by Jen Talty
So far, Ethan didn’t see anything. Just a couple of cars and a few people milling about their units.
The front door swung open and out stepped Peter, nearly tripping over Trouble.
“Excuse me,” Peter said.
“What are you doing here?” Ethan kept his eye on Trouble, who circled Peter like a big game cat on the hunt.
Trouble sniffed at Peter’s pant leg and shoes.
“Checking into renting a unit. Why do you ask?”
“Just thought it odd meeting you here like this after we just spoke not thirty minutes ago.” Ethan hadn’t noticed the SUV with the Sulkie decal wrap anywhere. Nor had he seen the dark sedan that was at the core of whatever was happening with Annabel. “Where’s your car?”
“Over there.” Peter pointed through the palm trees between Public Storage and the minimart. “I stopped to get gas and a Red Bull. Instead of dealing with traffic, I walked over.” He shrugged nonchalantly but he glanced at Ethan, then his car, and back again. “I need to get back to work.”
Ethan gave Peter the once-over, noting the crest from Palm Gardens Country Club. “Are you a member there?” He nodded to indicate the T-shirt Peter wore. “At Palm Gardens?”
Peter glanced down, before slowly raising his gaze. “No. But I’ve shot a ton of weddings there and half the time, as a thank you gift, instead of a big fat tip, I get a shirt.”
“Nice gesture.” Ethan noticed that Trouble had moved a few feet away, but was sizing up Peter, much like Ethan was.
Right size and build. Peter certainly had easy access to information about scheduled weddings.
“I’d rather have a cash tip.” Peter waved his hand in the air. “I really need to get going.”
Ethan stepped to the side, letting Peter pass. Something about him didn’t add up, but Ethan couldn’t put his finger on it. He watched as Trouble followed Peter through the palm trees, knowing Trouble wouldn’t go too far. Meanwhile, Ethan was going to ask the young lady at the desk what Peter was really doing there.
“Can I help you, Officer?” The girl behind the desk couldn’t have been more than twenty, at best.
“I wanted to ask about the gentleman who was just in here. What did he want?”
The girls eyes went wide. “He was just asking questions about how we do business. Is he under investigation of some kind?”
“No. Nothing like that.” There was no reason to believe Peter had anything to do with the strange things going on around Annabel, just a feeling Ethan had in his gut. He didn’t want to spook the girl, but he wanted her to be on alert, and more importantly, careful. “Do me a favor, and if you see him around here again or anything suspicious, call me.” He handed the girl his card.
“Now you’ve got me freaking out. Should I be worried about that man?”
“No,” Ethan replied. “I just keep running into him on a case I’m working, and it struck me as odd. Nothing to worry about.”
“Oh. I see.” The girl tucked his card in her back pocket. “I’ll make sure I call.”
“Thanks.” Ethan eased through the door, letting the hot Florida sun hit his face. He glanced over at the minimart. Peter and his SUV were gone, and Trouble strolled between the trees with something white dangling from his mouth. “Now what did you find?”
Trouble dropped a white slip of paper in Ethan’s hand.
A receipt.
A cash receipt for a Red Bull and a bag of chips. No gas. Then again, he probably used a credit card since no one these days used cash for the pumps.
“I know what you’re thinking. And I’ll get this to the lab, and we’ll check for prints and see if they match the other one.”
Ethan held his phone, contemplating if he should say anything at all about the receipt to anyone. The cat did some pretty strange things, only Ethan didn’t find them odd, he found them quite intelligent.
"You look perplexed.” Annabel held a folder in her hand.
He opened up the Safari app and Googled Palm Gardens Country Club. “Is this the logo you saw?”
“That’s it. Wow. You’re a great detective.”
“You’ll have to thank Trouble. He must have seen Peter—”
“As in the photographer?” she asked, her voice raising a notch with excitement.
He nodded with much less enthusiasm. “He was wearing a shirt with the logo, and Trouble must have spotted it.”
