Jeff turned around and went back into the apartment he had just rented, and closed the door behind him. Pulling his cell phone from his back pocket, he called his employer.
“She left her bag with the computer at Angie’s apartment.” Jeff explained when he had Ethan on the phone. He assumed the laptop belonged to Lexi.
“Where did she go?” Ethan asked.
“I overheard them say something about the mall.”
“Did they both go?”
“Yes, they left in Angie’s car.”
“Good job, J.B. Call me the minute they get back.”
“Yes, sir, I will.”
Jeff took a few minutes to look around the rented apartment. It was one bedroom, sparsely furnished, with a tattered Naugahyde sofa and recliner and a particle board coffee table and end table in the living room. Smaller than Angie’s unit, there wasn’t room for a dining room table. A breakfast bar, separating the tiny kitchen from the living room provided dining space.
It seemed clean enough, but the furniture was worn and outdated. There was something a little depressing about the unit. He assumed he would be expected to sleep here, and wondered for how long. Walking into the small bedroom, he pulled back the bedspread and discovered there weren’t any sheets on the mattress.
He’d left his purchase from the electronic store in the trunk of his car. Before the girls returned he decided he’d better make a quick trip to his own apartment and pack an overnight bag. Maybe he’d also stop at the store and pick up some beer and a few groceries.
Giving the depressing little abode a final glance, he turned off the overhead light and exited the front door, locking it behind him.
On the way to his apartment, he asked himself if perhaps this was a good time to start looking for a new job. It was always better to find a new position before getting fired. He didn’t have a terrific feeling about this assignment or how it would all end. He cursed himself for getting sucked in, yet he wasn’t sure how he might have avoided it.
Back at his own apartment, he stayed longer than he had intended. He took a shower, happy to wash away the hours of travel. Instead of shaving off his stubble, he decided this was a good time to grow a beard. He’d return to his clean-shaven former self when this assignment ended.
He grabbed something to eat before packing his overnight bag. Jeff didn’t see a reason to rush back to the Hillcrest complex, considering the girls had gone to the mall. Women, he knew, could spend hours shopping. Several hours later, he reluctantly picked up his suitcase and left his apartment to fulfill his assignment.
Chapter Four
On the drive back to the Hillcrest Apartments, Jeff spied the red Volkswagen. He wasn’t positive it was Angie’s. The VW was parked in front of a Salvation Army thrift store, several miles from the mall.
Jeff drove into the parking lot and pulled into a space several cars away from the VW and turned off his ignition. He was about to get out of his vehicle and have a closer look at the license plate on the red car when the front door to the Salvation Army store opened, and out walked Angie and Lexi, carrying several plastic bags filled with clothes.
He knew they were clothes because Lexi tripped when stepping off the sidewalk, dropping the bag to the pavement. In her haste to come to her friend’s aid, Angie dropped the bags she carried. Second hand clothing littered the pavement. The two girls quickly scooped up the merchandise and shoved it back in the plastic bags.
Before they reached their car, he turned on his ignition and drove out of the parking lot, heading back to the apartment complex before the two young women.
After parking at the Hillcrest Apartments, Jeff opened his trunk to retrieve his overnight bag and groceries. With the overnight bag hanging from a strap over his right shoulder and his arms filled with two grocery sacks, Jeff looked at the remaining bag in his trunk. In held the surveillance equipment he’d purchased earlier that day.
“Shit,” Jeff said aloud. “Sorry Beaumont, I’ll keep an eye on her for you, but I’ll be damned if I’ll invade her privacy like that.” Shifting the sacks in his arm, he awkwardly shut the trunk and walked to the rented unit.
In the apartment, Jeff left the front window open but the blinds closed. It was thirty minutes later before the girls returned to the apartment. When he heard them walking by the window he peeked out through the blinds and noticed that Angie was carrying a pizza box. After they went into Angie’s unit, he called Beaumont to tell him it looked as if the girls would be at the apartment for a while.
Jeff grabbed a can a beer from a six-pack he’d put in the refrigerator earlier and sat on the couch, trying to figure out what he was going to do about finding a new job.
* * *
“Okay, you were right Lexi. You can get some cute stuff at the Salvation Army.” Angie said after coming into the apartment. She placed the pizza box on the kitchen counter, then grabbed a roll of paper towels and set it next to the food before washing her hands in the kitchen sink.
Lexi dumped the sacks she’d been carrying on the couch and started pulling items from the bags, inspecting each article of clothing. “I know, really. Look at all the clothes I got, for less than fifty bucks. Quite a score. But I need to wash this stuff before I wear it.”
“Yeah, I noticed, it smells kinda funny. I’ll take you down to the laundry room when we’re done eating.”
After looking at her purchases for a moment, Lexi scooped up the clothes and shoved them back in the bags. Leaving them on the couch, she walked to the kitchen sink and washed her hands for dinner.
“Looks like someone moved into the vacant apartment across the way. I noticed the window was open and the blinds shut,” Angie commented as she opened the pizza box and picked up a slice of the pie, using a piece of paper towel as a plate.
“I noticed that, too. I was going to mention it, but I had a feeling someone was watching us when we walked by the window.”
