Blood Brothers: A Jarvis Mann Detective Novel

by R Weir

  Now I knew where the extra money he wanted went.

  “He took us out to a fancy steak dinner. Jolene didn’t want to go, but I insisted, and in the end she didn’t have a bad time and actually smiled much of the evening. Flynn was his charming self, saying he was making progress and hoped soon all this craziness would be over. He hoped we could be a family again. And, over dinner, it was like we were.”

  I wasn’t sure where this was headed.

  “We got back home and he asked if he could stay the night. He needed some more work clothes and it was late, so I agreed. After Jolene went to bed we talked, and one thing lead to another, and he is so damn charming and sexy that we started making out and ended up in bed together.”

  I nodded my head. This wasn’t a good thing for her emotionally.

  “I woke up this morning and he was gone off to work. The whole experience was surreal. When he is with you, physically, he is completely involved in the moment, a master of what a woman needs. I know there have been others and there still is, but when he is with you there is no one else, if you understand what I mean. It is your pleasure as well as his. And I know today he is gone again and it’s as if it never happened. I feel silly for being drawn down that emotional road again.”

  “I understand what you mean. He does commit to you, but only for a short time and then it’s over. It’s a road I’ve travelled as well with some of the women in my life.”

  “I’m afraid I will never be totally free of him. I’m scared to go it alone, but know he will never be totally mine. Damn him, and damn me for not being strong enough.”

  Helen started to cry and I slid over in my chair and held her hand through the sobs. I never felt more helpless.

  Chapter 23

  I spent as much of the day with Helen as I could. We went for a walk with Molly, had lunch and talked when she felt like talking. When Jolene came home from school, I spoke to her and convinced her to spend the evening with her mom doing mother-daughter things. I didn’t want to abandon her and I was certain Flynn would not be around again this evening, but I had to get away, at least for the night, with the promise I would return tomorrow if she needed to talk more.

  On my way back to the hotel, my cell phone chirped with a vaguely familiar female voice on the other end.

  “Do you know who this is?” she said.

  “Possibly,” I replied. “If I had one guess, I would say Kayla.”

  “You win the prize.”

  “Which would be?”

  “You offered dinner and I’m game. If all works out well, the second offer you made might be worth exploring.”

  “Since I’m new in town where would you like to have dinner?”

  “Do you know where Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano is?”

  “No, but I can find it. I’m in West Des Moines right now and would need to go home and change.”

  “Can you make it by eight?”

  “I believe I can swing it.”

  “Looking forward to it.”

  So she called, but what was I going to do. I knew I wouldn’t sleep with her, no matter how much I wanted to. The idea was to make her think that was a possibility, while getting other information out of her, preferably about Casey. I made it back to the hotel, showered again to wash away Helen’s tears, got dressed as nice as my suitcase allowed, and headed to the restaurant, arriving right at eight. Kayla was sitting in the waiting area looking splendid with one piece black dress, with a slit up her thigh, a gold chain around her waist, with black heels putting her and me at eye level. She had long curly hair which draped over her shoulders, with a lipstick smile and a slight rosy tint to her black skinned cheeks. I took her proffered hand and kissed it softly. She didn’t flinch any, looping her arm through mine as we were led to our table. There was candle light to provide a romantic mood to the darkened space. I pulled out her chair as she sat and I took the seat next to her so we were cheek to cheek. I cautioned myself not to play it up too much. I didn’t want to hurt her.

  “I’m happy you called,” I said.

  “I almost didn’t. Took me a while to get up the nerve to.”

  “Are you nervous?”

  “A tad, yes.”

  “Maybe some wine would help.”

  “It wouldn’t hurt.”

  The waiter took our drink orders, with two glasses of white Chardonnay delivered promptly.

  “To our evening, and getting to know each other,” I toasted.

  She smiled while lightly tapping my wine glass. Her hand looked a little shaky as she took a long sip. Hopefully it would allow her to relax.

  “Let’s look over the menu and order something.”

  I grabbed the menu and slid a little closer, putting my hand on her shoulder. For an appetizer we decided on stuffed mushrooms, while she would have a salad and we would share Ravioli quattro formaggi. With the order placed, I put my full attention on her, my hand still on her shoulder, rubbing it softly.

  “Are you feeling any better?” I asked.

  “I’m still nervous.”

  She drank the rest of her wine and I poured her some more.

  “I sense you’ve not done this before.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Meeting someone you barely know for a romantic dinner. You are obviously married, as you still have on your wedding ring. Pretty obviously a first for you.”

  “I couldn’t get the damn thing off. It’s been on so long it feels like it’s welded to my finger.”

  “I wanted to make sure you were here for the right reason. Doing something you are comfortable with. No need to rush into something you will regret later.”

  She frowned.

  “I know. It’s why I almost didn’t call you. I’m not sure how she does it. Maybe I’m not cut out for being unfaithful.”

  “Who are you referring to?”

  “Casey. She can have two or three men on the hook at one time and it doesn’t faze her. She is always telling Jennifer and me to find another man on the side.”

  “Is she married?”

  “Not anymore. But even when she was she slept around.”

