The Naked Truth

by Maggie Aldrich

  While Michael and I both showered—separately—Fritz came up with a plan to start investigating the C-IZZY properties as if we were just interested in them from a real estate perspective. According to the county assessor website, the mountain was divided up into five distinct parcels, and one of them held a very large house nestled so far back into the property that an image of the actual structure wasn’t available. However, the barebones footprint was online, as well as the aerial photo. The other parcels, besides the resort, appeared to be vacant of any structures.

  Michael pulled me aside into the bedroom after my shower and slid the barn door shut. My hair was still wet, and I was wearing his robe, since Fritz had taken mine. I reached up and held it shut tight at the neck, playfully swatting his arm away.

  “Not now,” I said, in mock disapproval. “Can’t you give a girl a break? Fritz is right behind that door.”

  “Babe, I didn’t pull you in here for that.” His face grew concerned, and he ran his hand across his face. “I don’t like the path we’re taking here.” He pulled me down to sit on the bed and rubbed his hands up and down his thighs as if he were nervous. “I don’t like to tell you what to do. I know you’re very independent and don’t like to be bossed around.” He paused and looked at me so tenderly, my heart melted. “You were in danger the last time we went along with one of Fritz’s schemes, and I can’t take that chance again.” Taking my hand, he continued. “I will go with Fritz to snoop around, but I don’t want you anywhere nearby.”

  “Aw, babe.” I wrapped my arms around him and leaned into him. The last time I went along with one of Fritz’s ideas, I had inadvertently almost gotten myself killed. The whole thing scared Michael so badly, he proposed soon after, and had barely left my side since. “I get it. I really do.”

  I had to respect my husband’s wishes. But I also had to find my father. And if Fritz thought searching Izzy’s properties might help… Ugh. I just didn’t know what to do. If I backed out and sent Michael and Fritz alone, I’d just be putting them in danger, wouldn’t I? But then I laughed at my own thinking. My husband is built like a fortress. He’s strong, tough, and wickedly smart. If he’d been in that fateful room with Shiner and a gun last year, he’d have disarmed him in ten seconds flat. I have no doubt about that. But Fritz…

  The thought of me hanging back was one thing. However, I was also beginning to feel hesitant about Darcy tagging along with them. She’s basically a local celebrity and an occasional investigative reporter to boot. She might be easily recognized, and the thought of her possibly showing her face to someone connected to a local drug supplier didn’t sit well with me. If someone recognized her, it might set off alarm bells and put them all in danger, not to mention ruin any chance of finding my dad.

  Maybe she and I could still help out by doing some investigating of our own remotely, from right here. Maybe Darcy had some connections she could check out, and I could go talk to Caty while the guys drove around to different properties. I didn’t know how I was going to pull off pretending I wanted to score some drugs, but I guess I’d just have to work on my acting skills.

  I turned to Michael and gave him a smile. “You’re right. I think maybe Darcy and I should both hang back.” I explained my reasoning and felt him immediately relax in relief. “But you can’t go and get yourself in trouble now either,” I scolded him. “Or else I’ll have to come out and save your ass.” I gave him a little grin and poked him in the ribs with my elbow.

  “God, what a relief.” He dropped his head and smiled. “I’ll be as careful as I can.” He leaned down to give me a kiss. My hands automatically slid up his chest and around his neck. “Scout’s honor. Now that that’s settled,” he said, sneaking a finger underneath my neckline, “let me see what’s under that robe.”

  Darcy arrived at the cabin shortly thereafter. Remarkably quick, I thought, for having finished up at work and stopping somewhere to pick up a pair of Cole Haan hiking boots. “Listen, I’m not going to compromise on fashion just because I’ll be hiking in the middle of a forest. After all,” she said, looking down at them, “if I get a big story out of this, I’ll just write them off.”

  I felt a little bit guilty that I’d already decided she and I were going to hang back. Hopefully she’d kept her receipt.

