Alive After Friday (Sandy Reid Mystery Series)
Page 27
He began, “As you know, by an accident of birth I wasn’t born into the real world. I don’t live there, never have. My world is nice and comfortable. Boring but safe. The real world is rather untidy and filled with many imperfect people. You operate in the real world quite successfully, and I’ve been impressed with you from the very first. I’ve decided to try your world.”
She almost giggled, “Boy, are you headed down the wrong path.”
“I’m serious. The rest of my life is entirely laid out for me. If I make no changes, there are no worries or surprises that money can’t get me out of.”
She nodded. “And on the other hand—.”
“And on the other hand, you go out into the real world every day realizing you could get kicked in the gut. Yet, you’re confident that you’ll prevail. Chip once referred to you as the ‘whatever-it-takes’ girl. You do interesting and exciting things. And I’ve noticed, in the process, you touch people’s lives in positive ways.”
“That’s all an exaggeration. Usually I’m full of doubt and scared shitless.”
“Running around with you the last few weeks, I discovered I somewhat enjoy going out in the real world and interacting with various people, even those who might be criminals. I found it exciting to get out of my comfort zone, you might say. I’m going to try to get out there and be more involved.”
“Oh, oh! He’s moving out of his comfort zone into the danger zone. I’ve created a monster. I can see you now, you’re wearing a white dinner jacket playing Baccarat at a card table in Monte Carlo surrounded by beautiful but dangerous women, sipping your shaken martini—never stirred. You are busy eliminating international bad guys during the day and bedding down incredible women at night. Not to mention saving our entire civilization as we know it, in your spare time.”
“Your far-reaching scenario sounds exciting, yet only one part of it interests me.”
“The part about the women?”
“The part about the martini.” He gave her a sly wink. “No, I prefer to pursue my adventures on a much smaller scale. And I intend to avoid getting into outrageous tight spots such as you do, because I’d never be able to wiggle out of them without disaster.’
“I like your attitude of being open to change, but I love the way you are now.”
“In that case, I won’t change a hair,” he said with a chuckle. “Seriously, I’m not thinking about anything very adventurous, mind you. After all, I’m still Martin Bronner. Let’s say I’m open to possibilities.”
“With your capabilities, I’m certain it’ll all be for the best.” She considered him for a moment. Then, “And what about your love life?”
“You know, I’ve been given so much in life, I‘ve never thought of myself as being unlucky in anything—including love. It doesn’t bother me. If it’s all the same to you, I’ll skip discussing it just now.”
She wouldn’t worry about him finding true love, even if he weren’t the most eligible bachelor in Florida.
He appeared especially serious, as he said, “And what about you?”
“The grief is still there. But it doesn’t hit me with a sudden wave anymore. I have an occasional recurring dream. Psychologists say recurring dreams are unhealthy.”
“Nightmares would be. You want to tell me about it?”
“I’m sorry, I still can’t talk about Chip without getting a tightness in my throat. I have it right now, and I’ve barely said anything at all.”
“Let’s change the subject.”
“I can tell you the dream starts with him appearing in my apartment doorway in the middle of the night. Actually, haven’t had the dream lately. Don’t be concerned. I’ll be fine.”
He tried to think of something as far from her heartbreaking catastrophe as possible. “Hey, we have our money back. At least all but five or six thousand that went God knows where. And it appears much more will be pouring in.”
“Yes, thanks for lending me your half of the four hundred thousand, Martin.”
“Any time.” He could tell she was still thinking about Chip. “Winning that lawsuit wasn’t just about money for you. More of a symbol, wasn’t it?”
“True. I haven’t been worrying much about money for the past few months since our law practice is doing well. Not a great deal of income but I was making it. I’d stopped financing my life on my credit card, which I never should have done. So that was cleared up. And I was getting my Miata MX5 paid off. A couple more payments. I’ve had that model for years even though I never could really afford it and certainly never deserved it. Now, I’ve earned it.
