by Jennifer Joy
A floorboard squeaked near me, and my heart raced in panic. I opened my eyes to see Lady laying down by the Adi’s front door, not a mask-wearing burglar.
I exhaled the breath I’d been holding.
Adi came out of her room looking like she was ready for a photo shoot, and I remembered how gross I must look from my morning hike. All I could do was smooth my hair and tighten my ponytail, so that’s what I did.
She sat beside me. “How are you holding up?” she asked.
“I’m going to be paranoid for weeks, aren’t I? Just now, I almost had a heart attack when I heard the floor creak.”
“Do you want to stay with me for a while? I have a bat,” she offered.
Officer Gus Rivera showed up before I could refuse her sweet offer. What was the point of having an apartment if you didn’t use it?
Adi handed Gus a cup of coffee with a winning smile and led him over to me.
“You’re both okay?” he asked, taking off his hat and standing stiffly in front of me.
“I wasn’t even here when it happened,” I said.
“And I was in the shower. I didn’t see or hear a thing,” Adi added.
We went up to my apartment, Gus going inside while Adi and I stood on the landing.
He spun around. “Wow, they really cleaned out the place.”
I grimaced. “Not really. I looked at everything before I called — sorry about that, by the way — and nothing’s missing.”
Gus looked around again, his eyebrows bunching together. “You live like this?”
“Oh, come on. It’s not that bad.”
He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “It’s pretty bad.”
I felt the need to justify. “I’ve been too busy.”
“To buy furniture?” he asked.
I ignored him. “Well, it discouraged the burglar, didn’t it? This could’ve been much worse.”
Gus sighed and pulled out a notepad. “Nothing is missing?”
“Not one thing.”
Adi draped her arm over my shoulders protectively. “Haven’t you heard of minimalism? It’s a real thing.”
Gus’ eyebrows shot up. “I think even the minimalist community would call this a bit extreme, don’t you?”
I appreciated Adi’s attempt to justify my living conditions, but there simply wasn’t a reasonable explanation for it other than lazy disinterest in anything besides my business and my dog. Maybe I should give up my apartment and live with Lady on the terrace.
Adi squeezed my shoulders. “If you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking, you need to stop. There are no power outlets to charge your computer or make coffee on the terrace. And no matter how cute Lady’s doghouse is, your mattress won’t fit.”
I loved how we operated on the same wavelength, and that she didn’t judge me and my crazy thoughts.
Gus cleared his throat. “If you two are done….”
We tried to look serious, which, of course, inspired a bout of uncontrollable giggles to which Gus was immune. I didn’t care. My frazzled nerves needed a release, and I would rather laugh than cry.
With a straight face, he asked, “Who else has a key to the building?”
A few sips of coffee helped me curb my humor. “Me, Adi, Tia Rosa, and Sylvia keeps a spare at the restaurant,” I replied, counting the keys on my fingers.
“Has anyone else had access to the building?”
“Patricio is sprucing up the terrace for Lady, but they can’t do anything without Abuelita seeing it. She’s taken it upon herself to supervise their work.”
Gus harrumphed. “I bet they love that. Have you noticed anything unusual lately? Anyone hanging around or following you?”
I considered telling him about Angry Art Man following me home from Miss Patty’s art gallery the day before. But since the painting wasn’t even in my apartment, I didn’t think it was him. Besides, how would he have known which door was mine?
“Anything else? Anyone who might want to cause you trouble?” he asked, his pencil poised over the notepad he held.
“Sal’s been making a menace of himself, but I can’t imagine it was him. Had the break-in been in my shop, he’d be my first suspect. But not my apartment.”
Gus jotted down a few notes, saying, “Yeah, Sal is a troublemaker, but he’s not the kind to get his hands dirty.” He pocketed his notepad and looked around again. “Why would someone break into your place and not take anything?” Turning to Adi, he asked, “You didn’t hear anything at all?”
She shook her head. “I wish I had. I have a baseball bat by my door.”
