by R A Wallace
“Good to see you.” Greyson flashed a smile and returned to Callie’s office. She was tucking her purse into a drawer. He took the seat across from her desk.
“What’s up?” She propped her elbows on her desk and held the cup of sweet tea in front of her.
“I accepted a new security job yesterday for us,” he said. He watched her brows go up.
“Why didn’t you tell me at dinner yesterday?”
“That was dinner. I figured the news could wait until we were back at work.”
“Ah.” She sipped her tea. “So, tell.”
“There’s not much to tell. It’s a babysitting job, really.” He saw her lips curl into a wry grin. He took the check from his pocket and slid it across the desk. “That’s a down payment.”
Her brows went up again as she reached for the check. After double checking the number of zeroes on it, her eyes narrowed as she read the name. “The Zane Ramos?”
“The one and only.”
She leaned back in her chair. “He wants us to watch his new wife?”
“Nope. The daughter.” He watched as Callie got that deer in the headlights look on her face. “Yep. That one.”
Callie shook her head. “Good luck with that.”
Greyson leaned back in his chair. “What? You aren’t volunteering to help?”
“Not unless I absolutely have to. I’ve read about her. She can out-party and out-spend anyone on the planet. She’s photographed so often doing it, I’ve read that fashion designers and others beg her to wear their products. I don’t care how good she looks while she’s doing it.” Callie’s eyes were drawn back to the check. “Down payment?”
Greyson flashed dimples.
She sighed. “Let me know if you need help.”
“What do you have planned today?” he asked.
“I’m wrapping a few things up and still working on some fact finding for a legal team.” Callie glanced at the time. “I should check on my mom.”
“Margaret seemed fine when I spoke with her last night.” He stood and walked to the connecting door between their offices. “She was having drinks with some friends at the retirement community.”
Callie was still looking at him when he turned at the door to face her. “You talked to my mom last night?”
He flashed her another grin before going into his office.
***
He was careful to put his suntan lotion everywhere with an extra application on his nose and cheeks. It didn’t matter that he’d lived in Florida all of his life. Forty years of nearly unending sun had never managed to tan Simon’s light skin. All it ever did was produce more freckles. Year after year, he watched as the freckles multiplied, wondering when they would all connect. Maybe then he would have the appearance of a tan.
He positioned the wide-brimmed hat on his head and stepped out of his mobile home. He lived on premises even though he wasn’t technically old enough to be a resident of the retirement community. After taking his usual meandering route around the development, he headed for the mobile home he used for an office located at the front gate. He would spend much of his workday there though with such an active community, he was often called upon to assist with something. He didn’t mind. In fact, he rather enjoyed it. In many ways, the residents of the retirement community were like extended family to him.
He opened the sliding glass door of the office and stepped inside. It was also a modular home complete with a full kitchen. It was his home away from home while he worked. Although one bedroom held a sleeper sofa and some chairs, the other was converted into a second, smaller office. The living room where he now stood was the main office. He found his old friend and current guest sitting at the desk.
Kevin looked up as Simon entered. “There you are. I was just talking about you.”
“You’re at it early.” Simon waited for Kevin to move away from the desk but he remained where he was. “Was there a problem?”
Kevin waved it away. “Oh, nothing I couldn’t handle. One of the ladies mentioned a problem with the sink in the clubhouse. I found the name of the local plumber in your directory and called them for you. They should be here shortly.”
“Who had the problem?”
“That nice red head.” Kevin looked down at the note he’d written. “Margaret?”
“She is nice.” The mention of Margaret caused Simon to mentally pull up an image of Callie Indigo. His pleasant thoughts were interrupted when the sliding glass door opened.
A young man stepped inside. “Someone called a plumber?”
Simon turned toward Kevin.
Kevin waved his hand again. “You go with him. I can stay here and watch the office for you.”
Simon smiled his thanks to his friend before following the plumber out. Having Kevin visit from out-of-state had worried him at first but, so far, having him around had made his job easier.
***
Wade Indigo followed the GPS directions to his next appointment. He’d tried listening to the radio as he drove but the commercials for Gallagher Aluminum and Roofing had driven him insane. Although he’d implied to Leslie that the competition between their two companies wasn’t an issue, nothing could be further from the truth. He was losing business and he suspected it was from the unrelenting advertising campaign that Guy Gallagher was bankrolling.
When the blitz had first begun, Wade had discarded it assuming it would end soon and things would go back to normal. That hadn’t happened. Instead, the advertising seemed to grow exponentially as Wade’s business had shrunk. He assumed that Guy was putting much of what he made back into his advertising. As a result, Guy’s business continued to expand. Everywhere Wade looked, there were signs in front of buildings about another job well done by Gallagher Aluminum and Roofing.
Wade slowed as he drew closer to the address he was looking for. He’d gotten a call to give an estimate for a pool enclosure. He knew he’d have to keep the price as low as possible to have any hope of competing with any quote that Guy may have given them. Wade had no idea how Guy was staying in business with some of the prices he’d been quoting. Wade knew the two men were bidding on many of the same jobs. He also knew that Guy undercut him much of the time.
