by Rose Pressey
The next morning, waves rolled up to the beach as I walked along the shore. People had marked out their spots with beach towels, ready to soak up the sun all day. I stuck my feet in the water, relishing the coolness against my bare skin. The sun shone bright and warmed my skin. It had been a wild time since Arthur Abbott had walked into my office wanting me to find out if his wife had been cheating. Maybe if I had it to do over I would have never taken the job, although I really did want to help Allison. She didn’t deserve to be in jail for a crime she didn’t commit.
I neared the condo towers. Yes, I’d known exactly where I was headed when I set off for a walk down the beach. Looking at the buildings from a different perspective might give me a whole new angle on this thing. It was odd that Jake hadn’t been around. I’d gotten so accustomed to him trailing me that I now expected it.
When I reached the towers, I stopped. I knew the police had looked thoroughly around the area, but I held on to some hope that they’d overlooked something. Even if the police had overlooked something, the odds of me finding any new clues were slim.
It sent shivers down my spine when I looked at the spot where Mr. Shaw’s body had washed ashore. When I looked up at the building, someone was watching me. It was the tower where I’d found Arthur’s body. The place was supposed to be empty now. Even worse, I thought for sure it was Arthur Abbott’s condo. It was definitely a woman. She appeared to have blonde hair, just like Allison Abbott. Had she gotten out of jail? I had to go find her. With all the stress and my lack of sleep, that wouldn’t be entirely out of the question.
Without waiting another minute, I made my way across the sand to the building. I stepped around a couple basking in the sun, almost tripping on their bottle of suntan lotion. The crime scene tape was still draped over the back entrance. I wouldn’t let that stop me from going in. It hadn’t stopped me in the past, so I wouldn’t let it now. I assumed the police were watching the building after what had happened, but it was a chance I’d have to take.
I glanced around to see if anyone watched me, then slipped under the tape and stepped onto the patio. The building had taken on a new level of creepiness after I’d found the body. The fact that Arthur had stayed here all by himself was weird enough, but now it was like a building straight out of the apocalypse.
Weaving around a lounge chair, I walked up to the back door and tried to open it. It wouldn’t budge. I should have expected as much. The back door was locked, but maybe the front would still be unlocked. I’d have to go around to the front. If it was locked then I knew it had to be Allison. She would have a key to the place, right? There was only one way in at this point, so whomever I saw, I’d surely find them at the front entrance. I made my way across the patio again, slipped under the tape and looked around. Still no one seemed to notice me. I eased through the sand and around the building.
When I reached the front door of the building, I peered around looking for any sign of movement. I was still a little paranoid after being shot at. If the police were truly watching the building they must be asleep.
I pushed on the door, but it was locked too. I looked up as if that would offer some clue. As I suspected, it did not. The woman must have slipped back down and locked the door behind her. Or maybe she was still in the building and had locked it behind her when she went in. I could wait for a while to see if she came out. If that had been Allison though, she would have come down to find me. She would have wanted to talk to me. Heck, she would have already tried to call me. I pulled my phone out and checked to see if I’d missed a call.
As I stood there peering up at the building wondering what to do next, footsteps sounded from behind me. I whipped around and let out a tiny yelp. He had scared me.
“May I help you?” the police officer asked in a stern voice.
Oh, great. I was going to be arrested for trespassing. “I was just looking at the building,” I said, although my words came out more of a question than a statement.
My voice didn’t sound very confident.
He frowned. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
“It’s okay, Officer Marquez. She’s with me.”
I glanced over my shoulder and saw the familiar smile of Jake and I couldn’t hide my smile in return. The officer nodded and walked away.
“Are you trying to get arrested?” he asked with a smile.
“Well, not exactly. I was just taking a walk along the beach,” I said.
He finished my sentence for me. “And you just happened to pass by.”
I stared. “Yeah, something like that.”
“Are you going to tell me why you were really here?” he asked with a smile.
“Are you going to tell me why you’re here? It seems as if you’re still following me.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest.
“I’m not following you. I was just here on official business.” He gestured over his shoulder.
“If you say so. Listen, I saw someone in Arthur Abbott’s condo.” I scanned the area for the woman, but only noticed Officer Marquez watching us.
He raised an eyebrow. “You were up there?”
I ran my hand through my hair. “No, I saw the person looking out the window when I was on the beach.”
His lips curled at the corners of his mouth. “I doubt that because the doors are locked. No one was up there unless an officer went up with them. I’ll check it out.”
I knew he didn’t believe me.
Jake walked toward the condo tower and I followed, then we spotted the woman rush around the side of the building. What was she doing? Was it Allison?
I pointed. “There she is. Did you see her?”
He nodded and took off after her.
“Hey, stop right there,” Jake called out.
The woman glanced back and I finally knew that it wasn’t Allison. It was the wife of Thomas Shaw. It would make sense that she would be at the condos, but why had she been in Arthur Abbott’s place? I knew she looked familiar. I’d seen her at the salon.
Jake stopped the woman. “Ma’am, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
“If it wasn’t for that damn condo, my husband would be alive right now. I told him to just let it go,” the woman said.