“That’s one hell of a cat.”
“He sure is. I’ve got to call Palmetto. It should be really easy to get a warrant for the records of this unit now that I’ve found—or I should say Trouble found—another stolen item in the unit.”
“I don’t think everything is stolen.” She opened the folder and pulled out two sheets of paper. “This is a receipt for a wedding dress. I think it’s the one on the mannequin based on the description and guess who bought it?”
“Who?” he asked, enjoying her zeal. When he first joined the force, every call he made, he felt that same fervor that she had in her eyes.
“Dawn, the wedding planner.”
“Really?”
“And there’s more. She also bought a ring.” Annabel reached in her pocket. “This was on the mannequin’s finger, and I found a second receipt with Dawn’s name on it.”
Ethan took the bent ring and held it up. “Leave it to Dawn to buy her own wedding ring.”
“She’s not married.”
“That begs the question: why did she buy it? Did you find anything else? What about those invitations you found?”
Annabel stepped across two boxes before bending over and picking up a pad of paper. “I checked the names against the list you gave me, and I didn’t find a match, but what’s interesting is that two of the invitations are for weddings that won’t be held for a couple of weeks.”
“What are the names and when are the weddings?”
“Um, let me look.” She flipped a couple of pages. “Jeff Becker and Lisa Palmer are to be married a week from Saturday. The other wedding is in four weeks and it’s David Rose and Melissa Tait.”
“I know David and his bride to be. They live in my building.” Ethan scratched the back of his neck, glancing at the wedding dress displayed on a headless mannequin. “I don’t know the other couple.”
“I wonder if whoever owned this storage unit was invited to all these weddings.” Annabel gasped, her eyes lit up with that ‘ah hah’ look. “You know who gets invited to a lot of weddings?”
“Who?” Ethan asked as he picked up the list of recently stolen wedding items and the victims, looking for a connection.
“My boss, Craig. Just the other day, he got two invitations.”
“What did he do with them?” Ethan scanned the list, which wasn’t too long, but Palmetto had requested other counties and even the state police to share cases that might be related. A serial wedding burglar. The motive for that could be interesting. A scorned woman. A man with an ax to grind. Someone who was always the bridesmaid, never the bride.
The list of potential suspects grew with each possibility that popped into his mind, only he couldn’t connect any of them to a single case. But he knew there was a correlation to all the recent capers.
“I don’t know,” Annabel said. “The last time I saw the invitations, they were on my desk.” Her phone rang. “It’s my dad.”
Ethan waved his phone. “I’m going to step outside and call Palmetto.” He pulled up the contact information and hit the green button just as Annabel said hello to Mr. Wilder.
“What’s up?” Palmetto asked as soon as he answered.
“I believe I’ve got a second stolen item from Annabel’s storage unit.”
“Oh, really. And what pray-tell is that?”
“The engagement ring I gave to my ex,” Ethan said as he strolled down the pavement, away from the front office, the sun at his back.
“No kidding. You know, that makes your girlfriend look guilty of something.”
“She wasn’t even in the state at the
time, and she wasn’t the original renter of the storage space.” Ethan drew his lips in a tight line. He knew the sheriff was just busting his chops, but he didn’t take too kindly to it. “The appraisal and insurance information on the ring is in my apartment, if you need it for the warrant, which should be easy to get now.”
“I’ll call the judge. Where are you?”
“With Annabel at the Public Storage facility on Military.”
“I’ll be in touch,” Palmetto said, then the line went dead.
Ethan turned on his heels and paused midstep, staring at Annabel hugging her father. “Hello, Mr. Wilder.”
“Call me Max.” Annabel’s father stretched out his arm.
Ethan took the man’s hand in a firm shake. “It’s good to see you. What brings you out here?”
