Chapter Fifteen – Jamie Richards
I pounded on my desk with my fist, surprising the hell out of my new partner, Chris Green. I didn’t care for him already; he had an attitude. “You can’t be serious!” I yelled into the phone. “What are you guys doing down there? Who did the search?”
I listened to the rookie cop on the other end of the line. He was full of excuses. They’d bungled the search on Surrette’s apartment, and now all that stuff inside it would never see the light of day in the courtroom. The jury wouldn’t hear about the shrine to Avery, his stack of letters to her, his disturbing artwork depicting her with scratched-out eyes or without a head. This nut job just might walk, and the trial hadn’t even started yet.
“Richards, pick up line two!” My chief’s expression said it all.
“I swear to you, Langdon. If this guy walks because you two idiots couldn’t wait on a search warrant, I am going to kick your ass so hard your grandchildren will feel it!” I slammed down the phone and stared at the flashing light on the second line. “This has to be the biggest screw-up in the history of the department!”
Chris put his hand up and said, “Listen, we aren’t giving up, Jamie. We have to regroup, that’s all. This is a major case, and we aren’t going to blow it. Just give everyone some time. I think it might be nice if you go call the victim, though. She’s gonna need to know that he’s walking around—at least until we can make these charges stick.”
“I hope to God we can. What else is left? The only thing we don’t have is the knife. And unless we find it with her blood on it, this case isn’t going anywhere. Surely he wasn’t stupid enough to leave a knife lying around. This jerk is really going to come after her. He’s not going to quit until she’s dead.”
“I don’t know, maybe he’s gotten it out of his system. I don’t think he’d really go all the way to Alabama to finish the job.”
“What? He won’t drive four and a half hours to kill the woman he hates more than anyone in the world?” I sneered at his observational skills. “Listen, you weren’t in that apartment. If he walks, she’s done. Even with all the restraining orders in the world. Can’t the district attorney keep him on something? Traffic tickets?”
“Nope. He says besides this he is squeaky clean. I hear Latham is going into chambers now to see the judge. Maybe he’ll see it for what it is, an unintentional rookie mistake.”
“Yeah, right.” I shrugged. “Whatever happens, I have a duty to keep this woman alive. I promised her I would keep her posted.”
“Hmm…I hope you aren’t getting too emotionally invested in this one, Jamie.”
“Get out of here with that crap. I just don’t want to see someone die when I could have prevented it is all.”
He went back to dialing numbers and following leads and ignored me for the rest of the afternoon.
Yeah, I didn’t care for the guy.
Two hours later, I was leaving my apartment with an overnight bag, my gun and an extra box of ammo. I’d told the chief what I was doing, and he agreed but said I had to be at work on Monday.
“No going down there and falling in love, Richards. Get your ass back home. We’ve got other cases besides this one.” I had scoffed at the idea that I would fall in love with Avery Dufresne.
But the truth was different. I had fallen in love with her. What was there not to love? She was beautiful and intelligent, and she knew a dirtbag politician when she saw one.
Regardless of my crush on her, I took my duties seriously. I would protect her, and if Surrette came for her, I would be ready.
This was the right thing to do.
Chapter Sixteen – Amanda Collins
“Are you sure this is a good idea? Just showing up like this?” Ed Stanwyck whined from the back seat.
“Are you talking about for me or for you? Because I told you from the beginning you shouldn’t just show up, Ed. At least once upon a time she liked us. This was your harebrained idea, remember?” In the front seat, Jonah checked his face in the visor mirror for the tenth time. I rolled my eyes as I watched him meticulously smear his eyeliner.
“We are clear on the details, right? You’re here as my assistant, you man the camera.”
I grinned at Ed in the mirror. Whatever, dude. There wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Avery was going to give this guy an exclusive interview. Ed licked his lips nervously as I nodded and said, “That’s right.” The only reason I brought him was to record the reckoning between them. She hated him—and Jonah, for that matter. Avery Dufresne wasn’t the kind of girl to hold back on her feelings, I’d be there to report on it all. Yeah, he was squirming in his seat. Time to stir Jonah up a bit now.
