of that exciting stuff only happens in the movies.”

  “It’s partly a safety issue,” she agreed. “But it’s also an image thing. My mother, bless her dear, loving heart, is a bit of a snob.”

  The door opened, and Nathan came in just in time to hear Nadine’s comment about her mother. “Hi, Nathan. How was the meeting?”

  He had a briefcase in one hand and a cardboard box in the other, so Jay sprang forward to help him with the door. Nathan set the box on Nadine’s desk, then hung his coat in the closet.

  “The meeting went great. As you can see.” He tapped the box. “We got the job. There are magazines in there that I’d like you to catalog for me please, Nadine.”

  He went to the coffeepot and filled one of the mugs. “And you might as well come clean about your family. Jay’s going to be part of the team soon, after all.” He gave his friend a confident thumbs-up before disappearing into his office.

  “Thanks, buddy.” Jay wished he could be as sure of that. He turned and smiled at Nadine’s obvious consternation. “So…what’s this about your family?”

  Her mouth twisted ruefully. “Just that we’re rich and my cousin is sort-of famous. You’ll understand when I tell you my real last name.”

  “It isn’t Kimble?”

  “I used my mother’s surname when I applied for this job and it’s sort of stuck. But my legal surname is Waverly.”

  He raised his eyebrows at a name he associated with a hotel chain and a blonde bombshell. “Are you related to Liz Waverly?”

  “Yes. She’s my cousin. As long as I keep my underwear on in public and don’t put sex videos on the Internet, Dad’s okay with this new career of mine. Mom, however, is still trying to adjust to the idea of me actually working for a living.”

  “But you must be beyond rich. Why are you working here?”

  She leaned forward, her voice earnest. “Have you ever felt like you were born to do something?”

  He thought of flying and the contradictory sensations of exhilaration and control. “Yes.”

  “Well, it may sound silly, but when I watched detective shows on TV as a kid, I knew that was what I wanted.”

  “Your family could buy you your own agency.”

  She shook her head. “This has to be something I earn. I need to work my way up the ladder.”

  “As a receptionist?”

  “You have to start somewhere, and my fine arts degree wasn’t much preparation for the real world. This is the first job I ever got on my own, with no help from my father. I’m learning the basics of the business, and one day—one day soon—I’ll be ready for more.”

  Jay had liked Nadine from the first time he’d met her. Now he admired her grit. “I think you can do whatever you set your mind to.”

  “I’m banking on it.” She tilted her head toward him. “Now what can I do to help you?”

  Jay had to think for a moment to remember why he’d come out here in the first place. “Oh, yeah. I need to rent a car for tomorrow.”

  “A car. Really? You want to rent a car for tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, really.” What was with her, anyway? It wasn’t such a stra
nge request.

  “Okay, then.” Nadine opened a neatly organized drawer and located a business card. “We have a corporate account with this company. I can make the booking for you.”

  Jay glanced down the hall. Kate hadn’t budged since he’d left their office, but he’d hate for her to walk out at just the wrong moment and be tipped off about his plans.

  “Thanks, but I’ll call on my way to Eric’s school. I have a meeting scheduled with his teacher, but I should be back in about an hour and a half.”

  “Okay.”

  Suddenly she wasn’t meeting his eyes when she talked to him, but a minute ago she’d been completely at ease.

  “What’s up, Nadine?”

  She just shook her head. “See you later, Jay. I hope the meeting with Eric’s teacher goes well.”

  LINDSAY HAD SUGGESTED to Kate that they meet after work at the Stool Pigeon, to celebrate her first day at Fox & Fisher. At the last minute, though, she had to cancel because of a complication on one of her cases.

  Kate decided to go on her own. Not that she particularly liked the place, but it was close and she wasn’t keen to go home to her lonely apartment. The empty feeling wasn’t because she missed Conner in particular—his betrayal seemed to have killed her feelings for him. She still hadn’t cried over his fast exit from her life, and though he called her every night, she was never tempted to pick up the phone.

  Still, she missed having company. She missed cooking for someone other than herself. And she wasn’t all that fond of sleeping alone, either.

  Wendy approached her table with a quizzical frown. “You okay? You don’t look that great.”

  “I’ve got a cold,” she finally admitted. She’d tried to fight it off, but she could no longer deny that she was under the weather. “Do you serve chicken soup?”

  “Just clam chowder or French onion.”

  “I’ll have the French onion,” Kate decided. “Can you hold the melted cheese on top?”

  “That’s the best part, but sure. Anything else?”

  “Green tea.”

  Wendy rolled her eyes. “How about regular tea?”

  “I suppose.”

  Her order completed, Kate propped her elbows impolitely on the table and rested her chin on her palms. Maybe she should have gone home, after all. She really wasn’t feeling well. After she ate, she’d splurge and take a cab rather than the subway.

  As she contemplated the rest of her evening—maybe an hour watching Prime Suspect, then a hot bath—she noticed a tall man step into the pub. Even before he had looked in her direction, his powerful build and that imperturbable air of authority gave him away.

  Captain Jay Savage was the sort of man strangers would turn to in a crisis. Kate could see heads turn in his direction, even now, as he hesitated over where to sit.

  And then he spotted her.

  For one electric moment she felt her pulse race, her skin grow hot. She put a hand to her cheek and wished she could blame her reaction on the bug she was fighting.

  But, damn it, it was true. She found Jay Savage very attractive.

  Not that she wanted to. She didn’t want to be drawn to any man, let alone one who was competing for her job. Thankfully, she was well practiced in the art of concealing her emotions.

  She took a deep breath as he made his way to her table and was perfectly calm by the time he asked, “Okay if I join you?”

  “Why not?”

  He settled into the booth seat without taking his eyes off her.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked. “Do I have something on my face?”

