Veil of Lies

by Nicky Charles

  “Getting your tree fix?” Lucy teased from her place beside him.

  He nodded. “Being in such a setting renews my spirit.”

  “I’d forgotten how relaxed you seemed when you came back from one of your walks in the forest.” Just as he had done, she tilted her head back and stared up at the tree, a contented sigh escaping her.

  His gaze shifted from the leaves to her profile. A smile curved her lips and her eyes sparkled. It would seem the tree was having a beneficial affect on her as well.

  “What are you staring at?” She angled her head towards him.

  “Your eyes. They remind me of a beautiful clear, blue lake.”

  Pink stained her cheeks and she looked away, pushing her glasses up on her nose.

  The Lucy he had known in Stump River had always been brashly confident…at least on the outside. Had it all been an act? “You’ve been told that before, I’m sure.”

  “Not in those exact words.”

  “So, it’s my phrasing that bothers you?”

  “Or the timing.” Her hand drifted up to the scar on her face, hesitated and then switched direction to tuck her hair behind her ear.

  He watched the action. “You think I’m only complimenting you now out of pity? You didn’t believe the words I spoke to you last night?”

  “Men say a lot of things during sex that mean nothing after the fact.” She shrugged.

  “And perhaps you’re thinking I never complimented you before.”

  “It might have crossed my mind.”

  “I was your employer, you were young, and your affections were focused elsewhere.”

  “I...”

  “But now we aren’t employer-employee any longer.” He reached out and stroked a finger along her jaw, pausing deliberately near her injury before brushing his thumb over the edge of it and then casually moving to rest his arm on the back of the bench. He smiled at the hitch in her breathing.

  “No. No, we’re not.”

  “And now there’s no one else you are interested in.” He paused waiting for her to reply. When she didn’t, he prompted her gently. “Is there?”

  “No.” She picked up a leaf that had fallen on the bench and idly twirled it in her hand. “I’ve rearranged my priorities. I’m not focusing my life on finding a man to love me.”

  “But what if one finds you?”

  She shifted her gaze from the leaf to him. “I… I’d proceed with caution.”

  It wasn’t the answer he hoped for, however it wasn’t realistic to assume the trauma she’d been through hadn’t had an impact on her. He nodded slowly, respecting her honesty. “Fair enough.” Standing, he extended his hand to her. “I believe we have a mystery to solve.”

  “Yes. We do.” She stood, tossing the leaf on the ground.

  “This Jeff you work with, what do you know about him?”

  “Umm…his real name is Jeffrey Tinley but he goes by Jeff the chef…”

  They walked hand in hand through the park as she related what she knew about Jeff, even explaining about how his car had been stolen.

  “Interesting. Perhaps the perpetrator thought you’d recognize Jeff’s car and blame him for trying to run me down?” He suggested.

  “But I knew Jeff’s car was stolen so of course I wouldn’t suspect him.”

  “Or did he just tell you it was stolen to throw suspicion away from himself?”

  “That’s stretching things, isn’t it? I’m sure Jeff has nothing to do with the memory thingy. And even if he did, how would running you down help get it back?”

  “Maybe he planned to snatch it from you while you were crying hysterically over my dead body?”

  She hit him. “That’s not funny.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Anyway, I still have a hard time believing it could be Jeff. He rarely leaves the kitchen. And think about it; would a guy hide something in a tampon box? Wouldn’t it create a lot of suspicion if anyone saw him digging around in it when he tried to retrieve the memory stick later on?”

  She had a point. “Then what about the women you work with?”

  “There’s Gin and Kathy—Ginger Walsh and Kathy Crevan—we usually work together. Megan Ellis comes in to help over lunch sometimes if we’re really busy and then works the rest of the afternoon along with Jackie, Nicole, and Dylan, the other chef. He takes over for Jeff after lunch. On the weekends there are some high-school students who help out and...um…oh the evening cleaning crew.”

  “We need to narrow this down.” He rubbed his chin. “Out of all the people who work at the diner, how many would know it was your box and come looking specifically for you? Was your name on it?”

  “No. I just put it on the shelf and assumed no one would take them unless it was an emergency.”

  “The women you work directly with would probably know they were yours, correct? They might have seen you placing the box in there.”

  “That means it’s Kathy, Megan or Gin.” The corners of her mouth turned down. “I hate suspecting my friends.”

  “Friends that might very well be responsible for running me down, breaking in and stealing tampons from Roxi, and mugging you.”

  “True.” She sighed. “So how are we going to do this? I’ve already shown them the memory stick.”

  “You’ll work just as you always do. I will order a meal and observe.”

  “For what?”

  “How they interact with you. If one of them was driving the car yesterday, they might wonder if you can identify them.”

  “There’s only one problem. Jeff, Kathy and Gin will be leaving. Just Megan will be there.”

  “Then I’ll still eat and wait until you finish your shift.”

  “You’re going to sit and watch me work for four hours?”

  “Watching you is never a hardship.”

  She stared at him for a moment before giving a soft laugh and planted a hand on her hip. “You can sweet talk me all you want, Armand St. John, I’m still not going to slip you an extra piece of dessert.”