I could just imagine Adi chasing after a burglar with a bat. Abuelita would have been proud.
Gus cleared his throat.
Adi added, “As soon as Jake gets back, we’ll install alarms.”
“Oh yeah?” asked Gus, relaxing his stance and communicating that his investigation had come to an end. “Where’s he off to? Climbing Chimborazo, rappelling down waterfalls in the jungle, or scuba diving in the Galapagos?”
“You make his job sound so exciting,” Adi replied in a monotone. Jake’s job was risky, and Adi worried about him every time he left.
“It is. When my job gets exciting, it’s never a good thing. One of these days, I’m going to go on one of his adventure tours,” Gus said, turning to me and asking, “When can you get an alarm in here?”
Adi answered for me. “Jake knows the owner of the alarm store. I’ll ask if he’ll call as soon as he gets home since it’s Sunday and Ernesto wouldn’t be open for business.”
“When’s Jake coming back?” Gus asked.
I was just as interested in her answer as Gus was, albeit for a distinct reason.
Adi’s eyes flickered over to me, and I wondered what I had to do with her brother’s whereabouts. “Sometime this afternoon,” she answered.
Gus stepped toward the stairs. “I’ll keep an eye open and let you know if I get any leads, Jess. You be careful, and tell me if you notice anything unusual.”
“Sure thing.”
Adi watched him until his figure disappeared through the door at the bottom of the stairwell, a dreamy look in her eyes.
My stomach growled, interrupting her romantic thoughts of the tall, dark, and handsome officer.
“Sorry,” I said.
“I’m hungry too. Let’s grab lunch at Mom’s restaurant.”
“Lunch?” I looked at my phone’s clock. Sure enough, it was noon. My hike must have taken longer than I’d supposed. “After I take a shower. I’m grimy.”
I scrubbed my hair while Adi guarded the hallway with her bat.
It had been an eventful morning.
Chapter 6
The oversized butcher block island in the middle of Sylvia’s kitchen was a frequent meeting place for the Jimenez family. Seeing Abuelita, Sylvia, and Adi beside each other — three generations of bold businesswomen — made me proud to be their friend. I hoped that some of their fearlessness would rub off on me. Lord knew Abuelita had enough to share!
Washo was there too. He stood by Tia Rosa, wearing an apron over his black polo shirt and helping Sylvia dish out plates ready to be taken out to her hungry customers.
Like a modern-day Emma, I took credit for that particular pairing. After all, it had been my penchant for getting wrapped up in murder investigations which had thrown the two together multiple times over the past few months. (Did I mention that Washo was a homicide detective?)
Sylvia looked happy, and Washo was tough enough to take on Abuelita. So everyone was happy.
The only person missing was Jake.
I’d told them all about my run-in with Sal culminating in the forced entry into my apartment. While I put a light spin on events so as not to worry my friends, the truth was that I was still a bit shaken. My personal space had been invaded, and I didn’t like how vulnerable the intrusion made me feel.
Washo rinsed his hands and sat beside me. “You okay?” He watched me with the intensity of a poker playe
r determining tells.
Nothing got by the detective, which was a good thing most of the time. Not so much when Abuelita and Tia Rosa were about to involve me in one of their harebrained schemes I always seemed to get roped into. Good thing there was no danger of that happening this time.
Looking him squarely in the eyes, I said, “They didn’t take anything. If the door frame hadn’t broken, I wouldn’t have known anyone had been inside my apartment.” That was the part that freaked me out the most.
Adi shivered. “It’s so creepy. I didn’t hear anything.”
Washo shook his head. “Well, at least there wasn’t a dead body involved. I, for one, am grateful for that.”
“Me too!” exclaimed Sylvia from the stove.
With a chuckle, he added, “I’m not surprised trouble keeps finding you. You do seem to draw out the crazies.”
I grimaced, my thoughts turning to Angry Art Man and Sal. Washo had a point there.