“I was in the area and promised her mother I’d check in on her, considering the excitement that happened at the jewelry store and the robbery at her condo building.” Max stood at a very fit six two. Ethan occasionally saw him at the gym, but more frequently running early mornings at the exercise park near the beach. They didn’t often chat since they both were usually pressed for time, but every so often they’d grab a cup of coffee together and shoot the breeze.
“Mom’s wigged out, isn’t she?”
“She’ll feel better knowing Ethan is here with you, that’s for sure.” Max slapped Ethan on the shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. “But I also wanted to talk to my daughter about a friend she said needed help.”
“I wouldn’t call Craig a friend, but what did you find out?”
“Craig, as in your boss?” Ethan asked. He didn’t mean to pry, but Craig was definitely a person of interest in this case.
Or some case.
Trouble jumped up on a box, sitting tall, as if he were involved in the conversation. Or maybe he just thought the same thing Ethan had about Craig.
Too many cases that seemingly weren’t connected, but too similar not to be linked together by a common denominator.
“I told you about the lawsuit his ex-filed,” Annabel said.
Ethan nodded. Craig just might be the link. He certainly had issues with marriage.
“Well, Dad, what do you think? Does Craig need a lawyer?”
“I think his ex has a good case against him, and it doesn’t help that she’s got a restraining order. This case could go either way, since they had joint accounts, and other than an actual marriage license, they lived as a married couple. If he were my client, I’d recommend offering her a fair settlement.”
“I appreciate you taking a look at it. What should I tell him?” Annabel held Ethan’s gaze.
The more his mind turned over the evidence, the more he believed Craig was responsible for some of the stolen items. The only question now was why?
“One of my junior associates is interested in taking the case, so she’ll be in touch,” her father said.
“What’s the basis of the restraining order?” Ethan asked as his mind pulled up what he knew of the call last night at Sarah’s house.
“It was filed right after she had a miscarriage. She claims, and there were at least two witnesses, that Craig went nuts, accusing her of having an abortion. Not only did he threaten her, but he hit her.”
“Jesus,” Annabel said. “I don’t see him as the type.”
“No one ever does either,” Ethan said just as Palmetto pulled into the parking lot. “I think my warrant just arrived, so in a few minutes we’ll know exactly who rented the space.”
“He’s quite the young man,” Annabel’s father said as he sat down on the folding chair. “I hear through the grapevine that you and he have gone on a few dates.”
Annabel held up her finger. “One date. Not really a date, and just the one. And what grapevine?”
“Mrs. Hilfax has informed your mother of Ethan’s comings and goings. Not to mention his mom has called once, though not to discuss the two of you. They are in the same garden club, so that was the excuse for the call.”
“This small-town gossip mill was one thing I didn’t miss when I was living in the city.”
“No one is really gossiping, well, except for Mrs. Hilfax. Your mom and I just want you to be happy, and the last year has been a rough one. He seems to have put a smile on my little girl’s face and a twinkle in her eye. That melts this old man’s heart.”
“Yeah. That cat is the best.” She eyed Trouble, who stood right next to Ethan’s legs as he talked to Palmetto.
Her father arched a brow. “I meant Ethan.”
Annabel forced herself not to roll her eyes as if she were a teenager and her father was giving her ‘the talk.’ “I realize that and I’m enjoying spending time with him, but I don’t need Mom pushing me, or anyone else for that matter.”
“It’s kind of hard when it’s Ethan. I’ve always liked him and my God, you had such a wicked crush on him when you were little.”
Annabel’s mouth dropped open. While she’d always been close to her parents, she’d never once mentioned the crushes she’d had when she’d been a teenager. “I did not.”
“I was actually worried he might return your feelings once when he drove you home. He looked at you like I looked at your mother when we first met.”
“Dad! I don’t want to hear about you and Mom.” She remembered that incident like it was yesterday. Ethan’s smile was engraved in her mind with permanent marker. His emerald eyes had burned into her skin that day when he’d winked.
