When he reached the open doorway, he gave a tap on the frame and peeked inside.
“Amanda?”
“Who’s that?”
“It’s me, Jake Caliber, are you okay?”
Amanda walked out of the bedroom wearing a short robe that exposed her legs and the tops of her breasts.
She smiled at Jake.
“I guess you’re wondering why my door is sitting wide open.”
“Yeah,” Jake said, as his eyes took in her legs.
“There was a bee in here, a big one. I was hoping he’d fly out into the hall.”
Amanda walked over and shut the door.
“I should close that before he flies back in.”
Jake smiled.
“Well now that you’re safe, I guess I’ll go.”
Amanda took him by the hand and led him over to the sofa.
“Stay and have a drink. We haven’t talked in a while.”
“If you’ll recall, we never did much talking when we together.”
“I had no complaints, but let me grab two beers and well catch up.”
Jake shrugged, sat on the sofa, and loosened his tie.
“A beer sounds good, and I’m a little too wound up to sleep.”
When Amanda returned, she leaned over to hand Jake his bottle, which granted him a view of her breasts. She then sat close beside him on the sofa and placed a hand on his thigh.
“I think about you sometimes, Jake, remembering what we were like together. I just want you to know that I’m here whenever you’re lonely, no strings attached.”
“I thought you were seeing someone?”
“That didn’t work out. He wanted a commitment and I like to stay loose.”
“What’s wrong with commitment?”
“It’s not natural. Imagine having to leave here to go home to a wife... instead of spending the night.”
“Who says I’m spending the night?”
Amanda smiled, stood up, and let her robe fall to the floor.
“I do.”
CHAPTER 15
The growl of the pickup truck’s engine woke Rayne as she sat slumped in the front seat of her car.
By the time she had wiped the sleep from her eyes, Carter Hollie had put his truck in gear and was motoring away.
Rayne yawned, started her engine, and followed along behind, as the first hint of daylight breached the night sky.
***
Chris tapped on the restaurant door and Velma let him in.
“You’re back early,” she said.
“Sleep can wait, today’s the day, and I have a feeling that Carter Hollie wasn’t bluffing.”
“Have you heard from Rayne?”
“No, you?”
“Of course not, you know she likes to play the lone wolf,” Velma said.
“She’s just not used to working on a team, but I’ll speak to her about keeping us updated.”
“Why don’t you call her?”
“If she has something to say, she’ll call. How are our guys doing?”
“They’re fine; they’re both conked out in the office in their matching recliners.”
“If you want to get a couple hours of sleep, I’ll be fine here alone.”
“No, I’m as keyed up as you are, and I think you’re right, trouble is coming.”
“This is the only way in here now that we blocked the others, and between us and the casino security, Carter Hollie doesn’t stand a chance.”
Velma let out a sigh.
“Let’s hope you’re right.”
***
Rayne followed Hollie south on the Garden State Parkway, fully convinced that he was headed straight for Atlantic City. However, Hollie had other plans, as he exited the highway after a short time and wound up at a marina in Sayreville, New Jersey.
The marina wasn’t opened yet, and to Rayne’s delight, Hollie left his truck and jogged across the highway to a strip mall, where he went inside a coffee shop and sat down at the counter. Rayne went to the donut shop on the other side of the parking lot and bought a thermos of coffee along with a yogurt.
She then returned to her car and made a call.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Velma, it’s Rayne, I’m checking in.”
“We were just wondering about you.”
“Yeah, sorry, I should have called earlier, but there was really nothing to report.”
“And now?”
“I’ve followed Carter Hollie to Sayreville, New Jersey, and it looks like he’s waiting for the marina to open.”
“A marina? Do you think he’s coming here by boat?”
“It would be a clever way to cover his tracks. There are no traffic cameras out on the water.”
“How will you follow him if he does that?”
“I’ll find a way. How is everything there?”
“We’re good; did you want to speak with Chris?”
“No, it’s not necessary. I’ll check back with you later, bye for now.”
“So long, Rayne, and watch yourself, Hollie is dangerous.”
“I’ll be careful, goodbye.”
***
Chris had been standing by, but when Velma closed her phone, he pouted.
“She didn’t want to speak to me?”
“No, she said there was no need.”
“Still, she could have said hello.”
Velma pinched his cheek.
“I bet she couldn’t wait to call that new boyfriend of hers.”
“I guess.”
“Hey, you’re really hurt that she didn’t ask to speak to you, aren’t you?”
“I... we were getting along well, but lately it’s like she doesn’t even want to know me.”
“That’s best isn’t it? Better than when she wouldn’t stop flirting with you?”
“Yeah.”
Velma pinched his cheek again.
“I still think you’re cute.”
Chris kissed her.
“That’s all that matters.”
CHAPTER 16
The old man stepped out of his office and looked at Kelli.
“Good morning, sir.”
