by Tyora Moody
“Something just doesn’t feel right. Jade doesn’t seem to be telling the whole truth. Doesn’t that strike you as strange? Am I being silly here thinking there’s more to this whole thing?”
Cam threw up his hands, “Sorry, I thought I was the detective on this case. I’m baffled why you have such an interest. I told you Paul had an alibi. Unfortunately, no one has come forward about the composite yet. But this… Toni, it’s like you’re on a mission to find a way to pin this on Paul Lambert.”
“No, I’m not. I know you said he wasn’t there, but then I find out the woman who planned the whole event is his fiancée. She has control of the guest list.”
“So now you’re accusing Olivia Niles of hiding the fact that her fiancé was in the building?”
“Well, it’s possible.” She responded under her breath.
“Toni, in order for someone’s alibi to check out, they have to prove their whereabouts. Paul was with Olivia around the same time Jade was assaulted. He picked up Olivia after the fundraiser about thirty minutes before the crime took place. They have witnesses to verify they both left together in his car. The others stayed around to clean up before heading home.”
Toni’s mind raced. Did Paul come back?
Cam walked closer to her. “Lets talk this through, okay? Because I can tell you’re not convinced.”
She looked at Cam thinking he knew her too well. That kind of surprised her.
Cam held up two fingers. “The facts. Number one, the person who was in the building had no intentions of committing an assault that night. He waited until everyone left the building for a reason. He wanted to get into that gallery. He was successful. Two, I believe Jade surprised him. Maybe he thought she saw him in the act. I don’t know. He tried to strangle her, which makes this more than an assault. Closer to attempted murder. Pretty serious, you agree?”
Toni nodded for Cam to continue.
“We both know Paul is a wealthy man. The Lambert family is well known. Even if Paul didn’t have an alibi, what’s his motive for ripping off his fiancée?”
Cam crossed his arms and stared at her.
Toni looked away. She felt really stupid now and stared at the floor. “I guess I needed you to lay it out for me. What do I know? I just sketch faces.”
Still a question lingered. “Don’t throw anything at me, but what about all those cameras? You’re saying someone stole a painting and a woman was assaulted. Sounds like the security company needs to be fired.”
That made Cam crack a smile. “I have to agree with you. Someone either hacked into the security system or this was an inside job. Right now, I’m hoping there are some electronic footprints.”
“On the footage we have, most of the guests left by ten o’clock. Olivia and her staff closed up the gallery around eleven. Maybe ten minutes after eleven, Mr. Lambert picked up Ms. Niles. The only person we saw re-entering the building was Jade, who as you know forgot her phone. The one area where cameras are not located is around the office where Jade was attacked. But the strange thing is the cameras seemed to show some type of loop.”
“They setup a way for this person to get what they wanted from the gallery. I was thinking they entered and left by going down the stairwell.”
Cam arched his eyebrow. “Good catch, detective-in-training. Could be true. None of the cameras on the other floors were tampered with that we could tell. We talked to the guard downstairs. He saw nothing on his round. He or she knew how to work their way around the building undetected.”
Toni frowned, “He or she?”
Cam nodded. “I know Jade worked with you on the sketch, but I’ve been doing this long enough to not pay attention to all details. Only women who worked in that office had the ability to move in and out of the gallery. Plus, this robbery had to be at least a two-person job.”
More than one person.
Toni asked, “I’m assuming you’re looking at all foundation employees and that long volunteer list.”
“You betcha. Detective work is not easy.”
Toni knew she had more questions than answers, but she felt like she had only succeeded in offending Cam. “I’m sorry for bringing this to you on a Saturday when you’re trying to relax. You shared way more than you should have.”
He shrugged. “My cases never quite leave me alone. I was here in the shop late last night thinking about the case, especially since I don’t have leads. Whoever was there, they got what they wanted which is causing a whole lot of other issues. It would be nice if that painting showed up somewhere or if we could figure out who tampered with the security system.”
They stood in silence for a few minutes.
Cam interrupted the silence. “Toni, I could be out of line here, but have you really dealt with what Paul did to you? Did you ever go for counseling?”
Toni caught her breath not expecting the rush of tears that came to her eyes. Now Cam was questioning her. “My issues have nothing to do with the fact that there are some sketchy details on this case.”
“That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just concerned that you may be projecting some unreleased emotions in the wrong direction.”
“That’s not true. I helped a victim place a face for her attacker. I want the right person arrested and convicted. I’ve been living my life just fine.”
That wasn’t really true.
It was time for her to go. “I’m sorry for bothering you. I promise to stay out of your investigation.” She moved towards the kitchen door.
“Toni, stop.” Cam leapt in front of her. “Don’t leave like this. I don’t want this to keep bothering you. A man is supposed to protect the woman he claims to love, not hurt her. Paul hurt you.”
“Yes, he did. I don’t want him to ever hurt anyone else.”
He reached out and touched her arm. “Paul Lambert has moved on and you can do the same. I’m going to pray that you can truly move forward.”