  “Your face is fine. It is a little flushed, though.”

  Because of him. No. She refused to admit it. “I’ve been fighting a cold.”

  “Well, that explains all the tissues you went through this afternoon. I thought maybe you had an allergy to my soap.” He checked out the place with an uncertain expression. “Lindsay said the food here was good.”

  Kate shook her head. “You’ll have to learn to discount Lindsay’s opinion on matters of food and drink. Unless, of course, you’re a fan of massive quantities of cholesterol and sugar.”

  “But she’s so thin.”

  “Given her diet, it’s one of the medical mysteries of the world.”

  “Well, I’m just here to kill time until my nephew’s basketball practice is over. He’s not that happy that I made him join the team so late in the season and I promised him we’d go out for pizza after. Speaking of weird diets…that kid could live on pepperoni and cheese.”

  “Why are you making him play basketball if he doesn’t want to?”

  “I’m worried about the trouble he could get into just hanging out with his buddies after school. I gave him his choice of activities. When he wouldn’t commit to anything, I made a decision for him.”

  “Do you have reason to suspect he was getting into trouble?”

  “Jeez, could you sound more like a cop?”

  “It gets in your blood after a while.”

  He let out a jagged sigh. “We just had a meeting with his homeroom teacher this afternoon. He’s been skipping a lot of classes this month and his grades are in free fall.”

  “Maybe he needs time off from his studies to deal with losing his mother.”

  “More free time is not a good idea for Eric, I’m afraid. The counselor I’ve spoken with suggested that a predictable routine would be the best thing.”

  “I see. How old is Eric?”

  “He just turned fourteen.”

  “Was he having troubles at school before his mother passed away?”

  “Probably, but I’m not sure.” Jay rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I hadn’t seen much of my sister and Eric the last few years. She started dating this guy…He was trouble, even worse than the usual losers she was attracted to. I guess I burned some bridges with her and I lost touch.”

  “You lost touch with Eric, as well?”

  “I did, though I didn’t mean to. A couple years can go by pretty fast when you’re busy. But Eric sure changed a lot in those years. Now I know why my coworkers always complained when their kids hit the teenaged years.”

  “It must be difficult, suddenly finding yourself in the role of single parent.”

  “Especially since my sister had a heart of gold, but absolutely no sense of discipline. I’ve been letting Eric off easy, but the time has come to start setting down some rules.”

  “That’s going to make you the bad guy.”

  “But it’s got to be done. This is the age when his mother started getting into trouble. It began with boys, then skipping school, then alcohol and drugs. I do not want to go down that same road with Eric.”

  “Fourteen is a pivotal age for a boy,” she agreed. “The basketball is probably a good idea.”

  “Yeah. The coach seems like a good guy. He did warn Eric that he expected hard work and lots of discipline.”

  “How does Eric feel about that?”

  “I wish I had a clue. He’s probably not impressed.”

  “You really have your hands full.” Suddenly Kate felt guilty that she was trying to take a job away from a man who had to support his orphaned nephew. But surely Jay could find another job. This one had “Kate Cooper” stamped all over it.

  When Wendy appeared with Kate’s order, Jay asked for a glass of draft beer. Kate tucked into the soup, the warm broth soothing against her throat, the flavor rich and tasty.

  After the first few spoonfuls, she became aware of Jay watching her. She paused with her spoon halfway to her mouth. “You’re staring at me again.”

  “At least it isn’t your legs this time.” He realigned the cutlery on the table.

  Her conscience compelled her to be honest with him. “Are you sure you want to be competing for this job? Obviously your nephew needs a great deal of your time and energy right now.”

  “That’s why I gave up flying, and I do need to make a living.”

  “But why with Fox & Fisher?” She set down her sp
oon. “No one could fault you for changing your mind. I know Nathan and Lindsay would completely understand. I have to tell you—I’m very close to solving this already.”

  She’d already tracked James Morgan to a lake resort three hours north of Manhattan. She had a car booked and planned to head out first thing in the morning, for a face-to-face interview. Potentially she could have everything wrapped up in the time it took to get a DNA sample back from the lab.

  Poor Jay might well find this competition over before it even began.

  “What’s the matter, Kate? Afraid of a little competition?”

  His tone was teasing, but she still felt annoyed.

  Good lord, she’d been trying to be nice. He couldn’t honestly believe he had any chance of finding Hannah’s father before she did.

  Well, she’d given him an opening to save face. Tomorrow he would find out, once and for all, that he was up against a professional.

  WHEN KATE’S ALARM went off the following morning, every muscle in her body thought getting out of bed was a bad idea. She got up anyway. Today was the day she was going to end this charade of a competition between her and Jay Savage.

  Once she’d had her shower she felt better. Facing her reflection as she dried her long curls into glossy submission, she thought with anticipation about the day ahead. It was always fun to get out of the city for a while, even in the winter, and she was looking forward to the drive to Liberty Lake.

  She was also looking forward to seeing Jay Savage’s face when she told him she had a sample of James Morgan’s DNA at the lab for testing.

  Kate took a vitamin pill with her orange juice, then loaded her leather bag with a packet of tissues, throat lozenges, hand disinfectant and pain tablets, just so she would be prepared.

  A delay on the subway had her arriving at the car agency fifteen minutes later than she’d planned. She pushed through the glass door with one hand, while at the same time searching her bag for her notebook which contained her reservation confirmation number.

  “Fancy meeting you here.”

  Her hand froze in the purse. By now she knew that voice all too well. She looked up. Jay Savage was dangling a set of keys in front of her. The man looked hale and hearty, in a sheepskin-lined leather jacket ideal for a day in the country. But he couldn’t possibly be headed for the same place she was.