Understanding Alice Du-Kane

by Riley Walker

  “I’ll be there in about twenty.”

  I hang up the phone and stare at the wall for a moment. I wonder what Oren found that he needs to show me so badly?

  When I hear Oren knocking, I open the door. “Come on in.”

  I close the door after him and lead Oren into the living room. All the papers I have been looking over are in here, so I have to move some out of the way for him to have a place to set his laptop.

  I watch him log in, then proceed to pull up the bank account from the Cayman Islands he showed me a few weeks ago.

  “Look at this line right here,” he points to an amount on the screen. “Now, look over here at this.” I follow his finger to another window he has open. I notice right away that the amounts match. He must see my confusion because he continues on without me having to ask. “This account, is your Uncle Richie’s. It took some time to hunt it down because this bank is in New Orleans.”

  “New Orleans, Louisiana?”

  Oren nods his head. “Yep. He has a checking and savings with the Memphis Bank, but nothing was matching. I dug around, and finally got a hit at the Louisiana Trust Bank in New Orleans.”

  I can’t speak. I just sit there and stare at the two amounts that match up perfectly.

  “There’s more, Alice. There’s about $8,750,000 of your missing funds that match up to deposits in this account.”

  Son of a bitch.

  I see a hand wave in front of my face and it finally snaps me out of the deadly thoughts running through my mind. I look over to see a very worried Oren. “I’m sorry. I guess I zoned out for a moment.” I take a deep breath and lay back onto the couch. “What am I going to do, Oren? Is there enough concrete evidence for me to call the police?”

  “That’s the problem, Alice. What I did wasn’t exactly legal. You need to hire a private investigator that can legally look into these things. We can show him what I found and he can do his thing. Once he has found everything, the right way, then we can take it all to the police.”

  I lay my head on Oren’s shoulder, “I can’t believe he would do this. Why steal from your own company?”

  Oren wraps his arm around me. “I just don’t know, Alice. At least we were able to find where he was transferring everything to. We have a paper trail now. I promise you, we’ll get him. He’ll pay for what he has done.”

  I lean over and kiss Oren on the cheek, then snuggle back into him. I’m surprised at how quickly I’ve become comfortable with Oren.

  Fourteen

  Baked Barbie

  I decided to visit a few Grow-Op stores and then pop into Du-Kane’s. I need to see what other companies are offering compared to ours, get a feel of the environment, and see if there’s any room for new products.

  I started with the obvious, CronCorp. If anyone was in on what was selling, it was the Michaelson brothers. Their storefront was simple and hidden, if you didn’t know what you were looking for. A bell over the door announces my arrival. The first thing I notice is the color of the shop. It’s a pea green, almost like peas in baby food jars. Yuck. I’m walking down the counters when I hear my name being called out.

  “Alice, what are you doing here?”

  “Cash? I didn’t know you worked here.”

  I watch the eldest brother jump over the counter and saunter over to me. “I come in here a few times a week just to check in and see how the stock is. What are you doing here? Come to taste test the competition.”

  “No. I’m actually hitting a few of the Grow-Ops here in town before I head over to Du-Kane. It’s been awhile since I’ve visited ours, and I wanted to compare. So, how are you today?”

  Cash slings his arm over my shoulder. “I’m much better now.”

  “I’m glad I could brighten your day,” I say as I hip bump him. “I’ve got to get going. I have a few more places to hit before I need to be back home this afternoon.”

  “Look, Alice, I was going to call you later, but since you’re here, I can ask you now.”

  I glance up and see a blushing Cash. Why is he acting so nervous?

  He clears his throat before starting again. “I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me?”

  “Oh, wow. I wasn’t expecting that.”

  He drops his arm and takes a step back. “Cash, I’m sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude. I was just surprised that you’d want to go out with me.” I reach out, grabbing his right hand. “I would love to go out sometime.”

  Cash graces me with his big, beautiful smile. “Alright then. I’ll call you Thursday and we can talk times and stuff for Friday night, if that’s okay?”