“Thank you.” Toni was touched by Cam’s offer to pray for her and without thinking she reached her arms around him, feeling the firmness of his back muscles as she hugged him. She laid her head against his chest.
He held her. For a brief moment her mind focused on how good it felt to be in Cam’s arms.
She stepped back reluctantly and mumbled, “Sorry.”
Cam observed her, “I’m not sorry.”
His eyes held hers. Toni looked away. “I really do need to go.”
“You can head out this way to your car.”
She watched as Cam pressed the garage door opener. When the door lifted, she stepped out into the heat towards her car. After climbing inside, she waved at Cam, who stood watching her from inside the garage.
As she drove away, her mind focused on the embrace with Cam.
Hmm…that felt so right. I needed that.
Another thought broke her euphoria.
I wonder what Olivia’s reaction was when Cam showed her the composite? Surely she would’ve noticed some resemblance to Paul.
Toni blew out a breath. It didn’t matter. She hadn’t told Cam about her meeting with Olivia next week, one she had no intentions of canceling.
She didn’t understand if it was her curiosity or something else, but Toni still wanted to know more about the woman Paul was marrying.
Chapter 9
Sunday, June 11 at 3:14 pm
Sundays were pretty important to Toni. After the week she’d had, spending worship time with her family was exactly what she needed. Toni attended service at Victory Gospel Church and sat with Jo’s family. She glanced over to see Jo’s husband, Bryan, with his arms around her sister and smiled. It looked like her sister’s marriage wasn’t going to fall apart despite Bryan’s affair last fall. Now with the new baby girl coming, her sister and brother-in-law seemed to be back on track. Her nephew, B.J., squirmed beside her before eventually laying his head on her shoulder.
Since their parents were out of town, Sunday dinner was at Jo’s house. Bryan had baked his famous lasagna while Jo
pulled together a salad. It wasn’t the Southern cooking they were all used to from their mom, but both Cori and Toni, the non-cooks of the family were happy for a home-cooked meal. Toni still had hopes of being a wife and mom one day soon. Some day it would be her turn to host Sunday dinner for her family.
As Bryan and Jo cleared the table, Toni grabbed her phone and walked outside to the patio. Her sister’s backyard was an oasis with flowers bordering the yard. Bryan kept the grass immaculate with a weekly cut. Toni settled into one of the cushioned chairs and stared at the trees that separated the yard from the neighboring yard. Her mind still whirled with questions, no matter how much she tried to switch gears.
In the distance, she heard Cori chasing B.J. Her thoughts slipped to Cam and their embrace yesterday.
I’m not ready.
Cam was right. She had a lot more emotional baggage to unpack.
She turned to see her sister Jo squeeze her growing stomach through the door opening.
“Hey, you enjoy dinner?” Jo eased into the other patio chair.
Toni smiled. “Of course, I always appreciate Bryan’s lasagna.” She patted her stomach. “My tummy is happy.”
Jo grinned. “I appreciate not having to cook. Didn’t you say you had something to show me?”
After the assault, Toni had started painting images that flooded her mind during her recovery. In a matter of four weeks, she had painted seven different pieces all showing a woman in various stages of pain. The watercolor collection was very different for her. She ended up storing the paintings in the back of her closet and moving on to other projects.
She’d never showed the paintings to her family. At least until now. Toni had taken photos of the paintings last night with her phone. She passed her phone to Jo and twisted her fingers as she waited for her sister’s response.
After a few minutes, Jo looked up with tears in her eyes. “These are beautiful. You had these hidden all this time?”
Toni nodded. “I guess I wasn’t ready to show them yet.”
Her brother stepped out on the patio. “B.J. must of have had a busy weekend. He went down for a nap in no time.” He looked back and forth between Jo and Cori. “Uh oh. Girl talk, maybe I need to head back inside.”
“You should see Toni’s paintings.” Jo passed the phone to him.
Toni rubbed her hands together as her twin quietly flipped through the photos. Cori handed the phone to Toni. “Sis, these paintings are stunning. So what are you planning to do with these?”
Even after her conversation with Cam yesterday, Toni still felt led to share the collection with Olivia. “I met up with a foundation that supports causes for women. I’m meeting with them on Tuesday to see if they’re interested. If so, I’m willing to donate the pieces for a good cause.”
Jo clasped her hands over her belly. “I’m so proud of you. It’s like a step towards your healing. That’s what I see in those pieces. The first three have a lot of pain, but there is a transition to peace by the time you view the last one.”
Toni swallowed. “Maybe this is my way of getting to that last transition.”
Jo stood and hugged her. “Good for you, sis. It’s time for you to be happy. You deserve it.”
As Jo headed back towards the kitchen, Cori plopped on the chair next to her. “Cam called last night. Said I should make sure you stay out of trouble. Any particular reason why?”
Toni arched her eye. “What else did he say?”
“Nothing. Just that I should probably keep an eye on you.”
Her warm feelings towards Cam changed. Did he really think he was being helpful by talking to her brother?
“I’m okay, Cori. Cam and I had a heart to heart talk yesterday and I’m moving forward, staying out of his way.”