  “People who do it, do it for a reason.”

  “She likes men doting on her, spending money and making her feel special. And, of course, the hot sex. She brags to us about it in graphic detail all the time, telling us we are missing out.”

  “So should I expect a call from her, or is her dance card all filled up right now?”

  “I believe she is seeing two other guys I’m aware of right now, some numbers guy and some athletic macho man who speaks French and Italian. She really gets off when he says dirty stuff to her in either language. I’m sure there are others and she could still call you. You seem her type. Good-looking and smooth talking. Someone who knows the right things to say to a woman.”

  I smiled at her kind words.

  “Hard to believe she can find the time to balance all of this. Does she work?”

  “No, she lives off her dad’s money. A trust fund baby, so she doesn’t need to. Gives her lots of time to play the field. She has a personal trainer to keep her in shape. Who knows, maybe she’s bopping him too.”

  The stuffed mushrooms and salad were served, so we slowly ate while talking. I had learned what I wanted about Casey. Now it was time to turn my attention to other matters.

  “So, do you work?”

  “No, I’m a stay at home mother.”

  “Any children?”

  “I do. He is twelve years old.” She pulled out a picture and showed me.

  “He is very handsome. Where is he tonight?”

  “Staying overnight at a friend’s house.”

  “So you could meet up with me.”

  “Yes.” She seemed embarrassed by the answer.

  “What about your husband?”

  “He is working and won’t be home until midnight.”

  “Are you here with me because he has been unfaithful in the past?”

  “No, he wouldn�
��t do anything like that. I’m certain he loves me.”

  “And here you are?”

  “I know it’s silly. I guess I wanted to see if I could go through with it.”

  “No shame in not doing it. I’m fine with having dinner with a lovely woman. No reason for anything else to happen.”

  “Thank you. You are a desirable man and I really thought I wanted too, but…”

  Dinner was brought and we shared the plate, as I reveled in the compliment. She was quiet now, uncertain what to say. As we finished up I turned to her again.

  “Can I give you a little advice?”

  Smiling, she nodded her head.

  “I’m sure this experience was a little nerve-racking but also exciting.”

  She blushed some, so I knew the answer.

  “My suggestion is to take this excitement, go home, dress is some revealing outfit, put on some sexy perfume, and wait for him to walk in the door and seduce him right there in the living room.”

  “Oh my! What if he is too tired?”

  “He is a man, he won’t be. Will you do this for me?”

  Again a blush came across her face, followed by a smile and a whisper “yes”.

  “Then, when he wakes up in the morning, murmur a few choice dirty words in his ear and suggest he call in sick. Try a few out-of-the-ordinary techniques on him to spice it up some. Nothing like a day of making love to rekindle your passion for each other.”

  “What if I can’t come up with any new techniques to try?”

  “Grab a notebook computer and do a search together. Believe me, you’ll find something which will peak your interest.”

  She was convinced and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek, her body flush with excitement. Jarvis Mann, the Private Investigator of Love. Maybe I should start my own radio talk show.

  Chapter 24

  When I got back to the hotel, I saw Flynn’s bike, and him sitting next to it. When I walked over, he looked out of sorts and I suspected he was drunk. I helped him up and spotted a rising welt under his eye. Instead of being drunk, he had been beat up.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “I got back here and some guy in a car came up behind me, gets out and punches me in the face. Before I could cover up he drove two more shots into my ribs. I hit the ground and tried to protect myself and he stopped.”

  I wondered if it was more people coming after him for money he had lost when investing.

  “Did he say why? Was he wanting money like the James Brothers?”

  “He told me to stop seeing Casey or next time it would be worse and he’d kill me.”

  So it was his other weakness; women. I helped Flynn inside and we made it back to the room. He lay down gently and I gave him three Advil and a bag of ice to put on his eye. It didn’t appear anything was broken and he wasn’t spitting up any blood.

  “Can you describe him?”

  “I didn’t get a good look at him, since I was cowering. But he had an accent. Sounded European.”

  “Likely one of Casey’s other boyfriends.”

  “How would you know?”

  “I’m a trained investigator and learned you aren’t the only stud she’s seeing.”

  “So you’ve been following her?”

  “No. Only getting some information about her.”

  I was lying, but he didn’t need to know the whole truth since he wasn’t sharing all with me either.

  “I don’t expect her to be exclusive.”

  “So you knew she had others?”

  “I suspected. I’m not with her every minute of the day and she is very vibrant.”

  “Is vibrant the same as horny?”

  Flynn attempted to laugh, though it hurt for him to do so.

  “She loves sex. Nothing wrong with that. So do I.”

  “Yes, I know. I talked with Helen.”

  Flynn pulled himself up, twisting slowly, his feet on the floor as he sat on the bed.

  “Are you following me too?”

  “No, Flynn, I’m not. She called me in distress. Telling me what happened. It really confuses her. She felt weak for giving in to you.”

  “Did she enjoy it?”

  “Sounds as if she did. She says you are all into her when making love.”

  “Yes, and I want us to be together. For us to be a family again. But I must complete this task so we can be in the clear from the financial mess we are in.”

  “You mean the one you put them in!”