“So your finances are in pretty good shape. Now you’ve got an extra two hundred thousand dollars in the bank, and more prosperity is just around the corner.”
“From now on I’ll be buying the take-out coffee.”
“We’ll see.” He noticed she was smiling. Her eyes were looking upward making some picture in her head. Must be good—she was smiling. He waited until the silence became awkward. “So, will you be moving into Chip’s house? Have you’ve even thought about that?”
“Is that place really mine? I did nothing to deserve it.”
“It was a gift from Chip. He wanted you to have it.”
“I suppose I’ll sell it. A great house, but too many memories over there. Of course, I’ll move to a much nicer apartment. Hey, do you want to go apartment shopping with me? I won’t buy right away. I don’t dare spend all the money. I need a large operating reserve. Having money in the bank gives me the freedom to pick and choose the cases I want from people of modest means.”
“Do you trust me, Sandy?”
“Merely with my life, nothing more.”
“You should definitely keep the house, redecorate and buy all new furniture. It’s a solid house and a great investment, should you decide later to not live there permanently. You are a successful lawyer now and such lawyers don’t live in temporary housing.”
“So keep it for investment purposes and for appearances sake? That sounds rather dispassionate. Where do my emotions come in?”
“You’ll be delighted and will find comfort in having your own place, your own piece of real property. Plus, your emotional well-being is tied up with your desire to be free and independent. You don’t want to live under the rule of a landlord or even a condominium board of directors.” He had always thought independence was part of her charm. In fact, he’d never been able to visualize her married wearing an apron instead of running around meddling, pestering and aggravating people to get at the truth.
She raised her eyebrows thinking. “Will you advise me on the redecorating and then furniture shop with me?”
He gave her an enthusiastic nod.
They sat in silence there in the office for a full minute before she got up. She casually walked around her office, running her hand along the desk, touching the windowsill, the picture frames and the bookcase. “I take all these things for granted. All the great things in my life and they aren’t promised to me.”
“Tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us,” he said.
“Yes, I found that out didn’t I?” She came back to the front of her desk, to the side where he was sitting and leaned against the edge. “I need to get back in touch with my life. There are pieces I haven’t thought about for too long, I’ve been so busy with Chip’s death and the extortion matter.”
“You are definitely getting it all back together. I can tell. Don’t rush yourself.”
“I haven’t needed to worry about life’s details lately because you’ve always been around to take care of whatever I overlook.”
“I haven’t done so much.”
“I need to start taking better care of you. Something has changed between us. I have a different feeling about you. Look how close we’ve become. We really are partners now.”
“Just a couple of buddies.”
“More than that. I consider Eddie Jaworski my buddy. We do on-the-job stuff for each other because we’ve built up a trust. He’s
my buddy, but I don’t have feelings for him...in the way I do you. Can I say it like that?”
“We can say just about anything to each other now, can’t we?”
“Really personal stuff used to be off limits for us to discuss, but I don’t feel that way anymore.”
“Nice to hear that and I feel the same way about you.”
“Martin, I’m aware that you think about me romantically. Yet I don’t know what to do about it other than just separating and getting out of your life. And that would make me sad, because I like being around you.” She reached over and briefly squeezed his arm. “Geez, I’m really selfish, aren’t I?”
“Don’t change anything. I can handle it. Yes, I had wished things were different between us. Even so, I believe we both have a clear understanding of our star-crossed relationship. I’m not stopping my life because of you. I’m beyond all that. My affection for you now isn’t based on romance. So, I don’t believe we have a problem with being close companions and personal confidants.”
“Aren’t we something, Martin? Do you remember what we both said a moment ago?”
“You mean about going to the beach today? Yes, I remember.”
