Act Fast

by R A Wallace

  Sierra and Michael looked up with interest when she entered. Callie gave them each a cup of the iced coffee and placed a bag containing a half dozen jumbo-sized chocolate chip cookies on Michael’s desk. He pulled one out and tossed it over to Sierra. She caught it with two hands.

  “Why are you bribing us?” Sierra asked before taking a bite.

  Callie explained what she needed to know. It took Sierra less than a minute to find the information Callie needed. She didn’t ask how Sierra had found it. Callie turned to wave goodbye to Michael as she left. The music was leaking through his earbuds and his focus was on his computer. The bag of cookies was crumpled into a tight ball. In the few moments it had taken Sierra to find the address Callie needed, Michael had inhaled the other five jumbo-sized cookies.

  A short time later, Callie pulled up in front of a one and a half level wooden house that sat on a corner. There was a high wooden fence around the back yard that made it impossible to see inside. She could see the tops of trees above the sides of the fence. Many of the fronds were dead and made rustling noises when they moved in the breeze. The porch leading to the front door looked like it had needed repaired over a decade ago, but the owner had yet to get to it. The dilapidated railing around the porch was missing whole sections. Some of the sections had fallen into the overgrown greenery that acted as an enclosure to the porch, effectively screening it from the street. The metal roof of the house was devoid of paint and heavily rusted.

  She approached the front door cautiously. She could hear loud voices inside but couldn’t make them out. She knocked loudly. The voices quit abruptly as though the volume on the television had just been muted. A curtain covering the window on the front door swished to one side quickly, then fell back into place. There was a moment of silence before the door opened. Rob Shaw stood in a tee shirt and shorts, a frown on his face.

  Callie spoke quickly. “Do you have a moment? I’ve been talking to everyone involved in the play about the missing ticket money.”

  Rob threw a look over his shoulder, then stepped out onto the porch. He pulled the door closed behind him.

  “Yeah, I heard you were looking into the theft. Too bad about that.” Rob leaned against the house.

  Callie took in his casual pose. “Do you remember what you were doing during the matinee when you weren’t on stage?”

  Rob looked up at the roof of the porch and rubbed at his chin as he considered it. Callie’s eyes were drawn up following his gaze. Based on the number of rotten boards she saw, she assumed she’d be drenched in a rain storm if she stood where she was now.

  “My role had me going on and off stage pretty frequently.”

  Callie thought that was a nice way of phrasing it. He had a very minor role and was typically only on stage for a few minutes at a time, and rarely at that.

  “I was with the crew backstage quite a bit. I try to help out when I can on productions. I was helping with props, that sort of thing.” Rob’s eyes returned to Callie.

  “Did you see anyone going near the office during the play?”

  Rob rubbed at his chin again. “Not really. I mean, I saw Ian there, but he wasn’t supposed to be on stage with Divine taking the lead part instead, so I guess it wasn’t really odd to see him. I’m sure he wanted to know how well the understudy was doing in his place.”

  Callie hadn’t known that Ian was there the day of the matinee.

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “I saw him clearly.” Rob shrugged. “Like I said, if I had the lead role and someone else took it, I’d want to see how they did too.”

  Callie thought it made sense. “I understand you had a problem with your costume?”

  “What’s that?” Rob said sharply. He pushed away from the house and straightened.

  “I was talking with Camille about the lost art of sewing. She mentioned that she had to repair a tear for you.”

  Rob looked distractedly toward the front door. “Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Listen. I have to go now.”

  Callie watched as he turned and entered the house. She stood for a moment staring at the door in front of her before heading back to her car. She drove directly to Penny’s house where she found Ian. He led her back to the sunroom where they both took the same seats they’d used the previous time she’d been there.

  “I’ve been speaking to everyone about the missing ticket money. Did you hear about that?” Callie watched him closely.

  Ian gave a half shake of his head. “I haven’t been in touch with anyone.”

  “Yet, I understand you were at the theater at the time the money went missing.”

  Color infused his face. “Are you accusing me?”

  “Are you saying you didn’t do it?” Callie retorted.

  “No. I didn’t murder Anilese either.” Ian stood and began pacing. “Everything about my life took a wrong turn when that woman showed up and started stalking me. It was like some sickness. She had a thing for actors and she just happened to latch on to me for some reason.”

  “Why were you at the theater?”

  Ian stopped pacing. “I wanted to see how things were going. That was a good role for me.” His shoulders drooped and suddenly he looked deflated. “Everyone did great without me though. They didn’t miss me at all.”

  Ian sat back in his chair and he lifted his eyes to Callie’s. “Listen. I didn’t steal any money. I’m a law-abiding citizen. I work in a bank. My life is boring.” His face began to color again. “Except maybe not now that I have Penny, that is. That’s what I mean. She’s too important to me to throw away what we have for ticket money.”

  Once again, Callie felt herself believing him.

  “Penny isn’t home?” Callie asked.

  “No, she’s at work. I took another sick day.”

  Callie wasn’t surprised that Penny was at work. It was a weekday. It made her wonder about Rob Shaw, though. Why had he been home? She wondered what his job was but then remembered her mother mentioning insurance.