  He gave me a dirty glare.

  “Are there others you owe money to besides the James Brothers?”

  The dirty glare intensified.

  “It’s none of your business.”

  I was getting angry now too.

  “Yes, it is. You’ve dragged me into this. I know you aren’t telling me everything going on. It’s time to come clean!”

  “You know all you need to know. Nothing else matters other than getting the information needed so I can get my life back. Once that happens, everything else will be taken care of.”

  “You really believe so?”

  “Yes.”

  “And last night with Helen, was this part of the plan too?”

  “I needed to make her understand I’m still committed to her and care for her and Jolene. I did what I do best.”

  I let out a sigh.

  “Wow, Flynn, that is really sad. So seducing her is what you do best?”

  “I didn’t plan for it to happen. We had a good time and one thing lead to another. I’m sorry she took it wrong.”

  I looked in his eyes to see if he was sincere, but couldn’t say for certain. When it came to women, he’d always had a good poker face.

  “Agent Wilson will be thrilled too. With you spending money on necklaces, flowers and fancy dinners to seduce your wife.”

  “The cost of doing business with me. He understands.”

  “I doubt that, given his reaction when I asked for the money.”

  “I must keep Helen happy.”

  “But you aren’t. If anything, you are making it worse. Flynn, you will never be the one-woman man she desires. If you would only commit yourself completely to her.”

  “I am committed to her, like I’ve never been with anyone else.”

  “But you won’t sexually. You always seek out something more. You have to change for her or it won’t work. She can’t live on the rollercoaster ride you are putting her through.”

  Flynn grimaced in pain, as he clutched at his side.

  “I’ve tried and I can’t. You know what it’s like. When have you completely given yourself to someone else?”

  “With Melissa.”

  “Like hell. I’ve seen you with Roni.”

  “Nothing has happened between us.”

  “Not yet, but it will. It’s only a matter of time.”

  “Yes, I’m tempted, and I fight the temptation. But I haven’t crossed that line yet. And you have, especially being married to a good woman and with a child who strangely enough cares for her dad. You owe it to them to change and give up skirt-chasing.”

  He was mad and tried to stand, but hurt too much to do anything about it.

  “I’m tired and need to sleep. Please turn out the lights.”

  He lay back down and ten minutes later I could hear him snoring. It must have been nice to be able to sleep so soundly in his skin. I wanted to strangle him and make him tell me everything. But I was tired too and tomorrow was another day.

  Chapter 25

  Flynn was moving slowly the next day and wasn’t talking to me. But it didn’t stop him from going into work, after a long shower and several Advil to ease his stiffness. I decided I would again follow Casey. She was my strongest lead; everything was trailing back to her. I was out in front of her apartment again in Helen’s car, with ball cap and sunglasses so I wasn’t easily recognized.

  Her first stop was Merle Hay Mall, where she shopped at nearly every clothing store, including Victoria’s Secret for some lingerie. She
grabbed a quick bite at the food court, as did I, and met up with a tall, good-looking man. She gave him a long kiss and showed him what was in the bag, whispering in his ear something which brought a devilish smile. They got up and walked arm in arm, doing more shopping. He was about 6’4” and over two hundred firm pounds, with blacker-than-black hair, slacks and dress shirt. He looked younger than she did, maybe late twenties, and had a European look which told me he was her French and Italian speaking lover. And probably the one who had attacked Flynn.

  They separated with a long hug and kiss, and I decided to follow him now. He headed back the way we had come and soon entered Younkers Department Store. It appeared he worked in the men’s section in the causal business area. A bit surprising, as he didn’t totally fit the type of man she seemed to normally go after. He likely didn’t have lots of money, but still he was good-looking and, from what Kayla said, a hot one in the sack. I looked around for a while and then walked up to him. On his shirt, his name tag said Carlos.

  “May I help you,” he said in a deep voice with a hint of accent.

  “Well, I’m in town and my stay has been longer than expected and I need to pick up some slacks and another polo or two. What do you recommend?”

  He walked me over and showed me various styles. As he pointed out and grabbed shirts, I could see his hands were bruised. Unless he had punched someone else or a wall last night, this was likely the man. He seemed to know his clothing, pointing out the discounted prices, so I did buy a few things, paying cash.

  “Must be a bear working retail,” I said while he made change. “Hard on the social life, working until nine each day.”

  “It can be, but today I’m off at five. Going to meet my sweetheart.”

  “Since I’m new in town where do you recommend I go to meet some ladies? A good-looking guy like you must do pretty well for himself.”

  “Well, there are some good spots…” He went to list off several names, one of which was the place where I’d followed Casey when she met Kayla and Jennifer.

  “I appreciate the tip.”

  He thanked me and I walked out of the store. Since I knew when he was leaving, I left, returning before five, following him to his car. It was a newer red Audi A3 convertible, which seemed out of his price range. He peeled out of the parking lot and I followed as best I could, his car roaring out west. He met up with Casey for dinner. Once done, they went to her place in Johnston and I had my answer of why she didn’t bring Flynn there. This was her place for being with Carlos. Who knew, maybe he secretly lived there.