“It’s a good thing you had plenty of free time on your hands now that Imperial canceled your tour. Have you guys talked since your breakup?” Breakup. That was a nice name for it. Imagine seeing your significant other licking the tonsils of a girl little more than half his age.
“Just the once, but at least I didn’t steal her chair. You couldn’t wait to get a seat at that desk. Well, you got it. Didn’t you?” He sent me a scowl, reminding me of his lack of charm when it came to Avery. So the bad boy rocker still had a thing for her? Funny how things worked. She’d been gone an entire month, and he acted like he was going to die without her. Whatever, wimp.
I stared at the traffic ahead of me and ignored them both. No sense in taking the bait; they were both total losers. Especially Jonah. Guys wearing eyeliner. So unattractive. Why would Avery want someone like this guy? I thought I knew her, but evidently I didn’t. She’d proved that by not keeping me in the loop on the Greeley interview. Avery was all about herself; she didn’t care what that interview could have done to my career. Luckily for me, the folks at News Quarter took my side. They understood I wasn’t that kind of reporter.
Jonah wasn’t my type, but then again picking guys was not my strong suit. Bradley and I had just called it quits. I’d passed my kid off to my neighbor so I could make this trip. She needed the money, and I needed a break. A big break. I hoped this would be it. Damn it, Bradley! Just when things were going great at work, he had to bail on me. Men. Another reason to get out of town for a while.
Jonah leaned the seat back, just about landing in Ed’s lap, and closed his eyes. “Why we couldn’t fly I’ll never know.”
“People know you, Jonah—they know us. Everyone would know where we were going and who we were going to see. This was the deal, remember? Ed gets the interview about the attack, and I get exclusivity on your reunion with Avery.”
“Whatever, just wake me up when we get there. I’m sick of being in this horribly tiny car.”
“I’d think being British you would enjoy my tiny vehicle. Besides, you aren’t as tall as I imagined. You look bigger on stage. I suppose it’s the drugs?”
“The ones you take? Save your twenty questions for Avery. I’m going to catch forty winks now if you don’t mind.”
“Sure. I’ll wake you on down the road,” I said, giving him the evil eye as he slept. Stanwyck had his headphones on and was scanning through his phone, probably watching YouTube videos of himself. Jerk. Avery was right about one thing. This guy was a “sandwich.” I sighed and turned on the radio, looking for something to help me relax.
“I can’t sleep with music on,” Jonah said from under his navy blue scarf.
“Aren’t you a musician?”
“Yes, and that’s why I can’t sleep with music playing. I listen to every note. I hear every mistake. It’s misery—you have no idea.”
“I’m starting to understand,” I said sarcastically, but he didn’t pick up on the double entendre. Yes, this guy was definitely a male bimbo. Without another word I flipped to my favorite news channel. Marla Riley’s voice flooded the car. She was one of the few people I liked at News Quarter. We shared ambitions over drinks occasionally.
I rehearsed in my head what I would say to Avery. Perhaps “America’s Sweetheart” would feel all nostalgic when s
he saw me. Might actually feel bad that she left me holding the bag for her major mistake. As if the company would go in for that kind of crap? She should have known that the tree of politics hung low over the media, and it covered News Quarter like any other news organization. But I doubted she knew any of that. Avery actually believed that real journalism mattered. It didn’t. I’d figured that out in college.
And she had no idea I’d been after her chair for six months. The Blonde Bobblehead, as Stanwyck liked to call her, didn’t seem to notice that I’d dropped ten pounds, upgraded my hairstyle and spruced up my resume. I was done being her producer. I knew what it took to be in front of the camera—to have the eyes of the world watching you. I wasn’t getting any younger, and if I didn’t make my move now it would be too late. She’d have to give me a break. And if she didn’t want to give me the inside scoop, then I could report on that too. She owed me big time. I didn’t care at all about what happened to David Greeley, the cheating politician she busted. I didn’t care that he’d lost his job, his family, his wife. I didn’t care that Stanwyck was up for contract renewal and things weren’t looking too good for him. His own fault. He really needed to lay off the Irish whiskey. I sure as hell didn’t care about Jonah Blight.
