Rules of Engagement (Lexi Graves Mysteries, 11)

by Camilla Chafer

  "Good to know. Here's the number," I said, grabbing the slip from my pocket and pushing it over to him. "Her name is Keira Bell."

  "Do you want to know where she is now or where she's been?"

  "Where she is now please."

  "On it."

  I kicked back in the chair and waited for Lucas to perform his wizardry on the computer to track down unsuspecting targets. Sometimes I wondered what Lucas did in his spare time. I tried to imagine him hunched over a computer at home, hacking into something high level. It didn't take much imagination. Lucas's prior attempts at something similar had attracted Solomon's attention and that was one of the reasons he'd been hired. It occurred to me I didn't know much about Lucas's life on a personal level. I knew he was engaged, and had been for a long time, but not much else. Perhaps next time I asked for his help, I would bring some cake and a flashlight to shine on him while I questioned him.

  "The phone is in Chester. It's pinging off a tower here," said Lucas, pointing to the map that appeared on screen.

  "Do you know how long she's been there?" I asked.

  "The phone has pinged off that cell tower for the last hour. I can't narrow down the address any closer than these blocks," he said, air circling several blocks on the screen. I reached forward, clicking a button to zoom in. The empty store was located on one the roads he indicated. That couldn't be a coincidence. "Does that help?" asked Lucas.

  "Plenty! Thank you. I'm going to head over there and see what I can find. See you later!"

  Chapter Three

  I left Lucas to monitor the cellphone pings and made my way over to Chester. I had my zoom lens camera on the passenger seat and emergency snacks in the glove compartment in case I had to stake out the empty store. If Keira were inside, she might be formulating a deal with the vendor or even meeting with builders and specialist fitters. Just because I hadn't found evidence of a loan, didn't mean she hadn't been approved for one or couldn’t have possibly gotten a private loan from a family member.

  Though I hated to admit it, Francesca's worries seemed to be coming true. Keira was in a very good position to compete with her boss. She was financially secure, she had experience in event and wedding planning, and she must have widened her business relationships since joining White's Wedding Planning. All that would have surely given her a good start. The faster I confirmed the truth, the faster Francesca could decide what to do next. It seemed sad that an apparently fruitful working relationship could be ruined by one half of the working couple doing the dirty on the other. If that were true, and Keira was planning to compete with Francesca's business, I figured I didn't have to feel too bad about Keira probably getting fired by the end of the day.

  Lincoln Street was a bustling part of town. Plenty of people populated the sidewalk, and I watched with envy, (as well as a teeny bit of appalled greed), when several people left the bakery with pink-striped cake boxes. I zoomed in on the window, moving the lens over the dozen wedding cakes on display. Plain and round with lovely, little roses drifting in a wave down one side. Blue with a quilted pattern interspersed with diamantes. Seven square tiers with flowers between each layer. Black and white triangles. "Definitely round," I muttered to myself, pleased with my earlier decision. After that, I had no clue about what I liked most. "Simple" was Solomon's idea. I snapped a photo of the cake with the flowers between tiers. That looked simple, yet elegant. Francesca had promised something would stand out but she hadn't put a time frame on it. Perhaps I should look at some more. Perhaps I would have time to visit this bakery. My stomach grumbled with delight.

  I scanned the camera to the right, roving over the empty store next to the bakery. Someone had whitewashed the windows so onlookers couldn't see inside and the occasional translucent gap didn't yield any answers. The lights were on but no one moved around inside. I couldn't see why the lights would be on without anyone being inside so I figured if I hung around long enough, someone would have to emerge.

  Panning further right, I settled on David's Bridal. Beautiful gowns were proudly featured behind the big, plate glass windows, each of them a fairytale ensemble of silk and lace, pearls and sequins. That was another decision I hadn't made yet. How was I supposed to select one of the most stunning items I would ever wear? The cake decision was nothing in comparison! Solomon had it easy with a simple tuxedo. I had no idea how I could possibly commit to one dress; and the thought of trying on dozens only seemed to make it more complicated and difficult. With a growing sense of dread, I realized I was scared of my own wedding. That couldn't be normal. Wasn't I supposed to be happy and excited? Eager to try on dresses while basking in the unbridled admiration of my family? Thrilled at my opportunity to become a bride? Except I wasn't. I was in a sheer panic.