She shook her head. “I said I couldn’t talk about Chip, and you said you didn’t want to talk about your love life. We both are in some kind of limbo just now, aren’t we?” As she looked at him, her mind wandered off for a moment trying to remember why she had always thought a love affair with him was out of the question. He really was an appealing, marvelous man. He sat there smiling at her, waiting for her to go on. She regained her earlier thought, “I guess I really do want to talk about Chip...one of these days. When I can do it without getting that tightness in my throat.”
“I’ll be around.”
The End
Addendum
About the Author: Rod Hoisington has a background in education and business and lives in Florida where he devotes full-time to his compulsion to dig into the souls and lives of fictional characters.
The first book in this popular 4-Star mystery series featuring the feisty and irrepressible Sandy Reid is One Deadly Sister. Followed by The Price of Candy, Such Wicked Friends, Chasing Suspect Three and Alive After Friday.
One Deadly Sister
Four Star Mystery Novel Rating
She doesn’t carry a gun but then neither does a pit bull ~
An almost-too-clever young law student reluctantly attempts to rescue her estranged brother caught up in woman-trouble and a murder charge in a hostile Florida town. He isn't looking for trouble, but doesn't have a clue about women, and gets seduced and framed—leaving the sister in an ever-increasing entanglement of deceit, double-cross and danger.
One Deadly Sister available at Amazon (US)
One Deadly Sister available at Amazon (UK)
The Price of Candy
Four Star Mystery Novel Rating
Passion makes fools of us all ~
An old acquaintance interrupts Sandy Reid’s law studies and gets her seriously involved in unraveling the mystery of a body on a Florida beach. Sandy uncovers the identity of the prominent Congressman who gave the beautiful hitchhiker a ride to Florida and confronts him. Now that the naked body has been discovered, he risks having his misdirected passion exposed and his reputation and prosperous way of life devastated.
The almost-too-clever young law student must solve the mystery surrounding the unidentified dead woman on the beach, unscramble a related child kidnapping that the mother won’t report and clear herself of a murder charge that threatens to destroy her dream of becoming a lawyer. Along the way, she discovers she has fallen victim to a sensuous passion of her own.
The Price of Candy available at Amazon (US)
The Price of Candy available at Amazon (UK)
Such Wicked Friends
Four Star Mystery Novel Rating
Sometimes your friends are more dangerous than enemies ~
Sandy Reid stumbles over a potential client—shot between the eyes. She believes the murdered woman is asking her to find the killer. How else to explain the mysterious spot of blood Sandy later discovers on her own hand? Then a friend kills himself. Or was it a second murder cleverly disguised as suicide? Now with two people dead, Sandy can’t resist getting involved and is drawn into a plot that stretches out to national ramifications. At the last moment, she discovers her gutsy scheme to entrap the killer is more dangerous than expected and must play out exactly right for her to get out alive.
Such Wicked Friends available at Amazon (US)
Such Wicked Friends available at Amazon (UK)
Chasing Suspect Three
Four Star Mystery Novel Rating
Clients don't just hire her, they turn her loose. ~
Sandy Reid is back and the assertive young criminal defense attorney finally lands her first big murder case. As she digs in and begins to destroy the state attorney's case, she is convinced her client is lying. Is she rushing to save an innocent woman or helping a killer get away with murder?
She faces a client who seems innocent of shooting her husband until she opens her mouth, the client's mysterious boyfriend who has no past and although shady doesn't cast a shadow and the victim's sister whose fashionable façade hides a layer of predatory sex, and who happens to be a former girlfriend of Sandy's lover and wants his romance back in her life. And they all have a reason to lie.
Sandy finds herself questioning her lover's faithfulness at the same time she's deciding whether to go too far with an FBI agent with movie-star looks who won't take no for an answer. Her gutsy search for the killer leads her away from her quiet Florida ocean side town and down to the tropical palms along Biscayne Bay and the steamy streets of Miami that are dark with something more than the night.
Chasing Suspect Three available at Amazon (US)
Chasing Suspect Three available at Amazon (UK)
~ Watch for the next Sandy Reid mystery ~
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Addendum
Addendum