“That’s a little creepy.”
“I wonder who our new neighbors are.”
“I never heard anyone move in. It’s a furnished unit, like this one, but you’d think we would’ve heard them bring in boxes or something.”
“I guess they moved in when we were shopping.”
“Speaking of shopping… you still don’t have anything nice to wear on a job interview.”
“I just didn’t like anything they had at the mall. But at least I got my underwear!”
Both girls laughed.
Thirty minutes later, after they’d finished eating, a knock came at the door. Angie tossed some trash in the can under the kitchen sink and peeked out the window before answering it.
“It’s the cops,” Angie said.
“Really? I wonder what they want.”
“I don’t know.” Angie shrugged and then went to open the door. She came face to face with two uniformed officers.
“We’re looking for Lexi Beaumont and understand she is here,” one officer said.
“I’m Lexi. What’s this about?” Lexi stepped up to the door while Angie moved to the side.
“An Ethan Beaumont has filed a complaint against you,” the second officer explained.
“My grandfather? What are you talking about?”
“It involves the theft of a laptop computer, camera, and cell phone.”
Lexi started to laugh. She couldn’t help it. While she had expected her grandfather to do something, she’d never expected this.
“So, are you telling me you’re going to throw me in jail over birthday gifts my grandfather gave me—which, apparently, he is now ungiving me? Really? You’re wasting tax payer’s dollars over this?”
“We don’t know anything about birthday gifts,” the first officer said tersely. “But we have to follow up on this complaint, and if the serial numbers match the receipts Mr. Beaumont has given us, to show proof of ownership, then you have a problem. The courts can sort out any claims you have on the property.”
“Really? He wants to have me thrown in ja
il on this trumped-up charge?” Lexi found herself getting angry.
“Of course,” the second officer chimed in, “if you say this is just a misunderstanding, and give Mr. Beaumont his property back, he has agreed to drop all charges.”
“Fine!” Lexi shouted. She turned around, marched to the kitchen table, and opened her leather bag and pulled out the camera and cell phone. Roughly snatching the laptop computer from the table, she took all three items to the officers, who continued to stand in the doorway.
“I expect some sort of receipt. I don’t trust that old man, and I want some proof you took his property.” After the police officers left, Lexi slammed the apartment door and shouted, “He sent the cops after me? What is wrong with that man?”
“He’s a prick. We always knew that. Just didn’t know the extent of his prickiness.”
“Ah, hell,” Lexi chuckled, letting the anger subside. “The computer was four years old anyway; that is a fricking dinosaur.”
“True, you needed a new one,” Angie agreed. She grabbed a bottle of wine from the refrigerator. It had already been opened, so she easily pulled off its stopper and poured them each a glass of Chablis.
“But it does make me sick to lose my Adobe software.”
“Yeah, that does suck.” Angie handed Lexi a glass of wine. The two friends went to the couch and sat down, propping their bare feet on the coffee table.
“I will also miss my camera. That was a nice camera.” Lexi took a sip of wine.
“You can use one of mine until you can get a new one.”
“Thanks, Angie, but you need those for your business.”
“I wouldn’t make that offer to just anyone. I know how you treat cameras. The offer stays open.”
“Thanks. You’re a good friend.” Lexi took another sip of wine. “I won’t miss the cell phone.”
“No kidding, since your grandfather was the only one you ever called on that!” Angie laughed.
“As much as I hate losing my software, it is liberating knowing he’s out of my life.”
“Now what?”
“Well, I guess I need to get a new computer. Maybe I can’t afford another Mac right now, but I need to get something.”
“Lexi, how much do you have in your savings?”
“A little under $15,000. I’ve been putting my microstock money directly in my savings each month, and the same for any side jobs I did. But until I can replace my computer and my software, I won’t be able to do any freelance work.”
“You have enough money to replace your equipment.”
“I know, but I’m a little nervous about dipping into my nest egg until I have a regular job lined up. Now that I think about it, I no longer have medical insurance. Grandfather always paid for it. I suppose I could marry Jerome Peters. I bet he’ll pay for my insurance.”
“Oh, gross!” Both girls laughed.
* * *
Jeff grabbed another beer from the refrigerator, returned to the couch, and sat down. He had managed to hear the entire conversation between the police officers and Lexi Beaumont through the open window. He wondered how far Ethan Beaumont planned to take this thing. It was obvious Lexi wouldn’t be rushing back to her grandfather in the near future, if ever.
So far, the Lexi Beaumont he was seeing didn’t match the picture her grandfather portrayed. When leaving the Beaumont house earlier that day, he’d run into the housekeeper. She had seemed a little upset and confided in Jeff that their boss instructed her to box up all Lexi’s belongings and throw them out if she didn’t return within a specific timeframe. Apparently, Lexi Beaumont left her grandfather’s house with only her handbag.
If what the housekeeper told him was true, that would explain the shopping trip to the Salvation Army. Jeff asked himself, Would a spoiled fashion diva replenish her wardrobe at a thrift store? The way Beaumont described his granddaughter, she was not a discount shopper.