  I panned back to the empty store again, then lowered the camera and reached for my bottled water. I unscrewed the cap and took a sip.

  The door to the vacant store opened and a man emerged. I grabbed my camera and zoomed in, then took a snap. Caucasian, fifties, balding, and wearing workman pants and a paint-spattered t-shirt. Unless Keira were having a really bad day, it wasn't her.

  The door opened again and a woman's head popped out. She called something and the workman turned around and gave her the thumbs up as he continued down the street. Through the zoom lens, and with her hair pinned back, I identified her as my target and I began snapping another series of photos before the door shut again.

  I checked my watch. Solomon and I had plans for dinner later and most of my afternoon had already been sucked up in running searches on Keira, driving to Chester and staking out the store. Given that this wasn't an official case, I looked forward to a quiet night at home with Solomon. What I needed to do now was hurry along the progress.

  Only one idea stood out to me.

  Tucking the camera out of sight from opportunistic thieves, I grabbed my purse and hopped out the car. I crossed the street and walked over to the empty store.

  My sole but clever idea was simply to ask Keira what she was doing.

  I tried the door and it eased open. Stepping inside, I looked around, smiling when I saw Keira and another woman talking in the center of the stripped-back space. Both wore smart skirt suits but Keira had high heels that showed off her toned legs while the other wore flats. Drop cloths were spread across the floor and there was a work station with a saw, a painter's folding table already set up, and several cans of unopened paint. Someone had been very busy. I stepped inside, plastered on a cheerful smile and called, "Hello!"

  Both women turned around. The second woman was visibly pregnant so I forgave the frumpy flats.

  "Can I help you?" asked the woman with Keira.

  "Maybe. I don't know. I was interested in renting this space but I might have gotten the wrong message about it still being available."

  The woman and Keira glanced at each other. "Is it still available?" the woman asked Keira.

  Keira shrugged and one of her corkscrew curls popped out of its clip to frame her face. "Technically, it is, yes," she said, brushing the curl back, but she didn't look happy about her answer.

  "Are you the realtor?" I asked, playing innocent. It was better if Keira thought I came there to speak to the realtor. She might have been more open to answering my questions if she thought my real interest lay elsewhere.

  "That would be me," said the woman, skirting the painter's table and producing a business card before handing it to me. "Bernie Martin. I'm managing this building on behalf of the owner. Are you interested in renting the unit?"

  "I'm not sure. It's a very nice space. Are you a realtor too?" I asked Keira.

  "No, I'm a wedding planner," she said.

  "Oh, cool. Do you mind if I look around? It's such a great location!"

  "You can but I don't want to disappoint you. We're planning on closing the contract on this space very soon," said Bernie.

  I let the smile fall from my face. "That's a shame. I suppose this would be an ideal space for a wedding planning busine
ss though."

  "It is," said Keira. "It's perfect, actually."

  "I might need a wedding planner," I continued, purposefully oblivious to Keira's urgent desire that I leave.

  "You could come by my office in Montgomery. White's Wedding Planning," she said.

  I blinked back surprise. That wasn't the response I expected. Where was the shameless plug for Keira Bell Weddings or whatever she intended to call her business? Why was she telling me to go to the very same establishment she was trying to undercut? It didn't make any sense.

  "I have to go to my next appointment," said Bernie as she checked her watch. "Keira, you can leave the keys with the contractor when you're done and he'll see that I get them back. Remember, if we sign the contract soon, there's still enough time to offer your input on the final finish. It was so nice to meet you..."

  "Likewise," I said, evading her prompt to give her my name in case Keira might have noticed a Lexi in Francesca's schedule.