  He narrowed his eyes. She was treating him as she would any of the customers who had sauntered into the Broken Antler or Ruth’s diner, trying to keep things light by assuming the buxom barmaid role she’d played so often. He saw through it though. Saw the uncertainty, the fact that she wasn’t sure she could trust his words. It was his own fault for pushing her away so often. However, she was a prize he was willing to work for.

  Leaning close, he whispered in her ear. “I don’t need dessert from a diner when I have you to nibble on.” He then proceeded to outline several areas of her he’d be sampling as soon as the opportunity arose. A blush stained her cheeks by the time they arrived at the diner and he nodded, pleased with the result.

  As he made his way to a seat in the corner, he overheard one of the staff greeting her.

  “Hi Lou. Did you get a sunburn?”

  “No.” She fanned her face. “Just hot from the…um…walk.” She cast him a dirty look before disappearing to the back of the diner.

  He ate his meal slowly, trying to ignore the noise from the bowling alley next door. They needed to install sound absorbing panels; how anyone could stand that cacophony day after day was incomprehensible. At least the allergens in the air were better today—he hadn’t sneezed yet—but now he was noticing a parade of ants scurrying along the baseboards which had him shaking his head. Lucy deserved a safe, clean working environment.

  With concerted effort, he focused on observing the comings and goings of the customers and the work patterns of the waitstaff. There might very well be clues here Lucy was unaware of. For example, shifters had been in the building at some point during the day. It was curious that he’d not noticed the scent before. Of course, the shifters could just be random customers. Or, they could have been at the diner searching for Lucy and the USB.

  His bear looked about suspiciously, nose twitching. Whoever it had been, they were no longer in the building. He would have loved to try to follow the scent trail, b
ut he didn’t dare leave Lucy alone. After several attempts by the perpetrator to regain possession of the USB drive, he feared for her safety. There was one thing he could do, though.

  He signalled for Lucy and she made her way to his table.

  “Did you enjoy your meal? More hot water for your tea? Dessert?” She gave him a wink and he chuckled at her teasing. When she acted this way, it was like old times. He hoped they could return to that relationship on a permanent basis.

  “More tea and dessert would be delightful.” In a lower tone, he tacked on a question. “Can you give me the first and last names of your coworkers and any other information you know about them? Ages, birthdays, phone numbers or addresses?”

  “Um…yeah. I’ll jot down whatever I can remember.”

  “Good. Bring it to me as soon as you can. I’ll do some research while you work.” He pulled out his phone and began to send a message to Ryne. If the shifters he’d scented were part of the staff, it was possible Ryne would be able to find them listed in Lycan Link’s database.

  Lou performed her duties very aware of Armand sitting in the corner of the room. The other girls had commented on his presence and quizzed her thoroughly about who he was, where he came from and if he was ‘hers’ or not. She firmly laid claim, not liking the idea of the others making a play for him. Not that Armand would respond…or at least she assumed he wouldn’t based on what she’d seen in Stump River.

  Of course, he had been known to go on unexpected vacations, disappearing for a few days or even a week at a time, much to the distress of those who frequented the Broken Antler. Before Ryne and his crew had arrived in town and offered to help, the bar had closed down when Armand left. He’d once explained he sometimes felt the need to go hiking and liked to camp out.

  Her inner voice presented an unpalatable possibility. Maybe those had been euphemisms for a rendezvous with a woman.

  The idea had her giving the table she was cleaning extra vigorous wipes. Why hadn’t she thought of that before?

  He’s not pretty like a model or classically handsome like an actor but there’s something about him. Other women must’ve noticed it too.

  Other women. A wave of possessiveness swept over her. Glancing towards where he was sitting, she noted the subtle shifting of muscle beneath the material of his shirt, the sexy stubble on his chin, a stray dark curl that fell on his forehead. She’d always had a thing for him but now it seemed more…intense.

  “Almost finished there?” Megan gave her a nudge. “We’re done in ten.”

  She gave a start and nodded. “Oh. Right. And yes, I’m almost done.” A glance around the diner showed Dylan was already beginning to clean the kitchen and the last customers were paying for their meal.

  The King’s Plate closed at seven, early by most standards but the noise from Bowlerama escalated as the evening progressed, discouraging late night diners. As a result, Mr. Henderson had cut back on the hours of operation saying it cost more to pay the staff than the diner was earning.

  “I’ll only be a few more minutes.” She stopped by Armand’s table and gathered his tea cup and napkin.

  “I’m ready when you are.” He ended whatever message he’d been sending and tucked the phone in his pocket.

  By the time she was done, he was standing at the window, hands clasped behind his back.

  “Ready?” He looked down at her with a smile.

  “Yep, let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

  “Popsicle stand?” He cocked his head.

  “Just an expression.”

  “Ah! Do you want to take a bus or taxi? You’re probably tired after working.”

  “Tired yes, but it’s a nice evening so let’s walk.”

  He seemed happy to comply and they strolled companionably through the streets, making their way to the more upscale areas, pausing to listen to some of the street musicians before continuing on their way.

  “Art in the park, street musicians…your city has more activity than Stump River.”

  “There’s always something to do, if that’s what you like.”