  Fritz had taken up residence on the couch in front of the fire, feet up on the ottoman, laptop perched on his protruding belly. He looked like a very pregnant mother. “So, I’ve been thinking.” He rubbed his beard thoughtfully. “We’ll just start driving around to check these lots out.” He pointed to the screen. “If anyone stops us, we’re going to say we’ve been staying at the resort and loved the view so much, we wanted to build a cabin of our own on the same mountain. You know, like that other couple you mentioned seeing this morning.” He set the laptop aside and slid on his boots, wincing in pain as he stood up. “Sure hope most of this is accessible by road,” he said warily.

  “To cover all the bases, I’m also going to head back down to the front desk and see if Caty happens to be in yet. I might mention that I know of a guy that’s new to the region that deals in the hard stuff. See if I get any kind of reaction from her. Maybe she knows of him.

  “But,” he continued, “I really think checking out these properties and digging more into this Izzy dude is going to lead us to your dad. I’ve got a hunch they’ve got some kind of connection.”

  “Uh, I’ve got a slight change in plans.” I stood there looking nervously between Fritz and Darcy, Michael’s hands protectively on my shoulders. “I think Darcy and I need to hang back.”

  “What? No way!” Darcy exclaimed, spinning around, eyes wide.

  “Please,” I interrupted. “Just listen.” I calmly explained my reasoning behind it, fibbing a little bit about just why we thought it was a good idea I stay behind too. (I wasn’t going to tell Fritz that Michael didn’t completely trust him.)

  “I can come up with a disguise,” Darcy blurted out. “Go undercover, incognito, or whatever. Dress me up like a dude. I don’t care. I’m going.”

  I looked at her in her designer hiking boots, skinny jeans, stylish North Face coat, and flaming pink nails. She was a few inches taller than me with big boobs and long, beautiful, professionally styled hair. I was pretty sure she and I couldn’t share clothes, and there’s no way she’d be able to pass as a guy. Plus, I wasn’t sure that she’d be able to contain her overeager self if they did find a big lead. If she was recognized, she might blow the whole thing.

  “How about this,” Michael spoke up. “Fritz and I go scouting around in our SUV to make sure everything’s okay. Then if we give the all clear, you can come on up to join us.” I noticed he didn’t mention my name and wouldn’t look me in the eye, but I let it go. He was just being overprotective.

  Darcy looked seriously irritated, and I knew she was battling between her own desire to be in on the action, and the knowledge that, of all of us, she and I were the most likely to set off alarm bells. She sighed loudly, nostrils flaring and her breath coming out like a hiss.

  “Fine,” she spat out through gritted teeth. “But you check in hourly at the minimum.” She paced around the room, shaking her arms in an attempt to dissipate her anger. “Why the hell did I spend $250 on these boots then?” she grumbled.

  Michael and Fritz continued to get ready, packing food and drinks for their outing and discussing their cover story.

  “Okay,” Fritz began, “we say you’re my son and we’re going around looking for real estate deals in this beautiful area.”

  I looked at Fritz, who is about my height, and my husband, who towered over him.

  “Yeah, I don’t buy that. Unless your wife is an Amazon woman, you could not have produced that offspring.”

  Fritz glared at me. “I happen to have a brother who is quite tall.” I titled my head at him in doubt. “Well, five-eight is considered tall in my family, at least. Anyway,” he said, turning to Michael, “you wanna say we’re a couple?”


  “A couple of what?” Michael asked innocently, placing a bottle of water in a cooler. I covered my mouth to hide my snicker.

  “A couple. As in, we’re ‘together.’ You know, out looking for our forever home.” Fritz looked completely earnest.

  Michael stopped moving and turned around, his face beginning to turn red. “I’m on my freaking hon—” He stopped to take a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “No. We’re not saying we’re a couple.” He began throwing the bottles of water in the cooler, ice splashing out.

  “Aw, I’m just givin’ you shit,” Fritz laughed. “This one’s so easy to rile up,” he said to me, jerking his thumb back at my husband. Fritz’s round belly shook as he laughed at Michael’s discomfort. “We’ll say I’m your father-in-law. You okay with that? That’s a little more believable.” Fritz winked at me.