  "Give me a call if you have any questions," Bernie added for my benefit. "I can give you a full tour, providing Keira doesn't snap it up!"

  "Thank you," I said, giving her a little wave as she left. I turned back to Keira, contemplating her. "I've met Francesca White," I said. "That's not you. Bernie called you Keira."

  "That's right. I'm Francesca's assistant."

  "So, you're setting up here on your own?" I asked, looking around again. The unit was the same size as Francesca's shop, if I counted the private room at the back, with a closed door that led to the rear.

  "No, I'm not planning on going into business by myself," she replied, looking over my shoulder as the door opened. The builder stepped inside, a roll of paper under his arm. He unlodged it and waved at the roll. "Got it," he replied, moving to spread it across the painter's table that was set up in the center of the room. Before Keira could complain or stop me, I walked over, staring down at the plans for a brand new office complete with shop signs, a display room, an office and a small room designated for private meetings.

  "I don't get it..." I paused as confusion filled Keira's face, and a sense of realization dawned on mine. I looked up. "You're not setting it up alone! You're expanding Francesca's business!"

  Keira's nose wrinkled. "Well, yes, but I don't see what..."

  "I think there's been a huge misunderstanding."

  "I know you're interested in the store but I really want it," said Keira. "I'm just days away from convincing my boss. I'm sure there are plenty of other vacant units that will suit your needs. I really want this one."

  "No, no. I'm not interested in the store at all. Let me explain," I said, drawing her away from the workman who looked between us with a puzzled face before studying the plans more intently. "I'm a client of Francesca's; she mentioned she was concerned that you intended to leave and set up your own business. She was really worried."

  "You're a client? What's your name?" Keira asked, narrowing her eyes, all traces of friendliness gone.

  "Lexi Graves. My fiancé is..."

  Hew jaw dropped open. "You're the private investigator!"

  "Yes, that's right. I..."

  "Ohmygosh! Did Francesca hire you?" Keira planted her hands over her mouth and she gasped. Then she dropped her hands, and her shoulders slumped as she hyperventilated. "She really thought I was going behind her back? She must have thought I intended to steal her business! Oh, this is awful! What am I going to do?" she asked.

  "I think you should just tell her what you're doing." I waved my hand around the store.

  "Really?"

  "Yes! I only looked at those plans for a few seconds but the store as you envisage it looks amazing, and it's nothing less than brilliant to expand into Chester and open another branch between two complementary stores. All that foot traffic makes for instant advertising."

  "That's not the only reason," said Keira. "We get a lot of couples from here who drive over to Montgomery and it seems we could make a lot more business simply by staking a presence here. There're several bridal gown stores already established here, as well as the one next door, but not a single wedding planner."

  "So you're not trying to steal her business?" I asked.

  "No! Of course not! I thought I could convince Francesca to open another store here in order to capture the local customers. I wanted to get all the details together and make a business plan for the Chester store before I attempted to present it to her."

  "Francesca knows about the store and she knows about all the vendors you've spoken with already," I told her.

  "Oh, no! Now she's going to fire me!"

  "I'm sure when you explain why, she won't fire you."

  "Can you help me?" Keira asked, fixing me with a pleading look that I couldn't refuse.

  I checked my watch again. "We'll need to leave now," I said. "We might see Francesca before she closes shop for the day."

  "Tad, can you lock up?" Keira called out to the builder. "I have to run and I really need to take the plans with me to show my boss. Is that okay?"

  "Sure," Tad nodded. "I have another set in my truck."

  "Let's go," said Keira. "I'm parked around the corner."

  "I'm right outside. I'll follow you."

  I waited for Keira's car to emerge from the side, then followed Keira all the way back to Montgomery, both of us parking outside White's Wedding Planning just as the lights inside began to dim. I waited for Keira and we hurried over together. Keira pushed open the door and held it for me.

  "Keira? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on vacation," said Francesca. I moved out from behind Keira. "Lexi?" she asked.