I did care about my future. I gave myself a confident smile in the rearview mirror as I watched Ed doze off to sleep. Yep. It was my time to shine now. Come hell or high water.
Two hours later, thanks to Jonah and his incessant need for fountain drinks and bathroom breaks, we were pulling into rinky-dink Belle Fontaine. It was truly the middle of nowhere. I had to check my GPS twice to make sure I was in the right place. Could this be right?
Ed whined about being in the back seat. Jonah checked his makeup in the mirror once more as I eased my Toyota down a long narrow drive and pulled up in front of the most amazing house I had ever seen.
“Holy hell!” Jonah said as he flipped his visor up. How long would it be before I got the reek of his patchouli out of my car? I pulled into the circular drive, right up front just like I belonged there. There were a whole slew of cars here already, but that didn’t deter me. This was it, according to my sources. She hadn’t taken my phone calls or answered my emails. She had left me with little choice but to show up unannounced.
“Stay in the car, please. I’m going up now to make sure she’s home. It is really, really important that I get a photo of her when she first sees you, Jonah. Kapeesh?”
“I think the word you’re looking for is…” Ed started to correct me. “And I’m not staying here. I’m going too.”
“Shut up, Ed, and stay in the car,” I said over my shoulder as I closed the door on him.
Walking up to the huge front door, I pushed my shades up to the top of my head, put on my best smile and knocked, confident that someone would answer. I didn’t have to wait long. A nicely dressed housemaid answered, but she did not let me in. “Yes, how may I help you?”
“I am here to speak to Avery Dufresne. I’m a co-worker of hers. May I come in?”
“I’m sorry. No, ma’am. She’s working at the moment. I will be happy to accept your card and give it to her later.”
“That’s not good enough, I’m afraid. Go give her my card, and I’ll wait here.”
“Wait here, please?”
“Yes, I will wait. I want to see her now. I came all the way down here from Atlanta. You do know how far that is, don’t you?” The girl stiffened. She wasn’t budging.
“She is somewhere on the grounds, but unfortunately I am not sure where. I think it might be best if you leave your card and allow her to call you when she’s free.”
Luckily I had one of my business cards in my pocket. I handed it to her with another smile. “No, I can’t do that. I’m here on business, and I have to see her today.” I was seething inside, but I smiled at the girl. “What’s your name?”
“My name is Robin. I see yours is Amanda?”
“Yes, Amanda Collins. I am an old friend of hers.”
“Who is that, Robin?” I heard another voice approaching us. It belonged to a young woman with beautiful dark blond hair that hung in spiral curls around her. She had an even tan and blue eyes. She could have been Avery’s little sister.
“Hello?” I pushed the door open with an even bigger smile on my face to get a better view of her. Robin handed the woman my card and stepped back, not sure what to do about the pushy broad at the door. Apparently they didn’t have bad manners here in Belle Fontaine. Well, I was here now, wasn’t I? With my best Reese Witherspoon smile, I extended a hand and said, “I am Amanda Collins. I used to work with Avery at News Quarter. I’d like to check in on my friend, and I have two of our mutual friends with me in the car. I can’t imagine that she would want us to go stay at a hotel. Didn’t she get my messages?”
The woman stared at the card and looked down the hallway. Whatever or whoever she was looking for was not there. That was our in!
“I guess we can go to a hotel and wait for her to call,” I continued.
“No, we have room for you here. Our Fourth of July party is this weekend, so we’ve got guests everywhere. But I think we can make room for a few more folks.” Robin shuffled behind her, unhappy about the decision, but obviously Robin wasn’t in charge.
“That would be perfect. Thank you, um…what is your name again?”
“Summer Dufresne. I am Avery’s cousin. Please, Robin, go tell Nan to make up the blue plaid room.”
“Oh, I hate to be an imposition, but would it be possible to have two rooms? There are three of us, and my friend and I…” I didn’t need to explain. Jonah was walking up behind me.
“Oh, I see. Good afternoon, Mr. Blight. Nice to meet you.” Jonah bounded up the stairs with Ed behind him. Stay in the car. Right.