  “Fine by me,” Michael agreed, slamming the cooler lid down. This was going to be a long day for him, poor guy. I could tell that much already.

  “Okay, I think we’re ready.” Fritz slapped his hands together. He looked as if he were going to a party, whereas my husband looked like he was heading out for battle—face grim, dressed in a fitted black T-shirt and black jeans with hiking boots, the veins bulging out of his forearms. The only thing he was missing was an arsenal of weapons.

  I walked up and put my arms around him. “Babe, you gonna be okay?”

  “Yep,” he said, stiffly. “You gals just hang out here until you hear from us.” He gave me a firm kiss, grabbed the cooler, and he and Fritz walked out the door. Santa Clause and his bodyguard elf.

  Darcy continued to pout about being left out of the search and kept her eyes glued to her laptop, claiming she was busy writing another story to air the next morning. I left her alone and went to walk down to the front office to see if Caty was around. We needed a little bit of separation to cool down.

  The sky had begun to cloud over, and the smell of rain filled the air. I had forgotten to check the forecast and pulled out my cell phone to look up the weather. A light breeze played with my hair and leaves scattered across the path in front of me. Coverage wasn’t great out here, and it took a few seconds for the app to pull up. Apparently, a cold front was coming through this afternoon, plummeting temps back into the thirties with a chance of freezing rain. Great. I was thankful the guys were in an SUV but decided to shoot them a text anyway to give them forewarning.

  Wishing I had remembered to put my scarf on before I left, I continued walking to the main lodge. As I approached, I saw Caty getting dropped off by a big burly man in a Range Rover. He opened the door for her, and she stepped out of the back as he helped her down from its lofty height. The man was medium height and stocky, with the physique of a body builder. He looked around as if he was waiting for someone to jump out at him. Wow. Was that her boyfriend? Dude’s got some cash to be driving that thing. Well, cash or a high credit line, which was more likely. The guy then went to park the vehicle and sat in it with it running, taking out his cell phone to keep himself occupied. He looked up at me as I walked by, a hard look on his face. I felt his gaze follow me all the way into the building.

  Caty was quietly chatting with the guy behind the front desk when I walked in. From the way they were standing, it appeared as if she were giving him instructions. I studied her for a moment, letting them finish their conversation. She was very petite with long, dark brown hair, and her skin color looked as if she’d just recently been to the beach…or a tanning salon. She was probably on a first name basis with Darcy. I wondered if her job as resort concierge required fake tans and Botox. Highly doubtful, I hoped.

  I was hoping to get her briefly away from the employee with whom she was talking, a guy named Fernando. I didn’t really want to make my inquiries with any more witnesses than was absolutely necessary.

  “Hey, Caty,” I called out when they had a break in their conversation. I flashed her a bright smile.

  Caty turned toward me, she and Fernando both perfectly attentive and ready to assist. At first, I wasn’t sure she recognized me, as she studied me for a moment. Finally, she smiled. “Hello, Mrs. Drake.”

  “Are you working today?” I asked hopefully.

  “Uh, yes. Yes, I am. I’m about to leave, but what can I do for you?” Didn’t she just get here? Fernando gave her an odd look and she turned to him, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. “You can take a break, Fernando. I’ll talk with you later.” Maybe she was the manager? She was sure acting like his boss.

  Fernando nodded and walked through a door behind the counter, disappearing and leaving me to talk to Caty freely.

  “I have an odd question,” I started. I was really feeling uncomfortable about this whole thing. I know nothing about drugs, drug lingo or any of that. I was the poster child of saying no to drugs. As in, my face was literally on a “Just Say No” poster in my school as a kid! I had never dabbled in drugs, nor had any desire to. But I realized maybe that would be to my advantage. Maybe I could simply act like someone who’s interested in experimenting. Caty looked at me expectantly.

  “So, someone thought you might be able to help me with something,” I said quietly. I leaned against the counter and prayed silently that no one else would walk in.

  “Okay, sure. What is it you need help with?” She folded her hands in front of her and tilted her head.