Cori narrowed his eyes. “This still has to do with that composite that resembled Paul?”
She shook her head. “It’s apparently not Paul. He has an alibi. So, no worries.”
“Really? Because you’ve been awfully quiet today. Not just today, all week.”
“Cam is a good detective. I know he’s covering all the bases. There’s just some details that are bugging me.”
“Like what? I don’t need you and Cam having a falling out.”
“It’s not like that. We’re cool.”
“Good because you know he really likes you.” Cori widened his eyes. “A lot.”
Toni whipped her head and looked at her brother. “What?”
“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed? When we were kids, he wasn’t coming around all the time just to hang out with me. I always caught him looking at you. His eyes going all soft.”
“Stop playing.” She didn’t believe what she was hearing, but she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. “He never asked me out.”
“Probably because he was afraid too. I mean I wasn’t the one getting in the way, but Dad is kind of intimidating you know.”
“Still, we’re older now. Dad isn’t an issue.”
“You’re right about that. I don’t know. I guess he’s still working his nerve up. Or either he thinks you’re not interested. Are you?”
“I…” She thought of the hug again. She was definitely interested, but she wasn’t sure if this was the right time.
Cori interrupted her thoughts. “You’re still shackled down by what Paul did to you. When are you going to get past that, Toni?”
“I’m doing it now.”
“Well, I hope you are because I need you and Cam to stop walking around each other like you’re on eggshells.”
Toni thought back to her conversation with Cam on Saturday. He was comforting to her despite the fact she practically accused him of not doing his job. He didn’t have to share the details of the case with her like he did. He was truly looking out for her.
She looked at Cori. “I do have a question for you.”
“Uh oh. Is this a work-related question?”
“Yeah. Which you know you like to answer because you’re such a nerd?”
Cori rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Ask away.”
“If you were planning to rob a place and you knew it had really good security, is there a way to hack the cameras?”
Cori arched his eyebrows at her. “Uhmm, where are we going with this conversation?”
“It’s about this case. Just tell me.”
“Of course it’s possible. I guess if I wanted to get into a place, I would definitely look at the timing. You can probably hack into the system and take into account what’s going on during that time of day. Based on a certain time period, you could replace the actual cameras with a recording. So anyone who’s looking at the screen would see what you wanted them to see.”
“So, a thief could get inside a place and get what they wanted undetected by the cameras?”
“Yeah. In most of those really cool heist movies, that’s what always happens. The key is you have to do it in a certain amount of time without raising suspicion.”
A theory started whirling in Toni’s mind, but she still couldn’t quite place her finger on why.
It all came back to Jade Lewis. There wasn’t anything wrong with forgetting one’s phone. It happens. Still, Toni became increasingly curious about Jade and knew at some point she wanted to talk to her again.
She would have to do it without Cam’s knowledge.
Chapter 10
Tuesday, June 13 at 9:51 am
Toni took a deep breath as she watched the elevator rise to number three. She held tight to her portfolio case. Even after her siblings encouraged her to move forward with sharing her collection, she still questioned if this was the right thing to do. This woman was Paul’s fiancée. She’d really expected the appointment to be cancelled, but no such call or email came.
She stepped off the elevator into the familiar lobby. Annie looked up and her smiled faltered. “Ms. Reed. You’re early.”
Toni hesitated as she walked up to the desk. “I hope that’s okay.”
; Annie grimaced. “It may be awhile. Liv has a disgruntled person in her office at the moment. Have a seat over in our waiting area. I’ll let you know when Olivia can see you.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I can’t imagine you would ever have anyone like that with the foundation’s worthy causes.”
Annie rolled her eyes. “Believe me, when people donate,” she made curly quotes with her fingers as she said the word donate, “they are very particular about how you spend their money. Not that Liv would do anything wrong.”
Toni nodded. She sat in a comfortable high-back chair in the waiting room and pulled out her phone to scan her emails, her mind full of questions. At least twenty minutes passed. A man marched out into the hallway.
Toni turned to see a short balding man with a red face. “I really hope you can find that painting. My late wife loved that artist and that particular painting.”
“Mr. Stewart, I’m so sorry. The police are doing everything they can to locate it.”
The man stabbed the elevator button. “Well, you should know if they don’t find it, I cannot follow suit with the donation.”
Olivia looked like she was going to burst into tears as she watched Mr. Stewart enter the elevator. She walked over to Annie and wailed, “This is horrible. We can’t afford to lose $10,000. Call that detective. See if he’s found out anything yet.”
Wow, Toni thought. That’s a lot of money for a painting.
Toni stood to catch Liv’s attention, “This seems like a bad time. Maybe we should reschedule?”
Olivia twirled around. “Toni. I’m sorry to keep you waiting. It’s been a busy morning. A really terrible morning.”
“Not a problem,” Toni held up her phone. “Always something to do on the phone. Look, I appreciate your interest, but maybe…”
Olivia grinned, “No, I want to see your paintings. I need something good to happen today.”
Annie appeared concern. “Are you sure you should take on another appointment today?”