by Rose Pressey
Just as she said that, I looked up at the door and spotted the muscle man. He was with another man and I was sure it was Matt Cooper.
I nudged Dorothy. “Look, it’s him and he’s with Matt Cooper. We have to go after them.”
Dorothy and I weaved through the crowd toward the door.
“I should have known that Matt Cooper was involved with this, and I bet he killed Arthur Abbott too,” I said.
“That just sends chills down my spine,” Dorothy said as she rubbed her arms. We’d almost made it to the door when the drunk guy appeared again. I thought we’d gotten rid of him.
“I thought I told you to get out of here.” Dorothy lunged forward again.
“Hey, grandma, don’t tell me what to do,” he stuttered.
I wasn’t sure what happened next, but I wasn’t going to let this guy talk to Dorothy like that. Everything is kind of a blur, but I remember pulling my arm back, then hurling my fist forward to meet his jaw.
He stumbled back, wobbling on his already unsteady feet. My punch had made pretty good contact considering how big the man was. He lurched forward, but I grabbed a chair and threw it at him. In a flash of movement, I grabbed Dorothy’s hand and rushed toward the door. Before making it to the door, the bouncers surrounded us.
“There’s no fighting allowed,” the bigger one said.
“Then why don’t you talk to that guy about your policy?” I said through gritted teeth.
“Out you go.” The big blond-haired guy motioned, then said grabbed my arm.
So now I could add being kicked out of a strip club to list of crazy things that had happened in my life. The men hadn’t been gentle about sending us out the door either. As we were being kicked out of the club on our butts, the men entering the club stared at us. I knew how ridiculous we looked.
As angry as I was about the way we’d been treated, and as much as I wanted to complain to the management, I had to push that thought to the back of my mind. I needed to find Chuck Moore and Matt Cooper. I scanned the parking lot, but didn’t see the men or their cars.
I released a deep breath and ran my hand through my hair. “We lost them.”
“Well, now I can say I’ve been in a burlesque club,” Dorothy said in all seriousness.
“Yeah, that’s something I’m sure the Bunco club will find very entertaining,” I quipped.
Chapter Thirty-One
The next day I sat at my desk, staring at my computer screen. There were many secret databases that private investigators used. But they cost money and that was something I didn’t have a lot of at the moment. I really needed to solve this case so that I could get the rest of the fee from Allison.
After just a little bit of Internet searching I’d discovered a phone number for Chuck. With any luck it would be his current number. I could ask him if he remembered me.
“Hey, do you remember me? I’m the girl you followed and then found in your apartment. By the way, that Playgirl photo must have been Photoshopped.”
That was a mean thing to say, but he deserved it for following me around in the first place. If he didn’t want harsh critiques, he shouldn’t follow women around like a bully. He didn’t know who he was messing with when he messed with me, not to mention Dorothy. She was worse than me.
I dialed the number and held my breath waiting for someone to answer. I could have gone back to his apartment, but why have a confrontation that would turn ugly for him? I would allow him to avoid bodily harm and just call him on the phone instead. Besides, I didn’t need another embarrassing scene of him chasing me with no clothing on.
After several rings, I’d almost given up on anyone answering, when a soft female voice said, “Hello?”
Had I dialed the wrong number? Surely, no one who sounded that sweet would be hanging around with this guy.
What information could she provide?
“I’m looking for a Chuck Moore. Do you know him?” I asked, not holding out much hope that I had the right number after all.
Apparently, my private eye skills weren’t nearly as good as I’d hoped they’d be by now. I still had a lot to learn. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the type of job where you could learn as you went. There was a pause on the other end of the line, but I still heard her breathing.
“Are you there?” I asked, waiting for her to answer.
“I haven’t seen him in a while,” she answered around a sigh.
“Oh, well, do you have another phone number for him?” I asked, praying that she had a recent number.
“No, obviously he doesn’t want to talk to his aunt. He’s nothing but trouble,” she said, even though I hadn’t asked for that information.
“What do you mean?” I pushed.
She probably wouldn’t offer any more information, but it was worth asking anyway.
“He’s always in trouble with the police. I don’t know what’s wrong with that boy. If he’d spend as much time trying to stay out of trouble as he does in, we’d all be better off.” She released a sigh.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said softly.
She obviously didn’t mind discussing her nephew.
“So you’re his aunt?” I asked.
“Who are you?” she demanded.
Uh-oh. I’d crossed the line and pushed for too much information too fast.
“I’m just a friend,” I said because I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
She snorted as if she figured I was just as much trouble as Chuck since we were friends.
“If you know what’s good for you then you’ll stay away from him,” she warned.
“What is he in trouble for?” I asked.
There was no way she would answer that question, right?
“Oh, you name it he’s done it, I guess. Though I don’t think he’s murdered anyone yet,” she said with a smirk in her voice.
Well, that was a good thing to know, although the way he looked at me when I was in his apartment, I might end up as his first victim.
“Thank you for the information,” I said.
I hadn’t got his correct number, but at least I knew a little information about him. Now I just needed to find out what he had been in court for. Had he been in jail? I was curious to find out what exactly this man had done.