  I slap myself in the face. “Damn,” I mumble to myself. “Look, there’s something I need to tell you first. Ridge called the other day and we’re going to a baseball game tomorrow afternoon.”

  Cash leans over and kisses me on the crown of my head. “I already know that, beautiful. We don’t keep things from each other. Ever.” Cash winks at me as he begins to walk away backwards. Throwing his hands up in the air, he calls out, “Besides, we’re brothers. We’re used to sharing our favorite things.”

  Dear mercy. I shake my head and walk out the door.

  It’s official, Du-Kane Grow-Op store is the worst thing I’ve seen all day. The ceiling is yellow, the floors are scuffed and in need of a mop, the counters are dusty, and I think I saw a rat running when I looked behind the counter. This is so bad.

  “Hi! Can I help you?”

  I look up at the perky little blonde barbie behind the counter. “Hey, I’m Alice Du-Kane.” I reach my arm out across the counter to shake her hand.

  “Um, okay?” She takes my hand with a confused look on her face. “What can I do for you, Alice?”

  “Nothing, I’m just checking out the store. I haven’t been here in a while and I wanted to get a feel of how things were going.” I can see this girl is still confused so I explain a little more. “I’m Alice. Alice Du-Kane. I own this store, along with Du-Kane, Inc.”

  Still nothing.

  “What’s your name, dear?”

  “It’s Barbie,” she tells me as she flicks her hair over her shoulder.

  Bless her heart.

  “Barbie, Du-Kane, as in the name of this store. You following me?”

  Barbie starts laughing. “Oh, yeah! Sorry, I just had a smoke in the back, it takes me a few minutes to come back down to reality.”

  Kill me now.

  “Alright then, Barbie. I’m just going to go. I’ll see you later.”

  I hightail it to my car and call Zoe on my way home.

  “Sup girl? How’s the store look?”

  “I have to fire Barbie.”

  “Who the hell is Barbie?”

  “A blonde chick, smoking our product while working.”

  “No kidding?”

  “No kidding.”

  “How did the store look?”

  “Oh my word, Zoe. It was awful. It’s old and disgusting. I think we need to just shut it down and gut the whole place.”

  “That bad?”

  “Worse.”

  “Damn.”

  “Yep.”

  “Ben is coming over later this afternoon for a quickie, we can talk to him then about remodeling the store.”

  What the hell has happened to my simple, uncomplicated life?

  “He’s out! Stupid umpire.”

  I can’t help but laugh at Ridge and all the yelling he’s doing. It’s been like this since we sat down in our seats. Our seats which so happen to be directly behind home plate. I’m pretty sure I saw the umpire give Ridge the middle finger a few times.

  “Ridge, I’m hungry. Do you want me to bring you anything from the concessions?”

  He raises his arms above his head to stretch and I catch a glimpse of his tan, tight abdomen, before he lowers them. “Nah, I’m actually hungry myself. Let’s go grab some of those BBQ nachos.”

  We stand and make our way up the stairs and into the breezeway where the food carts are located. I already
smell the Memphis BBQ cooking before we make it to their cart.

  “Two BBQ nachos and two beers, please.”

  I grab my tray and drink while Ridge pays for our food. We decide to sit at one of the bistro tables overlooking the park to eat. BBQ nachos are messy and knowing my luck, I’d probably drop them walking back down the steps.

  “Well, how’s your first baseball game?”

  “It’s not my first. Dad and I used to go to all the home games when the team played at the old stadium in Midtown. I haven’t been out here since the first season. School took up a lot of my time.”

  “We come out here a lot,” Ridge tells me. “Anytime I need a break, I try to catch a game. It works because they play a lot of early afternoon games during the week.

  Memphis has their own Minor League team. Some of the best times with Dad were watching them at that old stadium. The new one is modern and beautiful, but nothing beats watching your team in old, busted seats, with the same old guys week after week.

  I need to look into getting season tickets. I might even make Zoe a fan of the Memphis team. I snort to myself over that thought. Zoe and heat do not mix. Ironic since her degree means she has to work in a hot greenhouse or outside all the time.