  "I think you two have some talking to do," I said. "And Keira has something she wants to show you. I think you'll like it a lot," I added.

  "Francesca, I'm so sorry!" said Keira, hurrying over to her boss. "There was a huge misunderstanding! I can't believe you thought I would even want to leave. You must have thought I was planning to steal your business but I can explain everything."

  I stepped back, eager to be out of the way of the big discussion that was about to take place. Once Keira cleared up the issues she inadvertently created and Francesca had a look at the plans Keira carried, I hoped Francesca would realize how much work Keira had gone to on behalf of her boss. I waved and made an I'll call you motion with my hand before slipping out. There was no need for me to hang around a minute longer.

  My phone rang as I got into my car. "Hey," I cooed.

  "Hi. All done for the day?" asked Solomon.

  "Just finished. Wait until I tell you what happened after you left Francesca's earlier!"

  "Something involving Chester and tracking someone down?"

  "Lucas is such a blabbermouth!" I rolled my eyes. "I will tell you all about it when I get home."

  "I'm on my way there now. Are you hungry yet?"

  "Despite all that cake, yes."

  "What are you in the mood for?"

  "Pizza. Specifically, Monty's Slices pizza."

  "I’m not anywhere near there but I can make a detour," offered Solomon.

  "Let's meet at home and order delivery. I'm ready for wine, pajamas, a movie, and snuggles."

  "I'm comfortable with most of those."

  "What aren't you comfortable with?"

  "Pajamas."

  I could feel Solomon's smile through the phone line. "Never would have guessed," I said.

  "First one there wins."

  "You're close to home, aren't you?"

  "About a block away."

  "I knew it!" I laughed. "I'll see you very soon."

  I drove home, singing along to the radio, happy that I'd helped Francesca and even happier that Solomon and I had a cozy evening planned. By the time I got there, Solomon was waiting by the front door with the pizza menu and a glass of chilled wine. I took the latter and didn't even need to consult the former to know exactly what I wanted.

  Solomon phoned in the order and we took our plates and napkins into the living room. His tie had disappeare
d and he'd also undone the top couple of buttons on his shirt. I thought about licking the skin where his collarbone showed but decided I didn't want to miss out on the pizza. Instead, I grabbed the TV remote, dismissed the idea of changing into my new and very cute polar bear-printed pajamas, and we both flopped onto the couch. "Long day?" asked Solomon.

  "Yes, but productive."

  "What were you doing in Chester?"

  "Francesca asked me to check something out. She thought her assistant, Keira, was planning to start her own business and probably make off with her clients. I got Lucas to ping her phone and recognized the address from a realtor listing Francesca found. I went over there to check it out and spoke to Keira, herself. You won't believe what was really going on!"

  "I will when you tell me."

  "Fine. I'll tell you but you have to stop begging. It's so demeaning. Keira had plans to expand the business into Chester, so Francesca could get customers there too. She found the perfect vacant unit, had the plans drawn up, and was working on a business strategy. So, she wasn't trying to steal Francesca’s clients at all! I got her to go talk to Francesca. I think Francesca was pretty close to firing her." My phone chimed and I reached for it. "It's a text from Francesca," I told him. "She says thank you and she saw the plans that Keira wanted to surprise her with. Oh! Francesca loves them and thinks it's a great idea. They're talking about promoting Keira to partner if the new store pays off. Isn't that great?"

  "Sounds wonderful," Solomon agreed. "Was that a paying case?"

  "No, it was a spur-of-the-moment case, but Francesca did offer to give us a twenty percent discount on our wedding plans."

  Solomon nodded approvingly. "Works for me."

  "How was your day?" I asked, snuggling against him as he wrapped his arms around me.

  "Not as much fun as yours. I did a risk assessment for a bank. The manager is extremely paranoid and the employees are all on edge."

  "Why? To the paranoia and the on-edge thing."

  "He's convinced the bank has been cased, and he's keeping the employees on their toes by changing security procedures on short notice. I think he's bordering on harassing them too."