“Good morning, Kelli. I thought that you were meeting your mother for breakfast?”
“I am, but I thought that I’d come in and make coffee first.”
The old man stared at the coffee pot and went back inside.
Ten minutes later, he came out again, as Kelli prepared to leave.
“I guess Maggie’s not visiting today.”
Kelli gave a little shrug.
“She could be running late.”
“I’m sure she has better things to do than sit around talking to an old man.”
Kelli went to him.
“You could go see her... to show her you’re interested?”
The old man sighed.
“Why the hell not, it’s been a while since I’ve made a fool of myself.”
Kelli kissed him on the cheek.
“Good luck.”
“Thanks, doll.”
***
Besides Maggie, there were eight other people in the office. All of them froze in place and stared, as the old man stepped off the elevator.
As he walked by them, a string of, “Good Morning, Mr. Caliber’s,” followed him to Maggie’s desk.
“Jake, hi.”
“I figured it was my turn to visit you.”
“I’m surprised you want to be seen with me.”
“What’s that mean?”
“I lost my case; the DNA was a near perfect match.”
“I thought that wasn’t possible?”
“So did I.”
“Is that why you didn’t show this morning?”
“I feel like I’ve let the company down, like I let you down.”
“There’s only one way you can let me down, Maggie, and that’s to quit. You’re not quitting are you?”
“I don’t know what you mean, the case is done. It’s been proven that the body in
the morgue is Sarah Willoughby.”
The old man shook his head.
“Not according to Anne Willoughby, you told me that she said her mother had a burn mark on her hand. Do you think she was lying or mistaken?”
“Well, no, I don’t.”
“Then DNA or no DNA, the woman in the morgue is not Sarah Willoughby, even if she is Anne Willoughby’s mother.”
“I don’t understand.”
The old man offered his hand, and Maggie took it and stood.
“Let’s go hash this out upstairs.”
Maggie smiled.
“Only if you’ll buy me a coffee.”
“You got it, doll.”
***
Claire Ross entered Joe’s Deli, and to her surprise, she found Jake sitting across from Amanda in a booth.
She walked over and smiled down at them.
“My, don’t you two look cozy.”
Jake began to rise, but Claire motioned for him to stay seated.
“Here comes Kelli now, and I want her to see you two together.”
When Kelli approached the table, she came to a sudden stop, and stared at Jake and Amanda.
“What’s going on here?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it, baby,” Claire said. “These two are sleeping together again.”
Kelli’s face crumbled.
“What?”
Jake slid out of the booth.
“That’s a lie. Tell her, Amanda.”
Claire smirked.
“Yes, tell us, Amanda.”
“It is a lie,” Amanda said, and received a look of scorn from Claire.
“Then... why are you two here together?” Kelli said.
Amanda pulled a tablet computer out of her purse and activated it.
“I came here to show you this.”
She handed it to Kelli, and a moment later, the screen filled with a clip of video surveillance from Amanda’s shop, the camera angle was from above, and the sound quality was far from perfect, but the clip clearly showed Claire soliciting Amanda to seduce Jake.
Kelli handed the tablet back to Amanda before the clip finished playing. She had seen enough. She turned to her mother as she fought back tears.
“Why don’t you want me to be happy?”
“Oh baby, that’s exactly why I did it, so that you would be happy in the long run.”
Kelli took Jake’s hand.
“I love Jake, Mom. Don’t you ever try anything like this again, or it’s you I’ll be cutting out of my life.”
Claire took Kelli’s face in her hands.
“Oh baby, you don’t mean that.”
“Maybe you should go back home now.”
“I was only doing what I thought was best for you, Kelli.”
Kelli didn’t respond, and Claire walked slowly out of the deli.
Amanda slid out of the booth.
“That’s some mother you got there, Kelli, and just so you know, I did try to bed Jake last night, and he turned me down cold. He said he was in love with you, and by the size of that rock, I’d say it’s true.”
Kelli looked back and forth at them.
“What rock?”
Jake glared at Amanda.
“Thanks a lot, big mouth.”
Amanda looked chagrinned, whispered, “Sorry”, and hurried out of the deli.
“What was she talking about, Jake?”
“I was gonna do this in private, but what the hell.”
Jake got down on one knee and reached into his pocket to take out a ring box. When he opened it, Kelli gasped.
“Marry me, baby, please Kelli? I can’t live without you.”
By now, the entire deli was staring at them, and it had grown so quiet inside that you could hear the bacon frying on the grill.
Kelli smiled down at him.
“Yes I’ll marry you, Jake Caliber, and I’d thought you’d never ask.”
A collective cheer went up from those gathered, and it was followed by a sigh, as Jake and Kelli kissed.
CHAPTER 17
Gail smiled across the breakfast table at Jim Tate, who was looking back at her with a silly grin of his own.
“I haven’t been this happy in years, in fact, not since before my husband died.”
