Valentine's Day is Murder

by Arnold, Carolyn

  Again, Sara didn’t want to give any prolonged thought to Jimmy’s disappearance being tied to retaliation.

  “Speaking of revenge. With Jimmy having been a cop, isn’t it possible someone is after him to get even for putting them away?”

  Sean rubbed his jaw. His gaze was on the sea, but with the glassy look to his eyes, Sara didn’t think he was really focused on anything.

  “Before we get too carried away, let’s start with speaking to Clara.”

  “You mean for me to start with Clara.”

  “We’re a little far away at the moment, Adam.”

  “Sorry, Mr. McKin—Sean, I didn’t mean it with any disrespect.”

  “You’ll do fine,” Sara encouraged him. “And while you’re visiting her, Sean and I have a dinner date.” She smiled at Sean, who returned the expression.

  “Great, you get a nice dinner out and I get an angry ex.”

  “She should be civil. It was her idea to end things with Jimmy,” Sean said.

  “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”

  Sean clicked off with Adam and faced Sara. “Meredith’s ex has a record. We could have eliminated her involvement too soon.”

  “But it’s minor.”

  “It is, but still. Why did they break up? We should have asked her that when we spoke with her.”

  “And have her think we’re suspicious of her? If she’s guilty or involved somehow, I’m not tipping my hat to her—”

  “Hand. It’s tipping your hand.”

  “I can’t remember everything.”

  “Yet, you’re always telling me you do.”

  She batted his arm. “Cut it out. Like I’ve said before, I remember the important things. Anyway, I have a feeling the relationship ending had nothing to do with her. I think he cheated on her.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Remember when we first saw Meredith?”

  “Yes. It was in the mall on Black Friday.”

  “Right.” She didn’t let her thoughts dwell on why they’d been there. “Well, when Jimmy got up to talk to her, I noticed a ring on an important finger.”

  “And you’ve never said anything until now.”

  Sara tucked her chin in toward her shoulder. “I didn’t want to. I mean, I trusted Jimmy. If she was married, he wouldn’t get involved with her.”

  “He could have gotten himself involved with her only to wind up hurt.”

  “Jimmy’s too smart for that, Sean. He’s intuitive and observant. When he brought her over for dinner, I didn’t want to pry but assumed that whatever the relationship had been it was over. She wasn’t wearing a ring that day.”

  “So you’re thinking that because she was wearing a ring, and then wasn’t, she wasn’t the one to end her previous relationship? What’s to say Jimmy didn’t split them up?”

  “You do remember Jimmy, right?” Sara laughed. “Besides you’re forgetting Meredith’s ex had moved on and has been living with someone else for a year.”

  “True.”

  “I think the heat’s gone to your head, darling.” She got up and kissed his forehead, but when she went to walk away, he tugged her back to him and pulled her onto his lap. “We should be getting ready for dinner.” Giggles broke up her words.

  “We should.” His eyes traced from hers, down to her lips.

  “Now, don’t you even start.”

  “Just one little kiss.” He leaned in and she put a finger to his lips. He moaned.

  “You get a kiss if I get a drink with dinner.”

  “I don’t know. We’re on a case.”

  “We can split one. That piña colada looked so good.”

  “How about we’ll see where the evening takes us.”

  “In that case I better have a shower.” She sauntered away. “Are you coming?”

  -

  Chapter 8

  GIVING NOTICE

  HE DIDN’T WANT TO GET involved in the face-to-face meetings required of a private investigator. Two factors pushed him past his discomfort, though. One, he wanted to please Sean and Sara. They believed in him and his abilities, and he would rather die than let them down. Second, Jimmy was missing, and the longer he was gone, the less likely he’d return in one piece.

  In the last few months, Adam had come to know what the McKinleys saw in Jimmy. He was a loyal, good man. Whatever he had gotten pulled into on the island, he didn’t deserve. Of that, Adam was certain.

  Still, with those considerations he was more comfortable behind a computer than out and about. It wasn’t that he was completely antisocial. He had worked for years as an aid for the CEO of Universal Acquisitions Corporation—which ended up being only one of many businesses owned by the McKinleys. It’s just that he had no formal training on how to question people, and it had been his main argument when Sean and Sara had asked him to join their PI firm. It was ironic that for wanting some excitement in life, he was his own saboteur in attaining it. Instead of building his case on the points that made him an asset for the McKinleys, all that had spewed out of him had been a list of weaknesses that didn’t ideally suit the position.

  At least he was off to see Jimmy’s ex and not Meredith’s. The man’s DMV photo—which he had obtained by hacking into the system—was enough to scare him. It wasn’t just the man’s rough appearance emphasized by the lack of a smile, a requirement for a license photograph, but it was his particulars. He was two hundred and fifty pounds and six foot three.

  Adam had pulled Clara Voigt’s background before heading over to her house. Her petite structure was more appealing that pursuing the Bulldozer.

  He rang the doorbell and hummed a tune as he waited. He didn’t recognize it, and knowing him, he’d either made it up or picked up on it somewhere in the background.