  “Cash told me you were at our store yesterday. Did you get a chance to stop by Du-Kane’s?”

  “Oh, yes I did. It was awful. Have you been in there recently?”

  “I stop by once a month just to see if ya’ll are doing anything new. Barbie kind of freaks me out, so sometimes I make Oren go for me.”

  “She was high as a kite yesterday. She couldn’t even put it together that my last name was the same as the store’s. She has to go.”

  Ridge starts chucking. “No kidding? I figured she was sampling the product a few times I was there, but it’s not my place to call her out on it.”

  “Eh, it’s okay. I’m letting her go at the end of the week when I close the store down.”

  Ridge throws his hand up at me. “What do you mean you’re closing the store down? Are you getting out of the Grow-Op?”

  “No! I’m having it gutted and remodeling the whole thing.” I lean closer to him and whisper, “I’m pretty sure we have rats in there.” I shudder at the thought of seeing that beady-eyed monster yesterday.

  Ridge turns his head toward me and our noses touch. I can feel his breath on my cheek. I close my eyes on instinct and almost sigh when I feel his lips on mine. It wasn’t a heated kiss, just a small, simple one, but it’s full of promise. I pull back and when I open my eyes, I lose myself in the intensity of his gaze.

  Ridge grabs my hand and pulls me up to stand with him. He leans over and whispers in my ear, “Later. We will definitely be finishing this later.”

  Unfortunately, Ridge and I don’t get to finish our “conversation” later. North called him on the drive back to my house and needed him back at the office for something. He walked me to my door and left me with a chaste kiss, and a promise to pick up where we left off.

  Fifteen

  Save The Balls

  The week flies by and before I know it, Cash is knocking on my door. I run my hands down the pale yellow dress I chose for tonight. I’ve added my favorite red heels for a pop of color, and decided on throwing my hair up in a simple, but elegant ponytail.

  I hear the front door open and close, so I assume Zoe let him in. With one last look at myself in the mirror, I touch my mother's necklace, and head down the stairs toward Cash. Tonight he’s in a pair of dark jeans, a baby blue polo, and flip flops. I shake my head at his choice of shoes. Cash will always be, well, Cash.

  Cash gives me his megawatt smile. “Alice, you look stunning.”

  I can’t help but blush. “Thanks, Cash. You look pretty good yourself. Where are we going tonight?”

  “It’s a surprise,” Cash answers.

  We head out the door just as Zoe yells, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  Cash walks me to his Jeep, and opens the passenger door. I guess chivalry isn’t dead after all. I’m pretty confused when he pulls into the parking lot at Tom Lee Park, and it must show on my face.

  Cash looks over at me as he says, “I thought you might enjoy a sunset picnic on the Mississippi River.” He gets out and runs to my side of the Jeep, opening the door and grabbing my hand to help me out. He then grabs a picnic basket and a blanket from the backseat.

  Cash grabs my hand with his empty one and leads me down a trail that leads to the bank of the Mississippi River. He lays out a red blanket for us to sit on, and sets the picnic basket down between us. Cash is placing the food on the blanket, and then he hands me a wine glass. I really am surprised by all the thought he put into this date.

  Cash hands me a paper plate. “Help yourself. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I brought plenty to choose from.”

  I smile at all the food laid out in front of us. “Cash, you outdid yourself. Are you a mind reader because you have all of my favorites.” I load my plate up with fried chicken, pasta salad, coleslaw, and sliced tomatoes. I grab a fork and dig in. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until that first bite of pasta salad. I moan in appreciation.

  Cash laughs. “If that’s the sound you make when you eat, I’ll feed you everyday.”

  “Cash this food is amazing. Where did you get it?”

  He looks down at his plate with a bashful grin. “My house. I actually made everything. I love to cook, especially for my brothers, but you might be my new favorite person to cook for.”