He went serious. “You need an alarm and a new door. And it might not hurt for you to carry pepper spray. Just don’t let these two near it,” he added under his breath, indicating Tia Rosa and Abuelita.
Tia Rosa said, “I call the carpenter. He fix the door today.”
I added, “And we’re working on the alarm.”
Abuelita looked at the clock for the tenth time since I’d sat down in the kitchen. I’d ignored it, but when she ran out to the dining room and returned in a huff, I asked, “What’s up with her?”
Truth be told, I was ready to move on from the events of the morning before they scared me more than they needed to. I refused to allow fear to get a firmer grip on me than it usually had.
Tia Rosa and Adi avoided eye contact.
Sylvia rolled her eyes at her mom. “She’s anxious for Jake to return is all. He’s supposed to be here any minute.”
My heart hammered despite my efforts to calm it. “Jake’s gone all the time. He’s not doing something particularly dangerous, is he?”
I hoped not. Aside from being beautiful, he was just a downright cool guy. (And by “cool” I mean that he’s actually read classic literature and can quote Jane Austen and Charles Dickens with authority.)
Just as my mind had imagined him stuck on an island surrounded by vicious sharks, Sylvia answered, “No. He’s actually cut back on the tours he guides, spending more time in the office doing administrative work. I am thrilled.”
Tia Rosa grinned and winked at me. “He get more tourist to join tour in office. He handsome.”
Was I that obvious? My face heated, and I felt my skin turn sunburn red just in time for none other than Jake to walk into the kitchen. He grinned his crooked grin, his arm around a sassy redhead a good six inches shorter than him.
Her hair hadn’t been that red the last time I’d seen her. It was like a fire engine.
Understanding dawned, and I squealed, tipping the stool I’d occupied over in my haste to get to Mammy.
My Mammy was in Ecuador.
She hugged me so hard, I couldn’t breathe, but I didn’t care. She smelled like musky perfume and spearmint gum, and she fit perfectly in my arms.
Too happy to think clearly, I grabbed Jake and hugged him too, pinning his arms to his sides. “You brought my Mammy! Thank you!”
Embarrassed, I stepped back and buried my face in Mammy’s neck. What was I? Thirteen?
Mammy patted my back. “This is what I came for. I needed one of your hugs, Sugar.”
Sylvia called us over to the table where a plate with roasted pork, cheese-stuffed fried potato patties (yum!), and a salad topped with sliced avocado waited to be devoured.
“Tortillas de papa! You remembered!” Mammy said, hugging Sylvia, Tia Rosa, and Abuelita. “It’s so good to see you again after all these years. Now, I met Jake,” Mammy gave him an approving nod, then turned to Adi. “So, this must be Adi. I hear that your dress designs are vintage inspired. Do you think you could make one to flatter this figure before I leave?” She jutted her hip out and twirled like a supermodel at the end of a runway, flipping her flaming red, asymmetrical bob as she spun.
By now, my senses had returned to me and I had a million questions. “You’ve been here before? How long are you staying? When did you get here? Do you need to call Mom and Dad?” I blurted in a single breath.
She pinched my chin. “First things first, where’s that Christian boy you’ve told me about?”
She’d traveled an entire day to ask about Christian — Baños’ resident flirt and general nuisance?
“What? He sounds like a lot of fun, no matter the trouble he’s caused you. I’d kind of hoped to meet him here.” Mammy looked around the kitchen.
“He’s visiting family in New York,” Jake answered.
Abuelita folded her arms over her chest. “I hope he stay there. He trouble.”
We all looked at her in unison, and Mammy said aloud, “Well, now, that’s the pot calling the kettle black, Bertha.”
Sitting down in front of her plate, Mammy added, “To answer your questions, I came down when your father and uncle were doing their stint in Greenpeace. They were saving the jungle from exploitation and having so much fun, I wanted in on it. I’m glad I did, too, because this is where your father met your mother. Let’s see … what else did you ask?”
“How long are you staying?” I held my breath, knowing her visit wouldn’t be long enough.
