Sarah Woods Mystery Series (1-6) Boxed Set

by Jennifer L. Jennings

  “What do you want to know?”

  “What’s your vision going forward? Where do you want to be a year from now?”

  “That’s a loaded question.”

  “But you’ve been thinking about it, right?”

  “I think what you’re asking is will I still be married to Daniel a year from now?”

  Max shrugged.

  “It’s a valid question. And you have every right to ask. I just don’t have an answer. Not until I get back home.”

  “It’s just that, well ... something has come up.”

  I set the glass down and looked at him.

  “I just found out this morning,” he said. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

  “What is it?”

  “I got an offer to work for a company in Chicago. They want me to start next month.”

  “Chicago? You’re moving to Chicago?” A lump formed in my throat.

  “I haven’t agreed to the terms yet. I’m still trying to decide if it’s the right choice.”

  “Oh.” I took another sip of wine and tried to act casual, but my heart was pounding. “Chicago is nice, but it’s a long way from New Hampshire.”

  The disappointment I was feeling must have shown on my face. He clasped my hand and said, “I know.”

  “Do what you have to do.” I looked away.

  “That’s not what I wanted you to say.”

  “What should I have said?”

  “That you want me to stay.”

  “That wouldn’t be fair.”

  “Why?”

  “You know why.”

  “Because you’re still married?”

  “Well, I am.”

  Max lowered his head, shaking it a few times. He let go of my hand. I felt like a heel. Max was opening his heart to me, and I was scared shitless. I never expected the conversation to take such a drastic turn, and I wasn’t prepared to bare my soul just yet.

  The waitress showed up with our food. Max ate his salad without looking at me.

  My appetite had vanished. In fact, I felt a little sick to my stomach. I stood up. That got his attention.

  “Excuse me,” I said. “I need to use the ladies room.” I tossed the napkin on my chair and marched off.

  I had no idea where the restrooms were, so I walked until I knew Max could no longer see me. I ended up near the entrance and stepped outside to get some fresh air. Why was I so terrified to let Max know how I felt? Was it guilt? Self-doubt? Whatever it was, I had to get a grip. I took a deep breath, turned around, and went back inside. The restroom signs pointed to the left. I followed them into the bar area. I was about to enter the ladies room when I noticed Sal Hutchins drinking a martini and chatting with the bartender. It occurred to me that maybe I should lean over and offer a quick hello, but I was in no mood for small talk. I decided to continue on toward the ladies room when Hutchins said something that really caught my attention.

  Upon hearing his statement, I turned heel and headed back to the table. Max gave me a worried look as I sat down.

  “Everything okay?” he asked, wiping the side of his mouth with his napkin.

  “Sal Hutchins is sitting at the bar in the other room.”

  “Okay?”

  “I heard him tell the bartender he has a bad hip, and that he hasn’t played golf in many years.”

  Max tilted his head to the side as if he wasn’t getting it.

  “Don’t you remember what he told us this morning?”

  His eyes grew wide. “You’re right. He told us he got up early this morning to play a round of golf. That’s how he noticed Cunningham in the pool.”

  “Why would he lie about that?

  He took out his cell phone and initiated a text message. “Carter will know what to do.”

  My grilled chicken was cold and dry at this point, but I managed to swallow a few bites. When the check came, Max left a hundred dollar bill on the table and stood up. “Let’s go. I want to see if Hutchins is still here.”

  I followed Max as he made his way toward the bar. Hutchins was gone. “Dammit.” Max ran a hand through his hair when he heard the text come in. He looked at me after he read it. “Carter said he’ll look into it.”

  “So what do we do now?”

  Max looked away. “Actually, Sarah, I’m kind of tired. I think I’d like to go back to the hotel and get some sleep.”

  My heart nearly dropped into my stomach. “You’re upset with me, aren’t you?”

  “I just need time to think,” he said, “and right now, I don’t want to think about anything.”

  “We don’t have to talk. I could give you a little shoulder massage to return the favor.”

  Max slowly shook his head. “I’ll take a rain check.”

  It was a slow, silent drive back to the hotel. I fought the urge to reach out and hold his hand. The news about the potential job in Chicago threw me for a loop, yet I had no right to ask him to decline the offer. I couldn’t promise him anything in return.