“Hello, love. Nice to meet you, too. What a place! Is there a loo nearby?”
“Of course, Robin, please show Mr. Blight to the restroom in the red hallway. And come right back. We need to get the room ready for them.”
“Please, no Mister. Just call me Jonah.” He smiled at the plain-faced Robin, and she blushed with pleasure. Yes, I had forgotten what a star he was—how popular he was with people Robin’s age. Maybe having him tag along wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Ed lingered in the background, hoping someone would notice him too. He shoved his aviator glasses up to the top of his head.
Summer smiled at him politely and to both of us said, “Follow me, please. Your room is down this way. It’s rather small, but I am afraid it’s the last one we have. All the other rooms have been claimed by relatives coming into town for our family party. But the bed is a king, big enough for two people to sleep in without touching at all. And we can arrange for a cot to be brought in for the third person. One more thing—I am going to have to insist that you refrain from taking photos while you are here. No cameras and no smartphones.”
“What?” I said, dragging my suitcase behind me. I didn’t bother grabbing Jonah’s bags. Let him fend for himself. He was sure to act like a rooster in a henhouse during our stay here. “How are you going to enforce that? Everyone lives on their devices now.”
“Our family understands the need for privacy, and I am sure you will too, as guests in our home. If you want to stay, you’ll have to give them up.” We paused in front of a glossy white door, and she held out her hand as if she had no doubt I would comply.
“Wait a second, what about work? They need to know we made it here.” Ed’s face was incredulous. How would he ever survive without reading his fan page posts?
“You can use the house phone anytime you like, Mr. Stanwyck. It’s in the hallway off to the left; we have a private room that some visitors use as an office. I think you’ll find it most comfortable.” She smiled pleasantly, but I could tell she wasn’t the kind of woman who changed her mind. This was how it was going to be. If I wanted to be here, these were the rules. For now. I was sure that when I got a chance to talk to Avery, she would understand. So for now, I would let Summer
hold my phone and whatever else she wanted to claim.
“Okay, I’ll play along. I plan on staying. Come on, Ed. Don’t make waves.” He begrudgingly offered his sleek phone to the young woman and I added, “You’ll have to get Jonah’s from him. I don’t have it.”
“I am afraid you missed lunch, but dinner is at 6. Can you make it until then?”
“I think so.”
“That’s great. You’ll find dinner served, semi-formal, on the Angels Gallery. That’s right upstairs. Just follow the crowd. Please tell your other friend that it is suit and tie.”
With that Summer left me alone in the room. It was a charming room, and even though it was the last to be claimed, it was certainly not shabby. It had a sweet, summery feel to it, with plaid curtains and wide, spacious windows. In the distance, I could see a charming pond with a gazebo in the center of it. Ha, look over there. Looks like the festivities have already begun. I could see a handsome couple, both dressed all in white, rowing out to the gazebo. The young man stepped out first, his dark hair shiny and lovely. The young lady carried a lavender parasol and was clearly enjoying herself.
Man, I wish I had my camera. This would make a great picture. Then I remembered that I had my tablet in my suitcase. As quickly as possible, I found it and began taking a few pictures. In a snarky voice Ed said, “I should have known you’d find a way to break the rules, Amanda.”
“Yes, you should have.”
These photos wouldn’t really go with my story—it wasn’t like that was Avery out there with some new guy—but the scene was cool and artsy.
I snapped one picture and looked at it on the tablet screen. I saw the gazebo and the boat, but the couple weren’t there. Okay, now what? I felt creeped out, like the time when I was a kid and I had that recurring nightmare. The one where I was falling, falling from a tall tree or a roof somewhere. That feeling had stuck with me. Even after all these years.
I checked my filters and took the picture again. This time I could see them but only as silver outlines. The people themselves were not in the photograph, only their silhouettes. I tried again and became more agitated that it wasn’t working for me. About the time I was ready to go out to the pond myself, Jonah came in. Ed had the nerve to lie on the bed as if he were claiming it for himself. Guess again, jerk. He’d be on the floor tonight. If I had to sleep with someone, it wouldn’t be him. As if he read my mind, he excused himself and left Jonah and me alone.
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