[Avery Shaw 11.0] Unwritten & Underwater

by Amanda M. Lee

  “He probably pushed up those plans when Cara started blackmailing him,” Jake offered.

  “Do we have proof she told him what she had?” I asked. “I mean … none of this makes sense. How did she get information on what Haugh was doing at an Oakland County law office? She’s a Macomb County party planner, for crying out loud.”

  “That’s a good point,” Eliot said. “You said her friends mentioned she used a private investigator. I’m still trying to track that down.”

  “A private investigator wouldn’t be able to dig up that information on Haugh,” Jake argued. “To even look for something like that he would have to be pointed in the right direction. How did Cara figure out where to look?”

  “Someone else has to know,” I answered, running various scenarios through my head as I stretched. “Someone else knows and is helping Haugh. Cara found out and used the information to her advantage. Haugh was not even remotely upset when he found out Cara was murdered. He wasn’t grieving.”

  “That’s because her death made things better for him,” Jake said. “He clearly has a strong motive. Cara’s blackmail material on him was a lot more than just embarrassing tidbits that would’ve made him look foolish in political circles.”

  “So he has motive,” Eliot said. “We need to find out where he was when Cara died. He’s the most appealing suspect right now.”

  “He is,” Jake agreed. “Cara had files on a bunch of different people, though. She had one for me, one for Eliot, two for Avery, one for Ludington and multiple more on a bunch of other people. This is a huge group of suspects, and now we’ve stolen the evidence and can’t give it to Fraser without implicating ourselves.”

  “That means we have to gather the evidence on our own, through different means, and then give that information to Haugh,” I suggested. “That’s going to be a lot of work.”

  “It is, but I don’t see a way around it,” Eliot said, his eyes flicking to the clock on the wall. “It’s late. We should probably get some sleep.”

  “Yeah. I’ll get going.” Jake sighed as he got to his feet.

  “Stay here,” Eliot suggested. “You and I need to make a plan for compiling all of this information. You might as well spend the night so we can focus on it in the morning.”

  Jake was surprised by the offer. “Are you sure you want that?”

  “I’m sure that it will be the easiest way to go. That’s why we have guest rooms.”

  I was too tired to listen to them debate. “I’m going to bed. Whatever you decide, I’ll talk to both of you in the morning.”

  “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Eliot offered a wan smile as I moved toward the bedroom. “I’m sure you want to do your little ‘I’m right’ dance for my benefit before we hit the sack.”

  I’d almost forgotten about that. “You’re absolutely right.”

  I left Eliot and Jake to finish their discussion, washing my face and brushing my teeth before climbing into a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top. When Eliot still hadn’t returned, I walked to the living room and found it empty. The sound of voices drew my attention to the catwalk on the second floor. Eliot and Jake stood outside the guest bedroom. Neither could see me because they were essentially standing on top of me.

  “Thanks for letting me stay,” Jake said. “I’m really tired.”

  “It’s not a big deal.”

  “It is a big deal,” Jake countered. “This is two nights in a row. I’m sure you’d like some quiet time with Avery.”

  “Avery doesn’t do quiet time.”

  “That’s not true. I saw her the day of the barbecue. She was perfectly happy with her video game controller and you. You guys weren’t talking. You were just … being.”

  “I guess that’s true,” Eliot conceded. “That’s as still as she gets, though. Even then she taunts the characters when she gets really involved. She calls them names and dares them to mess with her. It’s kind of cute.”

  “You always think she’s cute.”

  “Most of the time,” Eliot clarified. “There are still a few times during most weeks when I want to shake her.”

  “Like tonight?”

  “I did want to shake her at the beginning, but she pointed out I have a double standard and it’s not fair. She’s right. I can’t tell her to do one thing and then do the opposite. That’s not fair, and it’s not the way to have a healthy relationship.”

  “You have a healthy relationship,” Jake countered. “I’ve seen it. You make her happy. That, in turn, makes me happy. She’ll always be important to me. I want her happy, and she’s so happy with you it hurts to see it sometimes.”