  Back at the hotel, we made our way through the lobby to the elevators. I got in, but Max didn’t.

  “You’re not going up to your room?” I asked.

  “I’ve decided to take a little walk,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight.”

  Before the elevator doors closed I said. “I’m sorry Max, I really wish---”

  “It’s all right, Sarah.” He gave a casual wave as he started to walk off.

  Chapter 27

  I woke to the sound of my cell phone’s ring tone.

  “Sarah? Are you still in bed?” It was Carter.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I’ve been trying to reach Max. He’s not answering his phone.”

  My chest seized up. Please don’t tell me he took a plane back to New Hampshire, too.

  “Can you go knock on his door? Richard and I are waiting in the lobby.”

  I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Seven fifteen. “Um, okay.”

  Thoughts of the night before assaulted my brain. How could I have been so heartless to Max? The news of his potential move to Chicago came as such a shock. Why didn’t I express that to him?

  It took me less than five minutes to get ready. I threw on a pair of white shorts and a tank top then tied my hair into a bun.

  When I knocked on Max’s door, the butterflies in my stomach began acting up. A few seconds passed. No response. I knocked harder.

  I was about to knock a third time when the door swung wide. Max was wearing a white towel around his waist. His hair and skin were damp. He motioned for me to enter.

  “Carter and Richard are waiting in the lobby,” I said, unable to look him in the eye.

  “Give me a minute to get dressed.” He went into the bathroom and shut the door.

  I glanced over at his bed. The soft wrinkled sheets were still crumpled from where he slept. I walked over, smoothed them down, and leaned over. Max’s scent reminded me of wind swept pine needles on a summer’s day. I was envious of those sheets. They had caressed his bare skin as he slept. I might have been as fortunate had I played my cards differently the night before.

  “What are you doing?” Max had emerged from the bathroom, wearing faded blue jeans and a grey t-shirt.

  I sat up, slightly panicked. “I like the smell of those sheets,” I said, casually. “I need to find out what laundry detergent the hotel uses.” I cringed when I realized I sounded like an actress in a Tide commercial.

  “We should head down,” he said, looking away.

  The hotel lobby was bustling with activity, the scent of coconut suntan lotion in the air. Oil drenched tourists waited in line under a sign advertising snorkeling excursions. We spotted Carter and Richard sitting at the far end of the lobby. They were ogling a cute bikini-clad woman who could have given Selma Hayek a few pointers.

  “Enjoying the scenery, fellas?” I asked, breaking their concentration. They looked up at me, startled.

  Richard cleared his throat. “I was just tellin
g Carter he should go ask that nice young lady to meet him for a drink later.”

  Carter’s face turned red. “That’s if she’s old enough to drink.”

  “Of course she’s old enough,” Richard said. “She’s at least twenty-three.”

  “Which makes her almost half my age,” Carter shot back.

  “What’s your point?”

  “My point is I’m too old to babysit.”

  “I’ll bet you fifty bucks she accepts an offer to have a drink with you,” Richard said.

  “I’ll give you fifty bucks right now if you’ll stop talking.”

  Richard threw his hands in the air. “Fine.”

  Carter gestured for me and Max to take a seat next to them. “Let’s talk about Hutchins. We found out a few things. None of them are adding up. First, there’s no record of a Sal Hutchins ever having a driver’s license in the State of Hawaii.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked, settling into a plush armchair.

  “Maybe Sal Hutchins only plans to be in Hawaii for a short time. Makes sense, because the house he’s living in isn’t in his name. I doubt his name is really Sal Hutchins.”

  “What do you suggest we do?” I asked.

  “You and Max should go back and talk to him again. Try to find out what he’s hiding.”

  “Okay,” I said. “What else? Did you talk with the people at Island Style Images about the photos of the kids?”

  Carter reached into his back pocket and produced a folded piece of paper. “We got lucky. The owner recognized the girl with the pigtails.”

  “You’re kidding,” I said. “They remembered her?”

  “The only reason they remembered is because her face had recently been shown on the local news. They didn’t recall her name, so I did some digging on the Internet. I found a newspaper article. Her name was Haley Foster. She died a few months ago.” He handed me the article.

  My hands felt numb as read the headline:

  Girl drowns in neighbor's pool

  “What the hell?” My voice was so shrill it attracted some dirty looks from a few hotel patrons making their way across the lobby. I lowered my voice. “Have you contacted her parents?”