Jeff began wondering how truthful Beaumont had been regarding the situation with Lexi. Had she once agreed to marry Jerome Peters or was that Beaumont’s fantasy? Was the old man seriously worried about someone taking advantage of Lexi or was he trying to manipulate the girl? Considering how she talked to the police officers, she certainly didn’t seem like someone who was easily intimidated or manipulated.
For a brief moment, Jeff considered calling Beaumont and telling the man to shove the spy assignment. When he realized that would only mean the loss of his job, and someone else would be hired to watch Lexi—someone who would be willing to actually install the invasive spy equipment—he reconsidered.
While pondering his options, his cell phone began to ring. Setting the beer on the coffee table, he picked up the phone and looked to see who was calling. It was Beaumont.
“Hello,” Jeff answered.
“I understand the police were there. Were you able to hear what went on?”
“Yes. They told her if she handed over the items, she wouldn’t be arrested.”
“Was she upset?”
“Upset?”
“Did she cry, throw some sort of fit?”
“No, she didn’t cry. She seemed annoyed. She asked for a receipt for the items, but other than that, she didn’t seem particularly upset.”
“Let’s see how she feels in a couple of days. Keep an eye on her. I expect a daily report. If she does anything noteworthy, I want to know immediately.”
“What about my other job?”
“Other job? This is your job for now. When I hired you, I explained you needed to be flexible, and do what needed to be done. Is there a problem?”
“No, sir. No problem.”
Chapter Five
If it hadn’t been for his iPad, which he’d wisely put in his overnight bag when preparing for this misadventure, he would have gone insane being cooped up in the dismal little apartment for over a week. Since he didn’t have a television at the Hillcrest unit, he watched the videos he’d downloaded for his flight to Europe, which he hadn’t ever gotten around to viewing on the trip. The tablet was a 3G version, enabling him to surf the Internet and look for employment opportunities.
Fortunately, he’d been able to supply Beaumont with significant tidbits each day, and thus far, had avoided another conversation regarding installing the surveillance equipment he’d purchased. Beaumont brought it up once, but Jeff managed to come up with a plausible excuse as to why it hadn’t yet been done.
The unseasonably warm January weather proved advantageous. When home, the girls kept their front window wide open to let in the fresh air. He doubted they knew how easily sound carried in the corridor of their complex. It seemed most of the residents were gone during the day, which meant the other apartments stayed closed up most of the time.
He learned Angie was a freelance photographer, and occasionally she would take Lexi along on a photo shoot to help out. Lexi replaced her computer the day after the visit from the police officers, a tidbit he failed to share with Beaumont. By the conversation he overheard, it wasn’t a Mac, nor did it have the software necessary for her to take on freelance jobs. He heard her discussing the possibility of downloading a trial version—which she could use free for thirty days—along with the fact that she had the money to purchase software. Apparently, Lexi Beaumont had a secret cash stash her grandfather wasn’t aware of. That was another tidbit he withheld from his employer.
Jeff still hadn’t shaved, and by the end of the week, he doubted his own mother would recognize him. He had been a little concerned about coming face to face with Lexi, in case she eventually went back to her grandfather. As the days progressed, that didn’t matter as much to him, since he was looking for another job. Yet, if he stayed with her grandfather, he doubted she’d recognize his clean-cut version as the scruffy neighbor from the Hillcrest Apartments.
From the conversations he was overhearing, he knew Lexi was also actively looking for employment. By her tone, she was becoming discouraged. Apparently, some companies who’d indicated an interest in her prior
to graduation now would not give her an interview. He knew Beaumont dealt with several of the larger marketing firms in the area, and wondered if the old man was sabotaging his granddaughter’s efforts.
On Sunday, nine days after Lexi’s exile, Jeff pulled into the parking lot of the Hillcrest Apartment complex, returning from the grocery store. Dressed casually, wearing denims, sweatshirt, baseball cap and dark sunglasses, he was just getting out of his car when Angie’s VW pulled up next to him and parked. When he glanced down at the other end of the lot, where she normally parked, he noticed most of the spaces were already taken.
He silently lifted his sacks out of the trunk and listened to Lexi and Angie as they got out of their vehicle.
“Hello,” Lexi greeted him as she shut the car door. Jeff gave a nod of greeting, then turned and quietly made his way to his apartment.
“I think that’s our new neighbor,” Angie whispered. Lexi watched Jeff for a moment then lost interest, resuming the conversation they had started in the car.
“I’ll never understand my grandfather and why he does the things he does,” Lexi was saying as she and Angie walked on the sidewalk toward their unit. Jeff was walking in the same direction, about five feet in front of them, and listened carefully to their every word.
“I think it’s pretty crappy he doesn’t want you to find a job.”
“Well, he can’t control me if I’m financially independent. I always got the idea he never got over the fact my father went off on his own and married someone that didn’t fit into Grandfather’s plans.”
“Like you marrying his creepy business partner?”
“Exactly. You know, Angie, after this business with my Grandfather and not having any luck getting a job interview, I just wish I could leave town. Move somewhere else. Start someplace fresh without dealing with all this bullshit.”
Sugar Rush Page 3