  “I think it hurts for you more than you’re willing to admit,” Eliot said. “I want to thank you, though, because if you weren’t such a good guy all three of us would be miserable. You made all of this happen. I’m grateful.”

  “Me?” Jake sounded surprised. “How did I make it happen?”

  “You let her go with grace,” Eliot answered. “You saw the way things needed to go for her, and you did what had to be done. I’m not sure in your place I would’ve had the strength to do it. I think you’re probably a better man than I am.”

  “And I think you’re being schmaltzy.” Jake’s chuckle was uneasy. “You’re the man she needs to be with because you understand her. You protect her, love her and give her grief when she needs to hear it. You also stand back and let her be her. I don’t have the strength to do that.

  “I always want to fix her,” he continued. “She not broken, don’t get me wrong, but I want to mold her to my life, but it’s so unfair to her. You don’t do that. You encourage her to be as wacky as she wants to be.”

  “That’s because I fell in love with a wacky woman. Still, you protect her despite the fact that you gave her up. We’re both thankful for that.”

  “And I’m thankful for both of you,” Jake said. “You’re my friends. I wasn’t sure you and I would get to that place given everything that’s happened, but we have. Everything is going to work out for everyone. I have faith.”

  “I do, too.”

  I could practically imagine the goofy smiles they shared. For some reason, instead of mocking Eliot when he returned, I opted to pretend I hadn’t heard them talking. The conversation warmed me, which made me feel warm and sloppy.

  Still, it was a good place to be. So I went against my better nature and let things be.

  It was best for all of us.

  24 Twenty-Four

  The hangover was completely gone the next morning and I woke feeling relaxed and refreshed. It was still early, so I took a moment to enjoy the sound of the pedestal fan and Eliot’s light snores. They were more chirps than snores really – definitely cute – but I found the sound relaxing. I rarely woke before Eliot.

  I propped myself on my elbow and ran my finger down Eliot’s muscled bare chest, enjoying how serene he looked. It should be criminal to look as good as he does first thing in the morning. I wake up looking as if a small tornado whipped through my hair during the night. He wakes up looking like an outdoor magazine model. It’s frustrating.

  “I can hear your mind working from here.” Eliot didn’t bother opening his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  “How do you do that?”

  Eliot wrenched open one eye. “Do what?”

  “You were asleep ten seconds ago,” I grumbled. “Now you’re awake and not even a little bit grumpy.”

  “If you start talking about deep things before I get my coffee I’ll totally be grumpy.”

  “That makes me feel better.”

  “Happy to help.” Eliot flashed a smile as he ran a hand down the back of my hair. “What are you thinking?”

  “That you’re handsome and I like waking up next to you.”

  “Really?” Eliot cocked an eyebrow. “You’re not thinking about what sort of trouble you can get into today? I’m shocked. Are you feeling okay?”

  “Ha, ha.” I tried to pull my head away from his hand. Eliot
wasn’t about to start the morning with an argument, so he pressed me closer.

  “What’s wrong with you?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with me. I honestly was thinking how lucky I am. Now you’ve ruined it. Congratulations.”

  “I’m sorry I ruined your morning.” Eliot sounded sincere. “I’m not used to you being so soft in the morning.”

  “Whatever.” I shifted so I could roll out of bed, but his arms snaked out and wrapped around me, pressing me against his chest and prohibiting escape. “Hey! I can’t storm away if you won’t let me.”

  “I don’t want you to storm away,” Eliot said. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. I expected you to be all ‘let’s win the day’ when you woke up. Instead you were cuddly. It took me a few minutes to adjust. Don’t worry now. I’ve adjusted.”

  “Well, maybe I’m no longer in the mood to be cuddly. Have you considered that?”

  “Something tells me I can change your mind.” He pressed a kiss to my neck, causing me to squirm as a chill ran through me. “If you still don’t want to cuddle in five minutes, I’ll let you go.”