  He pushed the bell again.

  Half-chime, the door opened.

  A woman, who looked identical to her DMV photo, answered the door. She was all of five foot five, with short, curly brown hair. Her eyebrows were painted on and her lipstick was a bright red.

  “Clara Voigt?”

  “This is. I was just getting ready to head out.” She shimmied between the open door and the entry wall and came up with a bunch of cloth shopping bags and a purse.

  “I’m Adam Laverty.”

  “Nice to meet you, but I’m not buying anything today.”

  Adam didn’t point out the conflicting evidence she held in her hands.

  She brushed him back, and down a few steps, as she turned to lock the door.

  “I’m here about Jimmy.”

  The key was pulled from the hole and she spun to face him. “Is something wrong with Jimmy?” Her balance teetered for an instant, but Adam held her up. She swept him off her. “I’m fine.” Her eyes searched his, looking for answers.

  With her gaze, he felt his incompetence rise to the surface. He wasn’t qualified for this. He could hack into almost any system, but talking to a woman about her ex-husband was too much.

  “Who are you?” She lowered the arm holding the bags, the bottom of them scraped against the ground.

  “I’m Adam.”

  “You said that. I mean who are you with? You’re not a cop.”

  “I am a friend of Jimmy’s and the McKinleys’.”

  “Ah.”

  “Can we go inside for a minute and sit down?” Adam recalled seeing that on numerous television shows. The first step was to make sure people were comfortable before hitting them with bad news.

  Clara settled her gaze on him. Seconds later, she unlocked the front door and held it open for him to enter. “The living room is on the right.”

  “Thank you.” Adam assessed her modest house. The front door opened to a closet on the left. Straight ahead, a short hallway led to the kitchen—he could see the counters. To the right,
was the living area as Clara had directed. It was decorated sparsely but included modern touches such as a flat thirty-two-inch TV, the type that everyone seemed to have at least one of. He dropped onto a beige microfiber couch.

  Clara let her purse fall to the floor—he heard the jingle of her keys when it came into contact—and she entered the room and sat on a recliner. “Is Jimmy okay?”

  “We don’t know.”

  Clara’s eyes twitched, her brows pressed. “You don’t—”

  “He’s in Jamaica.”

  “Nice for him.”

  “Well, not really, ma’am.” Ma’am? Where had that come from?

  “How is that not nice for him? It’s paradise. None of the white stuff, unless you’re talking sand.”

  “I have a feeling you still care for him.” He really wasn’t any good at this.

  “Of course I do. Not that it’s any of your business, but I loved him when I left him. That wasn’t the issue.” Clara’s eyes trailed over the room but didn’t settle on anything until they returned to Adam. “I can take it, kid. Spill it.”

  “He’s been abducted.”

  “He’s been what?” Clara’s chest heaved and her hand shot to her mouth.

  Adam should have known better. He was a genius. At least that’s what his IQ score revealed, but when it came to reading people, he could be completely obtuse. While he had just sensed her feelings for Jimmy, common knowledge dictated that when someone said they were fine, they weren’t. By extension, her claim that she could handle the truth should have been his first clue that she couldn’t.

  He continued. “He was vacationing there. When his—”

  “You can say it. His girlfriend.”

  Adam nodded, slowly, hoping he didn’t bite too soon. “Anyway, she went to the washroom and when she came back he was gone.”

  “Gone? As in just like,” she snapped her fingers, “gone?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And you have no idea what happened to him?” Revelation dawned in her eyes. “You think I had something to do with this?”

  “Do you?”

  Clara laughed, one that hurled from the bottom of her gut. “As you can see I’m right here. In Albany.”

  “Yes, ma’am, but—”

  “No buts about it. I wouldn’t kidnap him.”

  “He is worth money to the McKinleys.” The words came out wrong, but they still made the point.

  “I’m sure he is. Heck, he is to me and I have none. You’re thinking someone took him for ransom money?”

  “We don’t know for sure, but we’re—”

  “Yes, I know. You’re tracking down leads, eliminating suspects. I lived that life for twenty-five years—twenty-five years of the job coming before me. I was never a mother. I gave that up for his career. Although, if I had children, I would have had company. Can’t go back now, though.”

  “Mrs. Voigt—”

  “Please, just Clara. I just haven’t had a chance to change my name.”

  He was going to ask a question that, when voiced, would make him sound like a real investigator. There would be no escaping its connotation—he was crossing over from technical genius to field agent. Excitement whirled through him at that thought, and with it, he realized how complicated and conflicted he was.

  “Have you ever told anyone about Jimmy and his relationship to the McKinleys?”

  Clara’s face went blank and then drenched in panic. “I might have mentioned it a few hundred times.”

  “A few hund—”

  “You know what it’s like. They are famous around here.” She clenched her teeth in an odd wince. “I might have said that my ex is a good friend of theirs.”

  “It’s important you tell me who you said this to.”

  “Do you think they’re involved somehow?”

  Adam didn’t have to answer.

  She continued. “You do. I sure hope this has nothing to do with me and the running off of my mouth.”