  “How well do you know Rob Shaw?” Callie asked.

  “Not well. I only know him through the play, really.” Ian’s eyes dropped to the floor quickly.

  “What aren’t you telling me?”

  He raised his hands. “It isn’t anything bad, I just don’t know if I’m allowed to say.”

  Callie raised an eyebrow.

  Ian sighed. “I don’t know, it’s probably okay. Rob used to work at my bank.”

  “You’re sure about that? I thought he worked in the insurance business?”

  Ian made a face indicating he was pretty sure. “I heard him tell someone that too, but I don’t know how true it is. I told him that I worked at the bank and he didn’t say anything. All I know is, I saw his name on some paperwork at the bank once.”

  Callie knew where she might be able to confirm it.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  She walked into First Pomelo Cove Trust and asked to speak with her stepmother. Leslie appeared a moment later and walked Callie back to her office.

  “Is this about Ariana?” Leslie asked.

  Callie immediately felt guilty. She’d been promising Leslie that she would speak with her sister but hadn’t yet made the time to do it.

  “No, I’m sorry. I know I need to do that. I promise you, at the very latest, I’ll speak to her at the birthday party this weekend.” Callie took a seat across from Leslie’s desk. Her stepmother’s forehead was still wrinkled in a frown.

  “Has something else happened?” Callie asked.

  Leslie looked frustrated. “I don’t know. She’s just acting so secretive. She’s gone for hours at a time. She must be up to something. I just have no idea what it could be.”

  “I promise I’ll speak with her.”

  Leslie continued as though Callie hadn’t spoken.

  “She absolutely refuses to consider college now. I’ve asked her several times if she’s applied. She says she doesn’t need to.”

  “I’m sorry.” Callie knew sh
e’d failed as both a daughter and a sister. If the problem had been with Gemma, she’d have been there in a flash. With Ariana, she’d done nothing but make excuses.

  Leslie covered her mouth with her hand for a moment then lifted it in the air in question.

  “So, if you aren’t here about Ariana, why did you stop by?”

  “I need to confirm possible employment of someone in the past.”

  Leslie suddenly looked like the branch manager that she was. Her eyes narrowed at Callie.

  “Why?”

  “It’s a question that I have. I’m following a suspected thief.”

  Leslie straightened in her seat. “The money from Pomelo Cove Trust that was stolen during a transfer recently?”

  Callie tilted her head to one side.

  “I need to do some more digging first. Can you confirm a name for me? Actually, I need two names confirmed.”

  “Okay.” Leslie turned to her computer.

  “I’m pretty sure you have an Ian Rubio, right?” Callie watched Leslie key in the name. She’d asked Leslie before but Leslie hadn’t been at her computer then.

  “Yes. He’s at another branch.”

  “What about Rob Shaw?” Callie wondered if, like Ian, Rob used a stage name. That would make it harder if he did. But Ian hadn’t said anything about that. He’d said he saw Rob Shaw’s name on some paperwork.

  “Yes. Here it is. He isn’t currently employed, but he has been in the past.”

  “But not at this branch?” Callie asked.

  “Correct. What is this about?” Leslie asked.

  Callie stood. “I’ll let you know as soon as I can. And, I promise I’ll talk to Ariana this weekend. I swear it.”

  Callie returned to Rob Shaw’s house. She saw him walking down the front walkway away from his porch as she neared the house. Not wanting to stop him, she pulled over to the side of the street several houses down and waited. There was a white car in his driveway with someone else at the wheel. Rob went to the passenger side and got in.

  Callie waited a few moments and was about to begin following them when a tap on the window startled her. Greyson Divine motioned toward the door lock. Callie unlocked the passenger door and he hopped in.

  “What are you doing here?” Callie demanded. She wouldn’t admit it, but the unexpected tap on her window had made her heart pound.

  “I could ask you the same thing,” Greyson said.

  “I’m a private investigator. I’m supposed to be here,” Callie pointed out.

  Greyson motioned in front of them. “They’re getting away.”

  Callie turned her focus back to the car she needed to follow. She checked her mirrors then pulled back into the lane to follow the white car.

  “You haven’t answered me,” Callie said.

  “Nor have you,” Greyson said amiably.

  Callie sighed. “I started tracking him because of the missing ticket money.”

  Greyson shot her a quick look before focusing on the car in front of them again. It turned another corner. Callie waited a few moments, then turned and followed being careful to remain a safe distance behind them.

  “Do I hear a but in there?”

  Ahead of them, the white car turned another corner. Callie checked her mirrors while she waited to follow. After a few moments, she turned the corner to follow the white car. She was now on a sandy roadbed that rarely saw traffic rather than an asphalt city road. On the left side of them, there was a high fence that blocked their view. The old railroad bed was on the right side of the road which meant any buildings up ahead would be on the left. Callie wasn’t certain exactly where they were. She couldn’t see them because of the winding road they now followed and the high fence to their left.

  “I found out he used to work at the bank branch that was recently robbed.”