“I know what you mean. When my wife died, it felt like the end of the world. The only thing that kept me going was my daughter.”
Gail stared at him.
“Is this really as good as it seems, or am I being a fool?”
“Oh, honey, Gail I, I won’t make you any promises, because I’ve lived long enough to know they’re meaningless. The only thing that matters are actions, and all I can say is, I have the best of intentions where you’re concerned, and I’ll prove myself day by day.”
“Day by day, yes, I think that’s how I’ll take things, and it’s time I left for work.”
Tate followed her to the door.
“I’ll map out how I think the work on the house should go, and when you get back, we’ll sit down and discuss it.”
Gail kissed him.
“It’s nice to have someone to come home to.”
“It’s nice to have someone, period.”
“Amen to that,” Gail said.
***
In the detective agency, the old man hugged Jake so hard that he nearly cracked a rib, and then afterwards, he placed a kiss on Kelli’s cheek.
“I finally have a granddaughter.”
Kelli grinned.
“Does this mean I can call you Jake now?”
“Hell yes, in fact, it’s overdue.”
Maggie held Kelli’s hand and cooed over her ring.
“It’s beautiful, Kelli, and you look so happy.”
“We’re celebrating as soon as Chris gets back with the girls,” the old man said.
“We still have to tell them,” Jake said. “And Mother too, she hasn’t come in yet.”
“She called,” Maggie said. “She should be in soon.”
The old man laid a hand on Jake’s shoulder.
“You handle things here today, boy. Maggie and I are going out to Staten Island on a case.”
“A Red Case, or an insurance investigation?”
“A little of both,”
Kelli looked concern.
“Do you have your phone, sir?”
“Yes, and I thought you were going to call me Jake.”
Kelli made a face.
“I can’t. Not yet anyway, but once we’re married, I’ll try.”
“Call him, Granddad, he’ll really love that,” Jake said.
“Yes I would,” the old man said.
As they were walking towards the elevator, Kelli held Maggie back for a second.
“Please take care of him. He’s the toughest man I know, but I still worry.”
Maggie took her hand and gave it a squeeze.
“I’ll look out for him; you can count on it.”
***
Rayne watched with frustration as Carter Hollie sailed away.
When she heard footsteps behind her, she turned and found a teenage boy of about eighteen staring at her legs, but a moment later, he raised his eyes and smiled.
“Can I help you?”
“Do you work here?”
“Just part-time, but my grandfather owns the place.”
Rayne pointed out at Hollie’s boat.
“How fast is that ship?”
The kid smiled.
“That’s a sailboat, an old Sharpie actually, and on a calm day like this with very little wind, she’ll be lucky to do eight knots.”
“What’s that in miles?”
“Oh, about nine, nine and a half miles an hour.”
“That’s it? So, it would take him all day to reach Atlantic City, right?”
“Yeah, I’d say so. Why, is that where he’s headed?”
“Yes, and I have to follow him. Is there any way I can rent a boat? I’ll need a pilot too.”
The boy looked her over again.
> “I’d be glad to take you if you’ll pay for the fuel and throw in a hundred on top, but it’ll be a while. I don’t get off work until four.”
“Four? If I wait that long, I’ll never catch up to him.”
The boy pointed to an ‘89 Savage Streaker, which was a small cabin cruiser. It was blue and white and had a Mercury outboard motor on its rear.
“That’s my boat. I can catch up to that rickety old sailboat in no time.”
Rayne frowned.
“I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll try and find someone else who can take me sooner.”
The boy gave her a little salute.
“I’ll be here if you change your mind.”
“Thanks.”
The boy went back into the office and Rayne began the search for a boat.
CHAPTER 18
The old man was with Maggie on Staten Island, sitting in front of the home of Curtis and Sarah Willoughby.
“You say they never made more than thirty grand a year?”
“According to the information they filed with the insurance company.”
“That looks like too much house for that income.”
“You think that they’ve been underreporting?”
“I do, and I also think they have a good reason for it. What kind of work did Mrs. Willoughby do?”
“Nothing, she was unemployed.”
Jake opened the door of his Cadillac.
“I think we need to talk with the neighbors.”
***
Sometime later, they were speaking with Anne Willoughby in the same coffee shop that Maggie had spoken with her in previously.
“The DNA results are wrong, Mr. Caliber. That woman is not my mother.”
“Actually, Miss Willoughby, I believe she is, which doesn’t mean she’s the woman that raised you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“How much do you know about your family, grandparents and such,” Maggie asked.
“Almost nothing, my mom said her parents were dead and she never talked about them, and on my father’s side, his people are all down in Tennessee and I’ve never met them.”
“Your mother ran an antiques business online, did you know that?”
“Yes, in the early days I helped her with it, and she made good money too.”
“Did you know she never reported any of the income?”
Anne looked shocked.
“None of it?”
Caliber Detective Agency Box Set 2 Page 13