“Let me walk you to your car.” Jake guided her toward the parking lot.
Jake nodded for me to wait for him while he helped the woman. I needed to find out what she meant. I was pretty sure she was talking about the issue with Arthur’s condo. There was no way I could get to her with Jake around. I’d have to pay her a visit later. I walked around to the patio to wait for Jake.
The air was hot and sun blazing down on me, so I decided to walk down to the water and wait for Jake. When I reached the beach, I slipped off my sandals and let my feet sink into the sand. It squished between my toes and was relatively cool considering how hot it was in the middle of the day. It felt good under my feet.
A few people walked up and down the shore line, but it was mostly empty in front of the condo and very peaceful. I tuned out my surroundings, allowing in only the sound of the waves lapping against the shore. Of course in the distance I heard the traffic, but out there by the water, it seemed like a different world.
Without thinking, I took off down the beach, splashing my feet in the water as I went along. I didn’t intend on walking too far, just enough to relax and cool off so that maybe I could clear my thoughts. It was no wonder I hadn’t been sleeping well with all the thoughts taking up space in my mind. I needed to relax and stop thinking about the case for a few minutes, but that was easier said than done.
As I moved down the beach, a strange sensation overcame me, and it wasn’t fear of a jellyfish or Jaws. No, this was something else bigger than that. It felt as if someone was walking behind me. I glanced over my shoulder every few minutes, but didn’t notice anything. It was my mind playing tricks on me.
When I glanced back again, he was standing right behind me. I jumped and clutched my chest.
“Okay
, that is creepy as hell. I’m beginning to think you’re a stalker. What is wrong with you?” I clutched my chest.
Jake Jackson was behind me with that sexy grin on his face again. I was pretty sure he was enjoying being a pain in my ass.
“Can’t a guy walk on the beach?” he asked.
“Yes, a guy can, but do you have to sneak up on me like that?”
“It’s how I move,” he said with a small curve of his lips.
I wasn’t even going to touch that comment.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“It looks like we’re going for a walk on the beach.” The cadence of his voice sent an odd jolt to the pit of my stomach.
I turned around and continued my walk. Of course Jake hurried his pace and caught up to me. He matched my stride and walked along beside me. Jake’s skin was bronzed from the sun as if he’d spent many hours on the beach, maybe catching a few waves on his surfboard.
“It’s a beautiful day,” he said looking up at the cloudless sky. “I thought it might rain earlier, but I’m glad the clouds gave way.”
So he was here to discuss the weather with me? I glanced over at him and I knew he must have read my mind. “You don’t want to talk about the weather?”
Jake’s spicy scent drifted across the breeze. “What do you want to talk about?”
“How about what that woman said back there?” I asked.
“You really don’t want me around do you?” he said with a toying smile.
“I don’t think I have a choice.” I splashed the water with my foot.
He ran his hand through his thick hair. “Sure, if you want me to get lost, just say the word.”
As much as my head screamed for me to tell him to get lost, I remained silent. Nothing came out and with that his smile widened, which in turn made my stomach dance.
“We’re looking into what the woman said. I promise.” He crossed his chest with his index finger.
That was a start, but it wasn’t good enough for me. I’d have to find out what she meant on my own.
Chapter Thirty
After leaving the beach, I’d picked up Dorothy. I hadn’t counted on spotting my muscle man stalker sitting outside my office building. The guy had been stupid enough to fall asleep behind the wheel. I supposed he’d been waiting for me. After we’d been sitting in my car for just a few minutes, the genius woke up and decided to leave. That was when we merged into traffic and followed his car through the streets of Miami, weaving in and out of traffic.
“Wherever he goes, we’re going to follow him,” I said.
Dorothy waved her hands through the air. “I agree with you. For once and for all we need to get to the bottom of this and find out what he wants. I’ll take him down with my pocketbook. I’m not going to put up with this guy trying to intimidate us.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to attack him with your purse.” I turned onto the next right, following his car as closely as possible without being noticed.
I had to do a lot of crazy driving, but I’d managed to keep up with the car as he turned into a parking lot. Neon lights from various nightclubs flashed up ahead and I had a suspicion that he was going to one of those clubs. No matter, I would follow him wherever he went. I’d go into the men’s restroom after him if that was what it took.
After following the car into the parking lot, we watched as Chuck Moore pulled up in front of the club. There was something unusual about this club though. There were only men walking inside. Where were all the women? Then when I looked over at the side of the building and saw a photo of women wearing bikinis, I knew that all the women were already inside the place, dancing for the men’s entertainment. The words Sin Den flashed in neon letters above the door.
Dorothy was watching all the action, but based on her silence, I figured she hadn’t realized what kind of club this was yet. It would only be a matter of time. I would just have her wait in the car because I knew I had to go in after this guy.