“You’re welcome and good luck,” she said with a snort and then hung up the phone.
Apparently she felt that I needed that luck. She was probably right.
Unfortunately, it was harder than people thought to find information about someone. I needed to find out who Chuck Moore was and what connection he had to Matt Cooper.
***
I walked into the courthouse praying that I’d find the information I was looking for, or at the very least, just find something so that I didn’t leave empty-handed. After being pointed in the right direction, I found the room where I could get a copy of a person’s criminal record. The woman at the counter took my information and I paid her the fee.
I sat on the chairs lined up against the wall and waited anxiously. I fidgeted and shifted in the seat, checking my phone for the time every few seconds. I peered across the room, but didn’t see the woman. I hoped it wouldn’t be much longer. An uneasy feeling fell over me and I felt the need to get out of there as quickly as possible. It was like the feeling you get when something is just about to go horribly wrong.
I pushed to my feet then paced the length of the floor several times. Finally, the woman appeared with the papers in hand. I took them from her, thanked her, then hurried out the door. Once I reached my car, I locked the doors and began looking at this guy’s rap sheet. For someone who had been in so much trouble, he’d spent very little time in jail. There was something that jumped out at me right away though. It was like an ‘ah-ha’ moment. Matt Cooper was his lawyer.
I should drive to Mr. Cooper’s office and demand an answer right away. It was no coincidence that he was Moore’s lawyer and now Moore was following me. He had a lot of explaining to do. There wa
s no other way to explain why this guy had followed me unless Mr. Cooper had asked him to.
By the time I’d left the courthouse, I knew what the connection was between the men and I finally had a reason to believe that Matt Cooper had sent his guy and his fellow goons to hunt me down. But was Sam Louis involved too? Maybe if Matt Cooper had gotten him off from the charges, Chuck owed him a favor. Did that favor include following me? Did that favor include murdering Arthur Abbott? It was a scary thought, but certainly possible. Apparently Mr. Cooper thought I was a threat. Maybe he knew that I was close to finding out his little secret.
As I headed toward the law firm, I passed Chuck’s apartment building and decided to see if he was home. I cruised through the building’s parking lot. Just as I was driving through, Chuck came out of his building. Crap. What would I do now?
I sped up, but not too fast because I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. I pulled to the end of the parking lot and turned my car around. I wasn’t about to let him go anywhere without following him now that I had him in my sights. He would probably lead me right to Matt Cooper. He eased out of the parking space and pulled out onto the road. So far I didn’t think he knew that I was behind him.
As I followed his car through the streets of Miami, I began to wonder if he knew I was following him. It was as if he was just driving in circles. What was he doing? He made a left on the next street, then pulled onto the highway. I followed him another few miles and he merged off the highway. I knew this exit and I had a feeling where he was headed.
Why he’d driven around several blocks before heading to the gym was beyond me. Unless he’d been driving to get rid of me. Fat chance of that ever happening. When he pulled up to the gym and parked, I knew that this had been a wasted trip. I was more furious than ever. I’d had enough and I was going to confront Matt. I would have gone to Jake with what I’d found, but he wouldn’t take it seriously anyway, so what was the point?
Chapter Thirty-Two
Matt Cooper still hadn’t gotten Allison out of jail or even talked to her for that matter. I intended to find out why and about his connection with Chuck. When I arrived at the law firm, I spotted Matt leaving the parking lot in his black Mercedes. I immediately followed him. I saw there was another car following Matt too—Jake.
The condo tower parking lot was mostly empty as usual. Matt turned his car into the lot first, then a few car lengths behind him, Jake turned in. Pulling my car up to the curb, I hung back so that Matt or Jake wouldn’t see my car. What was Jake doing here?
After a few seconds, I moved forward and turned into the lot. Matt had parked and Jake had just pulled into a space nearby. Matt climbed out of his car and moved toward the front door. He never turned around to see that Jake was closing the distance between them.
Stepping out of my car and heading across the parking lot, I watched Jake follow Matt into the empty building. As far as I could tell, Matt had no clue that either of us was watching him. I glanced around the parking lot to see if anyone else had followed us. At least I was aware of my surroundings. Where were the other police? What happened to the officer who was supposed to be guarding the building? A few people moved down the sidewalk, but they never looked over to notice me. This situation was making me extremely nervous to say the least. Shouldn’t Jake have called for backup? Did he suspect Matt as well?
When I thought enough time had passed and I wouldn’t be noticed, I opened the front entrance door and stepped into the lobby. The men were nowhere in sight, but I heard the ding of the elevator doors. I rushed over in time to see that both elevators were headed to the sixth floor. I didn’t have time to wait for the elevators to come back, so I pushed through the emergency door and started the long climb up six flights of stairs. After the second flight, I realized that I was crazy for even entertaining the idea of climbing all those stairs. Apparently, I had a death wish. The more I climbed, the longer it seemed. I’d need an oxygen tank by the time I got to the top.
Maybe I should have waited for that elevator. When I finally reached the sixth floor landing, I opened the door and peeked out. I glanced to my left and to my right, but the men weren’t there. Maybe I’d gotten the wrong floor. I looked back at the number on the wall. This was the sixth floor all right.