  “Who was the last person you mentioned this to?” Adam had a hunch—not in specifics but in general terms, as to who it would be. He wondered if he had picked up that ability through osmosis from Sean and Sara.

  “I had a boyfriend.” Her face paled. “Uh-oh.”

  “Clara?”

  “We broke up not long after.”

  “Not long after…what?”

  “After I told him about Jimmy. I just thought I had rambled on and made the guy feel inadequate.”

  “I’m going to need his name.”

  JIMMY WILLED HIS eyes to open. His lashes fluttered against his skin as he fought for dominance against his own flesh. Light filtered in and, with it, his other senses became aware.

  The stench of dead fish and brine assaulted his sinuses. The area he was in was damp and humid. But it was fairly quiet. He was no longer in a built-up area like Ocho Rios.

  He struggled to roll to his side, his back felt broken. Through blurred vision, he realized why. He had been lying on a thin mattress with bulging springs that was set up on the floor. The pillow was thin enough to be a sheet folded twice.

  His head pounded as he ordered his extremities to move. Where was he? How did he end up here?

  His hand went to the back of his neck. He’d felt a pinch and then all went—

  Meredith?

  Had they taken her as well? Who were they?

  Jimmy sought out the source of the illumination and discovered a small, barred window. Based on the burnt orange coloring to the sky, it was getting close to sunset.

  At the restaurant with Meredith, it had been night. It had been nearly twenty-four hours—or more—since he had been put in here.

  His fingers sought out the injection site and it was hot to the touch and slightly welted. He’d been drugged, but why?

  A barrage of images, layered one upon the other, of criminals he’d had a hand in putting away. Had they bided their time to come after him now?

  His head started to spin and flecks of light danced across his vision. Then he surrendered.

  -

  Chapter 9

  FINE DINING WITH A SIDE OF DECEIT

  THE RESTAURANT WAS all candlelight and waterfalls. The servers were dressed in tuxedos, including the women wait staff. They were led to a table next to the manmade water feature, where lights showcased the aqua blue of the pool tiles, making them stand in stark contrast to the darkness of night.

  The surrounding foliage was alive with creature sounds that worked in harmony, creating a natural orchestra, rivaling the talents of musical savants. They were loud, yet beautiful, each variety taking their turn—one sounded like a bird.

  As Sara took her seat, she asked the hostess. “That call…there, that one. What makes that noise?”

  The woman smiled. “That is a tree frog.”

  “Wow, I never would have guessed that.” Sara grinned at Sean.

  “Gorgeous,” he added.

  “Your server, Paul, will be with you shortly.”

  “Thank you.”

  The hostess dipped her head to Sean in acknowledgment and returned to her post by the entrance.

  “We have to ask them about Jimmy, Sean.”

  “I know. First we’ll eat. They’ll be more likely to talk to us if we spend some money. And, who knows what’s going to happen next. We might need our strength.”

  “Yeah.” Sara let her gaze linger over the other patrons and the layout of the restaurant. It had a magical feel which spoke to a designer. Everything was meticulously arranged.

  She managed to make it through dinner but entertained many thoughts of Jimmy. He was being held against his will and he was in danger. Her gut told her this beyond doubt.

  She pulled out her phone and dialed the resort to speak with Meredith. When she got on the line, Sara asked if she’d hear
d anything. She’d anticipated what the answer was going to be, but it didn’t mean she had to like it any. “All right, please call us…yes, I know. We are doing everything we can. We’ll talk in the morning.” Her eyes dipped to the candle on their table. The time had come for the questioning round of the evening. She ended the call with Meredith and shook her head at Sean. “If they’re after our money, it’s not evident yet. And if they’re not after money, then—”

  Sean reached for her hand. “We’ll get Jimmy long before anything really bad happens to him.”

  “Darling, I sure hope that’s a promise we can keep.”

  Their server came over. “Have you decided on a dessert?”

  “We’re going to pass, but we have a question to ask you,” Sean said.

  “Sure.”

  “Were you working here last night?”

  “Yes.” Paul rested one hand over the other, which held an order pad.

  Sara extended her phone and a picture of Jimmy. “Do you remember him?”

  “I do. He was seated right where you are now, actually.” He indicated Sean. “I remember him because he left his date with the bill.”

  “We have reason to believe he didn’t leave intentionally,” Sean said.

  “He was here one minute, gone the next. His girlfriend was distraught. We searched the area, but there was no sign of him.”

  To get to the restaurant, Sean and Sara had had to walk up a steep hill in inky darkness. It had been impossible to see the person in front, let alone make out anything to the side, in the bushes.

  “How long did you look?” Sara asked.

  “We searched for,” his brow screwed upward, “well over an hour, at least.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem. Are you sure you don’t want to rethink dessert?”

  “Please, give us a few minutes.”

  Paul pinched a beaded necklace he wore before leaving them.

  “He’s lying, Sean. He either saw something or he knows something.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “You know how pitch black it was coming up here? They looked for an hour? How can you find anyone when you can’t see?”