  “You think there’s a connection.” Greyson made it sound like a statement instead of a question.

  “It’s a pretty big coincidence, don’t you think?”

  Greyson looked around. “Do you know where we are?”

  “We’re headed toward an old train depot area. It’s not used anymore. Back in the day, we got a lot of train traffic through here for the phosphate mining.”

  “What’s there now?”

  Callie slowed the car. “Some old buildings.” She tried to remember what else. She couldn’t. “I haven’t been back in here in years. I don’t really know.”

  “Pull over,” Greyson said.

  “Why?”

  “Because we’re going in blind. Never follow a snake into a hole.” Greyson pointed at the bend in the road in front of them. “For all we know, as soon as we round that bend we’ll run into the back of their car.”

  Callie knew he was right. Still. “On the other hand, they could have kept going.”

  “You think this road leads to somewhere else?”

  “No. Now that you mention it, I don’t think it does. It just goes to the old buildings.” Callie stopped the car.

  Greyson got out. “Stay here.”

  Seriously? Callie got out. Greyson turned around and closed the distance between them.

  “Listen. I need to go see what they’re doing. You’ll be safer here.”

  “There’s safety in numbers,” Callie said stubbornly.

  Greyson looked like he was going to argue then decided against it.

  “I’m going to follow that fence there until I get to the bend.” He pointed at the cover he planned to use. “Stay behind me. If what we see is bad when we get to the bend, run as fast as you can back to your car and get out of here. Do you understand?”

  Callie nodded agreement.

  They walked slowly to the bend, staying as close to the tall fence as possible. When they reached the bend, they both peered around the fence. They could see what looked like an old warehouse. It wasn’t particularly large in size. Many of the windows were now missing. There was no one in sight but the white car was parked in front of the building next to a pickup truck and another car.

  They moved quickly to close the distance between the cover of the fence and the building. Greyson went to the side of the building and crouched down to be sure they were below the windows. They moved to about half way down the side of the building to a window that was broken. Greyson stopped by the window and listened with Callie crouched next to him.

  The voices inside were arguing. Callie could hear only snippets of the argument, but she was certain the words bank, heist, and money were involved. She was also certain that one of the voices belonged to Rob Shaw. She slipped away from Greyson and the open window and ran around the back of the building. Once there, she pulled out her phone. After ending the call, she returned to Greyson. He grabbed her hand and reversed direction back toward the safety of the fence.

  “It sounds like the meeting is breaking up. We need to get out of here before they see our car,” he said as they moved quickly, trying to remain out of sight.

  It wasn’t quick enough. They heard voices shouting behind them. Greyson pulled on Callie’s hand. They gave up all efforts to be stealthy and broke into a run toward the car.

  Callie pulled out her keys as they neared the car and unlocked it with her key fob. She started the engine as soon as they jumped in and quickly turned the car around. Glancing in the rearview mirror, she saw two cars and a truck moving in behind her. The truck accelerated to catch up with her and put its front bumper against the back end of her car.

  Callie pushed the gas pedal but was having difficulty navigating on the thick sandy bed of the road. The large pickup truck with the diesel engine behind her wasn’t having the same problem. Just as she rounded another bend, the truck behind her accelerated again and bumped against them. She was thrown forward for a moment but kept her hands firmly on the steering wheel. She saw the front of the truck growing larger in the rearview mirror and braced for the next hit but the truck behind her slammed on the brakes.

  Callie shifted her eyes forward again and realized
why. The asphalt road running perpendicular in front of her was lined with police cars. She stopped as she reached them. Several police cars sped past her toward their pursuers.

  Greyson turned and locked eyes with Callie. He motioned vaguely in front of him.

  “Friends of yours?”

  Callie smiled. It pays to have a friend in the police department.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Callie stopped on her way to her mother’s retirement community to pick up some newspapers. She parked her car near the clubhouse and carried the newspapers in with her. She found her mother and her mother’s friends gathered around a small table of food and drinks. It was a party to celebrate both her mother’s role in the play and Callie’s role in tracking down the ticket sale thief and the group behind the bank heist.

  “Darling, you made it!” Margaret turned to embrace her daughter before waving toward the small table. “Elliot had some food sent in for us.”

  “Congratulations, Callie,” Sally said. She was bustling around the table setting out plastic utensils and paper plates.

  “Thanks.” Callie unfolded one of the newspapers and spread it out on a nearby table.

  “Look at this.” Trudy held up her phone and showed Callie a picture of Trudy holding the little lion.

  “You’re wearing matching purple hats,” Callie noted.

  “I know, isn’t she adorable? I can’t thank you enough for getting my grandpuppy back.”

  Trudy held up her phone for Paula to see.

  Paula pulled her reading glasses up from the nylon chain around her neck. She looked at the phone then up at Trudy.

  “She looks just like you.”

  “Callie, why don’t you do the honors with the champagne?” Margaret said as she took a seat near the newspaper Callie had spread out.

  Callie removed one of the bottles from the large ice bucket and gestured toward the newspaper on the table with the champagne.

  “That’s a very nice article about your play.” Callie went to work on the champagne bottle.