When I stepped out into the hallway and turned the corner, I saw Matt and Jake. I eased up against the wall, hoping that they wouldn’t turn around and notice me. Jake was moving along the wall, trailing Matt. How Jake had gone unnoticed was beyond me.
Unfortunately for me, the floor was tile and my sandals were clicking with each step. I slipped out of my shoes and left them in the hallway. Now I made my way down the long corridor in my bare feet. I continued to inch my way along the wall. I finally realized that I’d been holding my breath. I paused and released the pent-up breath when Jake stopped.
Matt entered a condo, and within seconds, Jake went in right behind him. He hadn’t bothered to knock. Now I had to decide if I was going in too. I inched my way over to the door and paused with my hand on the doorknob. Pressing my ear against the door, I listened for talking or fighting. Heaven forbid I hear a gunshot. The mumbled voices sounded from the other side of the door. I couldn’t make out what was being said. The voices grew louder. My heart thumped wildly.
When the sound of banging and then a loud crash rang out, I knew I had to go inside. In one giant movement, I shoved the door open. The sofa and chair had been turned over. I scanned the room and that was when I spotted the men on the balcony. Matt had Jake in a headlock. Jake struggled to break free, then Matt slammed him into the railing. They were dangerously close to the edge. Panic surged through my body. How would I save Jake? I couldn’t let Matt toss him over the balcony like a bag of trash.
I pulled out my gun and pointed. So what if my hand was shaking. “Stop or I’ll shoot,” I yelled.
I honestly never thought I’d utter that phrase. The men froze, both stunned to see me standing there.
“Slowly put your hands up,” I demanded as I stared at Matt.
When I glanced over at Jake, his expression was priceless. I knew he was shocked that I’d saved his ass. Why in the hell was he fighting with Matt out there on the balcony?
“You won’t shoot,” Matt sneered.
I steadied my hand. “The hell I won’t, and I’m a damn good aim too. I’d suggest that you not make any sudden moves. Now put your hands up.”
Jake turned to Matt, but before Jake could take him down, the balcony railing gave way and Matt fell backward. I rushed over, stopping short of the edge and peered down. Matt had landed on a tiki bar. The wood and grass had broken his fall. He moved his legs and arms and groaned.
“He’s still alive,” I said.
Jake looked over the edge. “I’ll call for an ambulance.” He pulled out his phone and made a quick call for backup.
“We’d better get down there before he gets up and walks away.” I said, pointing down at the broken tiki bar.
“I doubt he’ll be going anywhere fast for a while.” Jake released a deep breath and grabbed my arm. “Are you okay?”
I nodded and released a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m just peachy. How about you?”
“I guess I’m much better now.”
I moved across the condo to the front door and Jake followed on my heels.
“Were you following me?” Jake asked.
As we walked down the hallway, I said, “Yes, I was following you. Well, I wasn’t following you at first, I was following Matt, but then you were following him, so it just kind of worked out that way, you know?”
He shook his head. “Yes, I guess I can see how that worked out. Well, thanks. That took a lot of courage.” Jake followed dangerously close behind me.
I shrugged. “Just doing my job.”
When we reached the elevator, Jake punched the down button. The light indicted that it was on the first floor.
“It’ll take too long,” I said. “We’ll have to take the stairs.” I motion
ed over my shoulder as I headed toward the door.
“You’ve got a lot of spunk, you know that?” Jake said with laughter in his words as he followed me down the stairs.
“You were in a bit of a pickle there for a minute. It’s a good thing I came to save the day.” I patted him on the back.
I hadn’t expected to feel a rush of adrenaline with one simple touch.
“Yeah, it’s a good thing,” Jake said with a chuckle.
My lack of oxygen must have amused him. But it was a hell of a lot easier to go down than it was to go up. Thank goodness, because I’d need a lung transplant if I had to climb those stairs again. I’d almost reached the bottom when I lost my sandal. I paused to grab the shoe, then ran to catch up with Jake. After finally reaching the first floor, I rushed out into the lobby without even waiting for Jake.
“Slow down, spunky,” he said.
I prayed he didn’t make that my new nickname. What was I saying? It wasn’t like I’d ever see him again after today. There would be no reason to see him again. With Jake right behind me, I rushed out the back door onto the patio area. Jake ran around me and over to the perp. Matt groaned.
As Jake attended to Matt, the sound of sirens grew closer. Finally, the lights flickered from the parking lot and the police rushed back to the patio area.
“What the hell happened?” An older man in a suit asked Jake.
The man looked me up and down. “Oh, it’s you.”
“I’m sorry, do I know you?” I returned the man’s stare.
“No, but I’ve heard all about you,” he said with a quirk of his brow.
I quirked a brow. I wasn’t even going to touch that subject right now.
“What happened?” He shifted from scrutiny Jake to me.
“I came in and found Jake and the perp fighting. I instructed the man to freeze as I pulled my gun on him,” I recounted the scene matter-of-factly.
The man looked at Jake. Jake shifted his gaze toward the police action, anything to avoid our stares.
“So you saved him?” He pointed at Jake.