He parked in front of the house matching the address and got out. The owner wasn’t at home. He’d told Wade to walk around the rear of the house and take any measurements he needed. Wade paused at the fence to make sure there weren’t any pets before opening the gate. He had his laser distance measurer in his hand as he rounded the corner to the back.
He knew from his phone conversation with the homeowner that the screened pool enclosure would reach from one corner of the house to the other. He stopped at the first corner and turned on the laser measuring device. Aiming it at the far corner, he took the first measure. According to the owner, he wanted a couple of different quotes. The first was for ten feet out from the pool.
Wade glanced down at the pool as he began moving toward the far side to take the measurement. That was when he first saw the body at the bottom of the pool.
Chapter Three
The noise inside the police station was typical for a Tuesday morning. Mack McCormack walked slowly down the hall toward the main office where his partner waited for him. He saw her frown from across the room when her eyes fell to the coffee cup in his hand.
She dropped her eyes back down to the folder in her hand as he reached her. “That’s the fourth one this morning.”
“Who’s counting?” He sat at the desk next to her.
“Your stomach will pay for it later.” She managed to make her voice sound both menacing and caring at the same time.
He chose to ignore her. “What’ve we got?”
“Victim is Guy Gallagher, age fifty seven.”
“He’s the one that owns that aluminum and roofing place that’s always advertising, right?” Mack already knew that but with a fresh case he liked to have all of the facts in front of them.
“That’s the one.”
>
“Drives me crazy.” Mack frowned at his coffee. “Can’t pick up a paper or turn the television on without seeing those ads.”
Jo turned to her computer and pulled up another report. “Looks like they drove someone else crazy too.”
“Yeah. Crazy enough to kill him.” Mack looked down and tried to wipe the powdered sugar debris from his shirt. He’d eaten the packaged donuts from the machine quickly before returning to the main office. Jo would have really ridden him if she knew about that. He risked shifting his gaze her way. She was watching his every move, the look of disappointment evident on her face.
***
Callie finished entering the details of the job she had just finished and clicked save. Knowing that her sister would be the one to run the billing for it made her smile. Billing had been one of her least favorite tasks. Farming it out to Ariana meant that Callie could focus on other tasks. Such as the appointment she was supposed to be meeting with next. She glanced down at the time on her computer. Jamie Rucker was five minutes late. She left her desk and crossed over to the old side of the office. It was possible that Jamie had arrived and Ariana was away from her desk for whatever reason.
“Hey.” Ariana looked up from her computer. “Your appointment isn’t here yet.”
The main entrance door opened and a woman around forty entered. She smiled when she saw Callie and Ariana.
“Jamie Rucker?” Callie asked. At the other woman’s nod, she held out her hand. “Callie Indigo. We can have a seat over here.” Callie motioned to the connecting door that led to her office area. She followed Jamie to the other side and nodded toward a comfortable reception area.
“Now, what can Indigo Investigations do for you?” Callie slid into the leather seat across from Jamie.
“I feel like I’m wasting your time for coming here. My family insisted. I know it isn’t necessary.” Jamie’s eyes scanned the office area. Apparently happy with what she saw, she slid back in her seat and clasped her hands together in her lap.
“Sometimes our family is just looking out for our best interests,” Callie said. Without any details on the case, she didn’t know if this particular situation might be one of those times.
“The thing is, I’ve met someone.” Jamie’s face lit up. “I haven’t been this happy in years. Maybe never, really. I think that’s why my family is worried. They just aren’t used to seeing me this way.”
“The two of you have been spending a lot of time together?”
“Oh, yes. We talk every day.” Jamie shifted her purse and sat forward in her seat. “We have so much in common. There’s no way he could be faking all of that. We hit it off immediately. I know I’ve finally found the one. You know what I mean?”
Visions of dark hair, blue eyes, and dimples bracketing a smile flashed into her head. “We haven’t all been that lucky,” Callie said with a smile. “What’s his name?”
“Jason. Jason Runyon. Isn’t that funny? It’s another way that I could tell we were meant to be together. We have the same initials.”
“Do you have any pictures?” Callie asked.
“Oh, sure.” Jamie dug for her purse and pulled out a piece of paper.
Callie reached for the print out. “This is from your computer?”
Jamie nodded, pleased that Callie was keeping up. “Yes. It’s his profile picture. He has others on there too.”
“You don’t have any photos that you took yourself? Maybe on your phone?” Callie glanced at the page in front of her. It was difficult to tell the age of the man smiling back at her. She guessed mid-thirties to mid-forties.
“Oh, no. Not yet, anyway. I’m sure I will soon.” Jamie pointed at the page in Callie’s hand. “Isn’t he handsome?”
“Yes, he is,” Callie said honestly. “You could probably get some screen shots when you two are video chatting.”
Jamie looked impressed with the idea. “You’re right. I hadn’t thought about that. Once his schedule settles down, he’ll have more time for things like that. Right now, he’s been busy with work.”