  I thought about fighting, but … really, why bother? “Okay, but you better make it good.”

  I WAS IN A delightful mood by the time I showered and hit the living room. I expected to find Jake there, but the room was empty. I looked up at the second floor and saw the guest room door was wide open. That meant Jake was up. Had he left?

  I was about to head upstairs when I heard voices on the patio. Eliot was in the shower, so I couldn’t figure out who was talking to Jake. I shifted my trajectory and headed in that direction, pushing open the sliding glass door and pulling up short when I found Jake sitting in one of the chairs next to the patio table. He had a mug of coffee in his hand and today’s copy of The Monitor spread out on the table.

  “Who are you talking to?”

  Jake flicked his eyes to me. “Good morning. You look better than yesterday morning.”

  “No hangover.”

  “No, it’s something more than that.” Jake shook his head. “Whatever it is, don’t tell me. I’ve been traumatized enough this morning.”

  “How have you been traumatized? I’m the one who got forced to cuddle.”

  Jake furrowed his brow. “What?”

  “Never mind. I … .” A splashing in the pool caught my attention, and when I shifted my eyes I found what was rapidly becoming a familiar sight. “Grandpa!”

  Jake chuckled at the sound of my outrage. “Are you still going to stick with the story that you’ve been traumatized more than me? This is the scene I found when I came out to have some coffee and see if there are any updates on Cara’s death.”

  I didn’t bother looking in his direction as I narrowed my eyes. “Grandpa, you’re naked again. You’re in my pool, and you’re naked. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is?”

  Grandpa kept swimming laps, seemingly oblivious to my imminent freak-out.

  “Are you even listening to me?”

  “You’re in my pool naked, blah, blah, blah. You’ll stress out the neighbors, blah, blah, blah. You’re embarrassing your oldest granddaughter, blah, blah, blah.” Grandpa’s attempt to mimic my voice was both insulting and hilarious. “You really need to chill out, kid. You’re wrapped too tight.”

  As insults go, it was fairly disturbing. “I’m the most easygoing person I know.”

  Grandpa barked out a harsh laugh as Jake averted his gaze. “If you’re easygoing I’m a swimsuit model.”

  “You’d have to wear a swimsuit to be a swimsuit model,” I argued. “You refuse to be anything but naked when you’re in the pool. It’s getting to be a bit much.”

  “And somehow I think you’ll survive.” Grandpa started swimming again. “So, does anyone want to tell me why Jake is having coffee on Eliot’s patio? It’s not that I don’t like Jake. I’ve always liked Jake, even though he decided to be a cop. Still, it seems a little rude to have your ex-boyfriend spending the night in your current boyfriend’s house.”

  It took me a second to realize what he was referencing. “Jake slept in the guestroom!”

  “If that’s your story.” Grandpa rolled his eyes. “You’d better come up with a better lie for Eliot. Is he out of town or something?”

  As if on cue, Eliot walked through the door carrying a mug of coffee and a can of tomato juice. He barely spared a glance for Grandpa as he handed me the juice and sat next to Jake.

  “You don’t seem surprised by this,” Jake noted.

  “I’m starting to get used to it,” Eliot said. “It’s completely sad, but … it’s true. The dude likes to swim naked. I’m not exactly going to wrestle him out.”

  “So instead you’re pretending you don’t see him?”

  “Yup.”

  “Awesome.” Jake grinned as he sipped his coffee. “I forgot how much I missed Avery’s family. I don’t get to see them nearly enough. Derrick is boring.”

  “And then some,” I said, making an exaggerated face when Grandpa pinned me with a look. “What?”

  “Okay, I can put up with a lot, but are you guys having some weird threesome thing?” Grandpa stood in a position that forced me to raise my eyes so I didn’t see a certain part of his anatomy. “If you are, we need to talk. You guys need therapy.”

  “You’re the one swimming naked in someone else’s pool,” I pointed out.

  “That’s normal. All three of you sharing a bed … well … that’s something that should be outlawed. In fact, Jake, you need to arrest yourself.”