  I take a sip of my wine and give him a smile. “You can cook for me any day of the week. Zoe and I have been living on takeout. She would love this chicken.”

  Cash nods his head at me. “Then we need to set up a date where y’all come over and I can cook a proper meal for you both.”

  We settle into a comfortable silence, enjoying the meal and watching the sunset. I’m thinking about the Michaelson brothers, and how much each one has surprised me. They are not the pricks I originally thought they were. Well, the jury is still out on North, but the other brothers are becoming fast friends.

  Cash refills my wine and digs a bowl out of the picnic basket. “I was saving the best for last.” He hands me a bowl of chocolate covered strawberries.

  I look up at him. “It’s official. You’re a mind reader and now my favorite Michaelson.”

  Cash gives me a smile that sends goosebumps up my spine and makes my panties wet. He grabs a strawberry and touches it to my lips. I take a bite, close my eyes, and moan in ecstasy. When I open my eyes I see hunger in his, and I don’t think he’s hungry for just strawberries. He leans over and captures my lips with his. He puts his hand behind my neck pulling me closer to him, devouring every inch of my mouth. I’m breathless when he finally pulls away.

  “Wow,” he says while looking just as breathless.

  I look up through my lashes at him. “Yes, wow.”

  We finish off the wine and strawberries before taking a walk along the bank of the river. The date has been perfect and the sunset is beautiful. Who knew that the carefree Cash would be so romantic? We pack up the picnic and head back home. Cash opens the passenger door and walks me to the house.

  When we reach the porch Cash kisses me on the cheek. “Goodnight, Alice. I had a great time. I’ll be calling you about that dinner with Zoe.” He then turns around and walks back to his Jeep.

  The front door opens and Zoe is standing there with a shit eating grin. “Girl, I want all the deets, but first I gotta show you something.”

  She yanks my hand , dragging me through the house and out the back door. We don’t stop till we reach the greenhouse. Zoe opens the door with a dramatic flair, and I have to laugh at her excitement. She bounces through the room like a kid on Christmas morning.

  Zoe claps her hands. “Aren’t they beautiful?”

  She is referring to her plants, well our plants. They are not much more than sprouts, but they should have buds in a couple of months. Zoe’s excitement is infectious, and
I can’t help but bounce around with her.

  Zoe puts her hands on her hips. “What are we naming it?”

  I smile at my best friend. “I have no clue, but it better be good. Your plants are going to be amazing so they deserve an amazing name. While we’re waiting on these to grow, we need to get busy on the Grow-Op store. Your friend Ben should be done with the renovations next week. What do you say to a girls’ night tomorrow? We can try some new recipes for the edibles we’ll be selling.”

  Her face lights up. “Will we be using product in these edibles?”

  I smile at her mischievously. “Of course. How will we know what the finished product tastes like if we don’t?”

  I wake up the next morning to several group text messages from the Michaelson brothers.

  Cash: Hey Pretty Girl I had fun last night

  Ridge: Sup Hot Lips wanna hang tonight

  Oren: Hot Lips seriously Ridge

  Cash: Let’s hang out tonight I’ll order pizza

  Oren: Yes please come over & save me from my brothers

  North: OMG really guys y’all sound pathetic

  Ridge: Hot Lips ignore my brothers come hang tonight we can netflix & chill

  North: Did you just proposition her

  Ridge: Get your mind out of the gutter.

  The last message was twenty minutes ago so I quickly send back a text to the brothers.

  Me: Sorry guys it’s girls’ night. Zoe and I are trying out new recipes for the store.

  I get a response back from each of them almost immediately.

  Cash: I’ll forward you those pinterest recipes we talked about

  Ridge: We could come over & help

  Oren: I’ll take a raincheck

  North: Good luck

  Me: Girls only Ridge, thanks guys

  I giggle at the sweet text messages, and put the phone down. I need to get showered and head to the grocery store. When I get out of the shower I check my emails and see that Cash has sent me the recipes. I go downstairs to get a pen and paper to make a list for the store. The smell of coffee brewing has me momentarily distracted.