But then a few weeks later, when she’d been hanging out with Rosie at her pool, Ethan showed up with a new girlfriend. Annabel couldn’t remember her name, and didn’t care, but the crushing pain in her chest made her work to forget all about ever wanting a chance with Ethan. At the end of the summer, he went away to college and she had her first boyfriend.
“I’m just saying he looks at you that way now. It’s painfully obvious he’s got it bad for you, and I know my little girl. You like him. A lot.”
“I do. I always have. I just don’t know how far I want to take things. It wasn’t that long ago he was engaged to someone else, and I was still living with Devin. I don’t want to jump in with blinders on.”
“I don’t want you to rush things, but I’m hoping you’re open to the possibility with Ethan. He’s a good man. You’ve known him your entire life, so there are no blinders. He’s pretty much shown you the kind of person he is for years.”
“You’ve hated all my boyfriends. Why is he different?” Annabel hadn’t had many relationships, but the ones she did have, her father had always thought she could have done better, especially when it came to Devin. Her father had been tolerant of her choices in men, but he didn’t bring them into his inner circle or invite them for a round of golf. She had pushed her dad into bringing Devin to the club, and even though he did, he still didn’t treat Devin like a potential son-in-law.
“Because I know he’s a good man. And I can tell you like him. All I want is for you to be happy.”
“He certainly is one of a kind.” She let out a long breath. The image of Quinn’s ring flashed in her mind’s eye.
“What’s troubling you, sweetheart?”
“Right before you got here, we found the ring he’d bought for Quinn. It had been stolen a few weeks after they broke up.”
“Is everything in here stolen?”
“I’m starting to think it is.”
Her father stood, taking a step deeper into the unit. “Some serious pathology going on here, if that’s the case.”
“I know and it concerns me that it could be my boss.”
“Excuse me?” her father turned back toward her and stared, his expression stern. “Why do you think that, and why am I just hearing about it now?”
“We literally just put it together right before you showed up, but it’s a theory, and there are a lot of weird things happening, all wedding-related.”
“Yeah. You should quit working for him,” her father said, peering into one of the boxes. “If
he’s responsible for stealing all this, his ex’s lawsuit will be the least of his problems.”
“Ethan’s on his way back.” Annabel stood, smoothing down her slacks.
“What did you find out?” Annabel asked Ethan as he made his way toward the storage unit.
“You’re not going to believe who rented this space,” Ethan said with Trouble strutting right by his side.
“Lay it on me,” Annabel said.
“Dawn Lancaster, the wedding planner.”
“That almost makes sense.” Annabel’s brows shot up. “Only Tara said it was always a man that came around the unit.”
“Well, maybe that man was her fiancé. Or whoever she bought those items for. Either way, it’s time I go have a little chat with Dawn,” Ethan said.
Chapter Thirteen
Ethan jogged up the steps at the two-story strip mall where Happy Endings was located. The only interaction he’d had with Dawn had been through his sister and her wedding. He remembered that the pushy wedding planner gave him an unsettled feeling, but only because she used high-pressure sales tactics to get couples to sign on for expensive extras they had never wanted in their ceremonies. However, she did have a long list of satisfied customers. While she specialized in weddings, she planned other occasions as well.
The office was located near the end of the building. A large sign hung over the door that read: Happy Endings for Every Occasion. Not the best catch phrase, but he’d heard worse.
A young blonde girl sat behind the desk, laptop open, chewing on the end of a pen. She smiled when the door dinged, but her mouth quickly turned into a frown the moment her eyes connected with Ethan’s. “May I help you?” she asked.
“I’m looking for the owner.”
“I’m the owner.” She stood, stretching out her hand. “Melissa Randolph.”
“I thought Dawn Lancaster was the owner.” Ethan scratched the back of his neck.
“She sold it to me.”
“When?” Ethan asked.
“Two months ago,” the girl said with a reassuring smile. “What kind of party are you planning? I can assure you that I’ll do as good a job as Dawn would. She’s introduced me to all her contacts, and we’ve been able to work well together in the time I’ve been here.”