  “And do you? Like all this activity?”

  “Sometimes.” She shrugged.

  “Hmm.” He fell silent, seeming lost in thought.

  They walked for a while and she absorbed the sights and sounds of a city slowing for the evening. It was still busy but there was a different quality to it; the pace wasn’t as frenetic, the people seemed less stressed. With fewer vehicles, the air was fresher, and the roar of traffic had lessened. As the sun lowered in the sky, the windows on the high rises began to reflect the changing colours of the sky, while at street level the neon lights of the bars, restaurants and theatres became more noticeable against the lengthening shadows.

  She sighed, allowing herself to relax and take it all in.

  It’s not the same as home, the voice in her head pointed out. There are no crickets chirping, no rustling of trees. The stars in the dark velvet of the sky are hard to see and no one waves from a porch and offers a cup of coffee and conversation.

  Yes, Chicago was different, but it was also good if you opened up and embraced it.

  Could Armand ever do that?

  She studied him out of the corner of her eye, trying to picture him living here but the image wouldn’t come together in her mind. Skyscrapers kept being replaced by towering pines and paved roads morphed into leaf covered pathways through the woods. A wave of sadness washed over her and she forced herself to change her line of thought, not wanting the night ruined by maudlin musings.

  She cleared her throat. “Did you find out any information about Jeff or Gin or Kathy while you were waiting for me?”

  “No, not yet. Ryne’s checking.”

  “Ryne seems to have access to a lot of information, doesn’t he?”

  “He’s a resourceful man.”

  She was curious as to what those resources were, but they’d already arrived at her apartment building.

  Armand glanced around. “We’re home with no unexpected adventures.”

  “That makes for a nice change. Do you want to come up for dinner? Or maybe you’re still full from what you ate at the diner?”

  “I’m sure I could eat something. And you haven’t had a proper meal yet.”

  “Okay.” She did a mental inventory of the contents of the fridge. “We have leftover Chinese from last night and I think there might be a steak in the freezer, provided Roxi the ravenous hasn’t eaten it yet.”

  Somewhere in Chicago…

  “What the fuck are we going to do? The others are tired of waiting.”

  “It’s not like we haven’t been trying.” Defensive tones laced the words.

  “Trying isn’t good enough. They want results. I want results.” Pacing began, quick angry steps that circled the room.

  “We need a plan. A good plan that’s carefully thought through.

  “Blah, blah, blah. I’m getting sick of your caution.”

  “If we’re caught the information will be lost forever.”

  The statement was met with a snort. “If we don’t get our hands on it soon, it will be useless.”

  “True.” Shoulders slumped.

  “I say it’s time we upped the ante.”

  “Exactly how far?”

  “As far as we have to.”

  Chapter 16

  Roxi stared at Lulu and Armand, doing her best to look innocent. “Honestly, the leftover Chinese and the steak just…disappeared.”

  “Into a bottomless pit.” Lulu shook her head. “Sorry Armand, we’re down to a can of soup and a TV dinner.”

  He didn’t look impressed.

  “Okay, in reparation, how about I take you both out for dinner?” Roxi relented, realizing this could very well play into her hands.

  “I thought you said you didn’t know where the food went.” Lulu folded her arms. “Reparation means you’re feeling guilty so you must have done something wrong.”

  “Well…”

  “It�
��s very generous of you,” Armand inclined his head. “However, I can pay for the meal.”

  She beamed at him. “I’m liking you more and more, Armand. I’ll pick the restaurant and you pay; that seems like an equal division of duties, doesn’t it?”

  Lulu opened her mouth to speak but Armand agreed and Roxi began to organize them.

  “Great! I’ll get cleaned up. Lulu, you go get changed and Armand…” She waved her hand around, “you do whatever you want. We’ll meet back in five minutes. I’m starved!”

  “Take your time.” Armand pulled out his phone. “I have messages to deal with.”

  It took slightly longer than five minutes to get ready but eventually they were heading out again, Roxi leading the way to a small place she knew.

  “They serve great pasta with fresh baked bread and salad. And it’s all you can eat night!” She extoled the virtues of the place she’d chosen while mentally planning her strategy. “A family friend owns it so I know we’ll get a good table and great service.”

  “All you can eat? Between you and Armand, he’ll be losing money before the night is over,” Lulu warned.

  “Nah, pasta is cheap and besides, I’d never do anything bad to a friend. Plus, I already had a...er…snack earlier. I won’t be at my prime for eating.”

  The other two looked at her in amazement and she shrugged. Her hyper metabolism had always been a source of amazement; the calories she consumed never seeming to impact her size. She attributed it to the fact that her brain was always coming up with new ideas. All those synapses firing had to use up a lot of energy.

  As it wasn’t too far to the restaurant, they’d opted to walk. She shoved her hands in her pockets and cast a sidelong look at Lulu and Armand. They were holding hands but not acting too mushy, thankfully. She tried to ignore them, keeping herself amused by studying the contents of the store windows. While it was still August, signs of fall were appearing in the displays; apples and coloured leaves and back to school supplies. She liked fall and lingered for a moment at an especially elaborate arrangement.