  “I, uh, I’m…well…okay, I’ll just blurt it out.” I quickly peeked around to make sure no one else was within earshot. “I’m looking for some hooch,” I whispered.

  “Oh.” She looked quite surprised. “Oh, okay.”

  I immediately felt myself blush. Even though it was legal in this state, I felt as if I were committing a major felony.

  “You want the nearest location of a retail marijuana facility?”

  “Yes, please,” I immediately responded. But damn, I was supposed to be asking for something a little more hard core. I shifted from one foot to another. “Actually, uh, while that info would be great, um…I was hoping you could lead me to someone who could find me something a little more…potent? It’s for a friend, actually,” I added at the last moment.

  She cocked her head at me as if she wasn’t certain exactly what I was referring to.

  “Oh, it’s fine if you don’t know a dealer,” I quickly blurted out. I was beginning to feel bad. Maybe Caty just enjoyed a legal toke once in a while? Maybe Fritz’s instincts had been wrong? “We can get by with the place you mentioned.” Shame consumed me, and I resisted the urge to turn and run in embarrassment.

  Caty looked me up and down, as if assessing my net worth…or maybe she was just trying to determine whether I was a cop.

  “I swear I’m not wearing a wire,” I said pathetically before mentally facepalming. God, she was never going to divulge anything to me now.

  Instead, she tore a piece of paper off a resort tablet, taking special care to also remove the resort name from the scrap. She silently wrote a name and number down and handed it to me.

  Still turning five shades of red, I thanked her. But I wasn’t done yet. Fritz had wanted me to ask her if she knew of any new suppliers in town, hoping to gauge her knowledge of my dad and whether he was setting up shop in Elkston.

  I looked at the scrap she had given me. “Soooo, this is the guy to talk to, huh?” I asked lightly. “My friend thought maybe someone else was honing in on his turf, what with the building downtown being blown up and everything.”

  “Huh. You know something about that?” she asked suspiciously. Her eyes narrowed.

  “Nope. We just saw it on the news.” My heart was beating out of control. What was I doing?!

  “Really.” She looked at me hard and I gulped.

  I heard the bells on the front door jingle and turned around to see her burly boyfriend walking in.

  “You ‘bout ready to go, b—”

  “Yep, just finishing up,” she said, cutting him off.

  She looked back at me and took a step closer, keeping her voice low. “This kid is
the only source of anything in this town, and he has been for years.” She pointed at the scrap of paper. “My advice is to be careful.” I held her gaze, praying she couldn’t see my heart pounding out of my chest. “Just be sure you don’t get in over your head.”

  I gave her a nod and she walked around me and out the door. My legs nearly buckled underneath me and I leaned against the front counter in relief that the awkward encounter was over. She did not seem happy about being approached. I gave myself a few minutes to get composed before turning around to walk back outside. By that time, the sheet of paper in my hand was damp. Thankfully, this piece of paper hadn’t started to turn to goo like another one before it.

  I started to walk back toward the cabin, now more convinced than ever that Caty should not see Darcy with me. Caty had given me a dealer’s name and knew I had seen the televised report. She knew I understood the significance of the explosion. She’d know something was up if she saw the two of us together. I didn’t want her to think I was trying to get her in trouble, and I certainly didn’t want Mr. Burly Man coming after us.

  I looked down at the name on the piece of paper she’d given me. “Mo.” That was it. The name Mo and a phone number. She’d said this “kid” was the only dealer in town and had been for years so, and assuming she was correct, he wasn’t my dad.

  As I continued my trek back to the cabin, I began to worry about Michael and Fritz. They had left to go drive around the mountain, searching for anything on the properties that might lead them to my dad. I think Fritz was convinced he’d come across my dad shacked up in a tent or in the massive mansion Izzy owned. I just hoped they’d be safe. The reality of what they were doing really began to set in. Driving around a drug lord’s property uninvited was just asking for trouble. Would there be armed guards? I’d be surprised if there weren’t. It didn’t matter how built my husband was. A well-muscled, physically fit man is no match for a bullet. I had been foolish to think otherwise. A feeling of dread began to settle over me.