So what if it wasn’t the kind of place I would ever frequent of my own volition. I could handle this right? What was the big deal? Women would be dancing, I had seen women before. Heck, I was one. I’d just make sure not to touch anything that the men had touched, because, well, I had no idea where their hands had been. Good thing I kept hand sanitizer in my purse. Did the guys touch themselves while in the club? That was against the rules or something, right? The bouncers would kick them out for that kind of stuff, right? Heck, I had no idea what went on and it really didn’t matter right now. All I needed to know was why this creep was following me and who had sent him. I circled the parking lot until I finally found a spot. The place was packed. At least maybe I’d go unnoticed.
This was the job. I had to suck it up.
“What a minute. I know what kind of place this is,” Dorothy said in a loud voice. “It’s a burlesque show.”
I snorted. “Yeah, I guess you could call it that.”
I shoved the car into park and turned off the ignition. At least Jake wouldn’t know what I was doing. I glanced in the rearview mirror. Or would he? I didn’t think he had followed me, but he had a special knack of sneaking up on me. He was good like that. If he saw me at the Sin Den, I’d never live it down.
“We can’t go into that club,” Dorothy said.
“We don’t have any other options.” I avoided her glare, but I felt her eyes fixed on me.
“Oh, we have lots of options.” Irritation filled her voice.
I sighed. “You know what I mean. Why don’t you stay in the car and I’ll slip in real quick?”
“No way, I’m going into the club with you. I can’t let you go I there with all those men on your own.”
I had a vision of Dorothy swinging her pocketbook around if anyone said anything out of order. The guy slipped into the club, so I knew I didn’t have time to argue with her about going with me into the club.
“Okay, let’s get this over with.” I motioned for her to follow.
Dorothy and I hurried across the parking lot. I had on my shorts and sandals and she had on her linen pants and orthopedic shoes. We were so out of place it wasn’t even funny. The bouncer’s eye grew wide when we walked in the door. I was sure he’d never seen two women like us come into the club before.
“Is this your grandmother?” he asked, looking at us with a smirk.
“As a matter of fact, I am.” Dorothy smirked back.
He shrugged. “Whatever floats your boat.”
He waved us through.
“Aren’t you going to check my ID?” I asked.
He looked me up and down. “No, I think you’re fine.”
We stepped into the dark club. I’d never been in one before, only seen strip clubs on television. Women danced around poles and men surrounded the stage as music pumped. Yeah, it looked the same as on TV. It was so crowded. How would I ever find this man? I’d have to ask around, but who would I ask? Everyone looked a little busy.
We stepped over to the bar and attempted to hide in the corner.
“Can I get you something?” a voice asked from over my shoulder.
I turned around to find a woman in a blue bikini staring at me. My eyes widened.
“Would you like something to drink?” she pressed.
I shook my head. “No, we’re good.” I waved her away.
“You should have asked her where the creep was,” Dorothy said.
Yeah, she did have a point; I should have asked.
Dorothy’s eyes were popping out of her head. “Those girls don’t have any clothes on.”
“Well, yeah, Dorothy, that’s why they call it a strip club. They strip off all their clothing.” I looked up, trying to make eye contact only, avoiding looking at anyone from the neck down. “Let’s just find this guy and get out of here.”
“Hey, honey, are you dancing?” a middle-aged guy asked.
Dorothy scowled and waved her pocketbook at him. The guy looked stunned that she’d tried to attack him with her giga
ntic bag. He moved back a couple steps to miss her swinging purse.
“What would your mama think about you talking to a lady like that?” Dorothy demanded.
He frowned and pointed at me. “Hey, she’s in the club, ain’t she?”
“That doesn’t make any difference and you need to watch your behavior.” She warned with a wave of her index finger. “What’s your mama’s name? I might just call her.”
I grabbed Dorothy’s arm and steered her away from the guy. “Don’t pay any attention to that guy, Dorothy. He’s probably drunk.”
“Well, he needs to learn his manners.” She adjusted her clothing and patted down her frazzled hair.
I couldn’t argue with that assessment. Dorothy and I hurried away from the man and back over to the corner of the room. We might be safe there, hidden away from the movement of the crowd. The thumping of the music and ruckus of the crowd was giving me a headache. Besides, it was beginning to look hopeless, and I wanted to get out of there. I’d give it just a couple more minutes and then we were leaving.
The waitress frowned at us. I knew what she was thinking. Heck, I was asking myself the same question now that we were actually in the club.
“You two don’t look like you belong in here. Are you lost?” she furrowed her brow as she studied my face.
I smiled. “No, I’m not lost, but I’m actually looking for someone.”
She adjusted her tray and looked at me. “Oh yeah? Who are you looking for?”
“Well, he’s a guy with big muscles and dark hair.” I showed out his size with my hands.
She chuckled. “Well, that doesn’t narrow it down much. There are a lot of guys who fit that description.”
“He has a tattoo on his arm,” I said hopefully. “It’s a tiger with flames.”
Her eyes widened. “I know that guy. He comes in here all the time. And yeah, he was just here tonight. He was sitting over there in the corner.” She pointed.
My eyes widened and I looked in the direction of her pointing finger. “Is he still over there?”
She shook her head. “No, I just saw him head out.”