  Jake pursed his lips and shook his head. “Oh, geez. Just when I think my life can’t get any odder, all I have to do is spend some time with Avery. She expands my horizons with every breath.”

  “Speaking of expanding horizons, Trouble, do you think you can make your grandfather swim closer to the walls so we don’t have to see his … um … friend?” Eliot refused to raise his eyes.

  That was a good question. I had a better answer. “How is this my responsibility?”

  “He’s your grandfather.”

  “Yes, but you have the same parts.”

  “Grandfather trumps parts.”

  I’d never heard that argument before. It was hard to muster a counterpoint. Son of a … that’s so unfair.

  “ARE YOU HAPPY?”

  Grandpa wrapped himself in the robe Eliot supplied and sat in an open chair, his expression dour.

  “Am I happy that I don’t have to see your lightsaber? Yeah.”

  “Do you always have to go to the geeky references?” Grandpa rolled his eyes. “It was cute when you were eight. You’re an adult now.”

  “Barely,” Eliot muttered. “By the way, you can keep the robe. I’ll buy a new one.”

  “That’s nice.” Grandpa wiggled around inside of the black fabric. “It’s soft and comfortable.”

  Jake snickered, Eliot’s discomfort amusing him. “Seriously. I need to spend more time with you guys. It’s like breakfast theater.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Grandpa countered. “You guys are already straddling the line of indecency.”

  “We are not,” I protested. “Jake spent the night because we were up late going through … .”

  Eliot kicked me under the table and shook his head, cutting me off before I could admit we’d broken the law.

  “Oh, he doesn’t care,” I said, making a face as I rubbed my shin. “He’ll think it’s funny, and not just because I come out looking right.”

  “Oh, let it go.” Eliot massaged the spot between his eyebrows. “I’m never going to live this down, am I?”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that.” I rubbed my hand over his. “I’m right so often I’ll move on to something else before the end of the day.”

  “What a relief.”

  Grandpa snorted. “You’re a pip. You always have been. You get that from me.”

  “Occasionally I would like her to give some of it back,” Eliot said. “Anyway, Jake spent the n
ight because we were up late going through some important information regarding Cara’s death. Nothing funky happened.”

  “Well, that’s either a relief or disappointing,” Grandpa said. “I’ll let you know when I figure out which one I’m leaning toward. What did you guys do that Eliot doesn’t want me to know?”

  “Nothing,” Eliot and Jake answered in unison, both of them pinning me with warning looks.

  “We broke into Cara’s house because we learned she was keeping blackmail files on a bunch of people,” I volunteered. “We stole them and then spent the rest of the night going through them.”

  “Avery!” Eliot gripped the arms of his chair. “Why?”

  “Because he doesn’t care and I don’t feel the need to lie,” I replied, opting for honesty. “You said last night that I couldn’t be blackmailed because I would out myself to win. This is the same thing. He won’t tell anyone what we did.”

  “I definitely won’t,” Grandpa agreed. “I’m just so proud.” He squeezed my cheek, a wide smile splitting his face.

  “Yeah, yeah.” I jerked my face away from his fingers. “It seems Cara was a very bad girl. She was either gearing up to blackmail half the county or had already started.”

  “Which gives you a very large suspect pool to work with,” Grandpa mused. “Have you decided where to start?”

  “Tad Ludington is in there. It would be so easy if he were guilty.”

  “He’s too much of a milquetoast muffin,” Grandpa argued. “He’s not the violent type. He’s all mouth and no muscle.”

  I couldn’t argue with that. “The lawyer Cara was dating right before her death is in there, too. He actually has the strongest motive. He’s also smarmy and disingenuous.”

  “And yet you can’t decide if you believe he’s really guilty,” Grandpa noted. “Why?”

  “Because it’s too easy. If someone is smart enough to turn off all of the cameras at the aquarium and get in and out without being detected, wouldn’t he put on a better show when questioned?”