“You two haven’t had a chance to connect that way yet?”
The disappointment that flashed across Jamie’s face was gone quickly. “No, but I’m sure we will soon.”
Callie was about to ask another question when Jamie interrupted her.
“I don’t mind, you know.” She motioned toward herself. “I’m not a real beauty. I know that. I’m happier that we’re taking it slow and getting to know each other on the inside before we worry about all of that. He really is my soulmate, you know? It’s amazing just how much we have in common.”
“You would like us to look into it and determine if Jason is exactly what he’s been telling you?” Callie asked.
Jamie’s smile was confident. “I’m not worried. I’d just like to get my family off my back. I’m sure this will be an easy case for you.”
Callie gave a noncommittal smile before asking Jamie for more details. Once she had learned everything she could, she told Jamie she would be in touch with her soon. It didn’t take her long to find Jason Runyon online. Ariana appeared at her doorway shortly after she started.
“What’s the case?” Ariana leaned against the door frame.
Callie entered Jason’s name into another search engine. “She found the love of her life online. They’ve never met, but they hit it off immediately. They have the same interests. He’s very romantic but too busy to meet with her or even connect with a video chat.”
“Catfish, huh?”
“Well, let’s see. So far, I’ve only found him on one social media site.”
Ariana laughed. “How often does that happen?”
Callie nodded her agreement. “He has two different photos of himself on that site but he’s wearing the same clothes in both of them.”
“He borrowed them from a stock photo shoot that he found online,” Ariana guessed.
“Probably,” Callie agreed. “I’ll see if I can find the originals anywhere.”
“You’re going to do a reverse image search?” Ariana crossed the office and stood behind Callie.
“Sounds like you know a little about that.” Callie dragged the profile image into the search bar.
“Everyone knows about that. Sometimes you even get the real social media page of the person they stole the picture from. Look, you found it.” Ariana leaned forward. “Looks like this one really was a stock photo.”
“Explains why he was wearing the same clothes,” Callie said as she followed the link to the web site for stock photos.
“What are you looking for now?”
“Just being thorough. Sometimes there are groups of images,” Callie muttered as she clicked. It only took a few moments to find what she was looking for. “Here. See this? It’s the same subject but in different poses. All of them wearing the same outfit.”
“Looks like you got him.” Ariana turned to go back to her desk. “That didn’t take long.”
“It’s just the beginning.” Callie sat back in her chair.
“What do you mean?” Ariana stopped at the door.
“Jamie probably won’t believe that Jason is spamming her with just this. So what if he didn’t use his real photo? He’s probably just being cautious or maybe just feels insecure about the way he really looks.”
“You’re saying this could draw her closer to him instead of convincing her it’s a catfish scam?”
Callie sighed. “It’s happened before.”
***
Simon pulled his golf cart into the parking spot in front of the main office at the retirement community. There was another cart parked in front of the small porch that led to the entrance. He found Kevin sitting at the front desk again. The cool air inside the office was a welcome change from the humid heat outside. The seventy year old sitting across from Kevin was regaling him with stories of his youth when he was a police officer.
Kevin was laughing when his eyes looked up to meet Simon’s. “That had to be something.”
“Oh, it was.” Howard motioned to Simon. “He’s already heard all of my stories. It’s nice to have someone new to bore.”
Kevin waved him off. “You aren’t boring me, that’s for sure.”
“What’s up?” Simon smiled at Howard then looked at Kevin.
“Howard is thinking about putting up an antenna,” Kevin explained.
Simon shifted his gaze to Howard. “You know the park has rules about where they can be mounted and the size?”
Howard nodded toward Kevin. “We already talked about that.”
Simon thought about the heat he had just escaped.
“I told him I’d take a look.” Kevin stood and waved to the chair he’d just vacated. “Simon looks like he could use the break.”
“I can ride you over and drop you back off,” Howard told Kevin.
“Sounds good to me,” Kevin said. “If that’s okay with you?” He looked at Simon. “I made a fresh pitcher of sweet tea.”
That cinched it. Simon flashed a relieved smile. “Sounds great, thanks.”
***
After gathering the information on Jason Runyon, Callie stood from her desk and stretched before leaving her office. She recognized the voice she heard on the other side of the wall separating the new office space from the old before she even reached it. Her stepmother was in front of Ariana’s desk.
“Leslie. I didn’t know you had today off.” Callie looked from one to the other. Her sister looked surprised. Leslie looked concerned. “Are you okay?”
“If you have a minute?” Leslie clasped her purse in front of her.
“Of course.” Callie led the way back to the sitting area on her side of the office. “What’s up?”
“It’s your father.” Leslie perched on the edge of a chair.
Callie felt her brows go up. “What about him?”
“Something happened. I’m not sure what. That’s just the thing. I think your father is hiding something from me.” Leslie’s eyes looked moist.
Callie tried to remember ever seeing her stepmother this upset. She couldn’t come up with anything. “Maybe if you start at the beginning?”