“For two weeks. I just had to be here for your grand day. We’re all so proud of you.” She set aside her fork to give me another hug.
“I should have known you’d come. I’m so glad you did.” My throat felt tight, and I thought I might burst with pure joy.
“I flew into Quito late, so I spent the night in the city. Jake picked me up this morning and brought me to you. I called your mom and dad as soon as the plane landed.” Mammy grabbed my hands. Her fingernails were painted fuchsia. “They wished they could have come too. They even got passports, but, well, you know…”
“I heard about the flight simulator,” I said.
Mammy shook her head, filling up her fork. “Your father really tried, Sugar, but he didn’t even make it to the cabin. He froze at the door — as stiff as a board — and they had to carry him off the ramp.”
Just knowing he’d tried was enough for me.
She continued, “The company pretty much told him never to come back again, but you know your mother. She finagled a deal out of it. Now, he has a ‘try-ten-times-get-one-for-free’ deal.”
Mom’s negotiating abilities were exceptional, but I was shocked to hear how determined my dad was to get on an airplane. “No way! They did that?”
“Oh, yes, Sugar. Your father is determined, and you know how your mother is. There are flying phobia centers in all the major cities. You mother figured they’d give your dad a rest and try again when they leave Albuquerque.”
My eyes prickled with tears, and I gave her one more hug before giving her space to enjoy her meal. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I whispered into her neck.
I had the best family ever.
Chapter 7
I was overjoyed to have Mammy here. I couldn’t wait to show her all my favorite places … until it was time to take her things up to my apartment. Her first impression of my new home was bound to be a bad one when she saw my busted door gaping open.
Tia Rosa had called the carpenter to fix my door, but I didn’t expect him until later in the afternoon … or tomorrow … or whenever he decided to show up. Schedules were more of a suggestion than something to actually be adhered to.
Jake came in behind us, hauling Mammy’s suitcases up the stairwell. “What happened?” he asked, setting the bags down at the top of the landing and inspecting the busted frame.
“I found it like that this morning when I got back from walking Lady,” I said, hoping it sounded like some simple case of spontaneous combustion (without the fire). As if.
Mammy crossed her arms and pursed her coral orange lips. “Your door just hap
pened to break off the hinges? I don’t suppose it had any help? Or would I get more answers if I asked Lady?”
On hearing her name, Lady came down from the terrace. She and Mammy instantly hit it off, and I was grateful to my pup for offering a pleasant distraction.
Jake pulled out his cell phone. “Let me call Ernesto. Tia Rosa should install alarms in her building anyway. I’m so sorry I didn’t think of it before.”
I didn’t want him to feel responsible for me when I could take care of myself. The “damsel in distress” was fun to read about in books and to watch in movies. But very few girls actually wanted to be the damsel if they could show a little self-sufficiency and save themselves — especially in front of a guy like Jake. He could probably set fire to wet tree limbs using nothing but a magnifying glass … although why he would take a hand lens when any expert camper would logically carry matches or a lighter stumped me.
Someone on the other end picked up before I could say anything. Maybe it was for the best. I couldn’t remember how my thoughts had jumped from my broken door to wondering who would win between Jake, Benedict Cumberbatch, or Robert Downey Jr. for the best Sherlock Holmes. My vote went to Jake … and then my mind moved on to Iron Man before I forced myself to focus.
Mammy whispered to me, “What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.” I bit my lips. Some thoughts were best kept to myself.
“Whatever it was, it looked like fun,” Mammy teased.
She knew me too well.
Jake hung up with a frown. “He’s on vacation at the beach with his family and won’t be back until next week.”
Mammy asked, “Isn’t there anyone else?”
“Baños isn’t big enough for more than one alarm guy,” he answered.
I leaned down and ruffled Lady’s ears. “Lady sleeps inside at night. She’s a great guard.”
Jake grabbed the bags and set them inside my living room. “I’d offer to sleep on your couch … but you don’t have one.” When he looked down at the floor, I had to step in.