  Carter shifted in his seat and crossed one leg over the other. “I’ve been thinking about it. I really don’t want to upset them, but it sure would be nice to know if there’s a connection between her and the other kids. They might even be able to help us identify the others. But first things first. You and Max go have another talk with Hutchins.”

  Chapter 28

  Max was quiet on the ride over to Sal Hutchins house. I knew I had to say something to make up for my callousness the night before. “I’m sorry about last night, Max.”

  His eyes remained focused on the road ahead. “What are you sorry about?”

  “For being a bitch.”

  He chuckled and looked over at me. “You weren’t a bitch, Sarah. Maybe a little insensitive, but not a bitch.”

  “I was upset about the prospect of you moving to Chicago.”

  “Upset?” He arched an eyebrow. “Sounds pretty serious.”

  “Okay, maybe ‘upset’ is a little lukewarm. How about devastated? Is that a better word?”

  “It’s better. Why were you devastated?”

  He was dragging me through the coals. “Because I care about you,” I said. “I’d really miss you if you moved away.”

  Max smiled and reached for my hand. I must have said the right thing.

  Hutchins golf cart wasn’t parked in the circular driveway like the time before. A black BMW was parked there now. I spotted a middle-aged woman walking briskly out of the house toward the vehicle. Max parked and we approached. The woman looked up and tilted her head to the side. “Can I help you?”

  “Actually, we’re looking for Sal Hutchins.” Max offered her a warm smile. “Is he around?”

  “Oh, you must be referring to the fellow who was renting the house from me. He just left this morning.”

  I turned to face Max. His mouth hung open.

  The woman picked up on the awkward silence. She took a few steps toward us and stuck her chin out. “Can I help you with something?” she asked. I detected a slight southern accent.

  Max cleared his throat. “Forgive me. I’m Max Stevens and this is Sarah Woods.”

  We shook hands and she said, “I’m Theresa Harper. Please call me Tess.”

  “So you own this house?”

  “Is there a problem?”

  “The man I mentioned. Do you know him very well?”

  Theresa looked as if she was trying to decide what to say. “Well, no. Mr. Hutchins contacted me about two weeks ago. Said he needed to rent my house for a few weeks. Said it was very important. Paid in cash. I’ve spent the last few weeks on Maui at my sister’s place. Why do you ask?”

  “There must be a lot of places for rent around here. Did Hutchins give you a reason for wanting to rent your house specifically?”

  “Apparently he was doing research. Something to do with astronomy. He said this location had a particularly dark night sky. I don’t know much about that stuff. He seemed very intelligent. Had a lot of high tech equipment. Telescopes, binoculars, that kind of stuff. He said he used to work for NASA.”

  “Did you happen to notice what kind of rental car he had?”

  She bit her lip and thought it over. “He didn’t have his own car. A black SUV dropped him off.”

  “A limo service?”

  “Probably. I don’t remember seeing a sign on the vehicle, though.”

  Max pursed his lips as he glanced around. “Look, I’m going to level with you, your neighbor next door drowned in his pool yesterday. Hutchins found him and called 9-1-1. He already gave the police his statement, but we need to follow up with him. Did he mention any of this to you?”

  “Good heavens, that’s awful. I didn’t know anyone was renting the house next door. It sat vacant for months.”

  “His name was Duane Cunningham. He moved in less than two weeks ago, about the same time Sal Hutchins rented your place.”

  “What a coincidence. How are you involved?”

  “We’ve been hired privately to find a missing child. We really need to get in touch with Mr. Hutchins. Did he give you a cell number or forwarding address?”

  Teresa let out a sigh as her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry. He never gave me his number. And he never mentioned where he was from.”

  Max took a few steps back and made a friendly hand gesture. “Sorry to disturb you. We really appreciate your help.”

  Chapter 29

  I could tell Max was anxious as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

  “Are you buying the whole ‘Sal Hutchins works for NASA’ thing?” I asked.

  “Well, first of all, astronomers don’t use binoculars.”

  “Maybe he enjoys a little bird watching in his spare time?”

  “It’s obvious she didn’t want to help us. I mean, really. Who rents their house to someone without getting their contact information first?

  “Why do you think she’d cover for the guy?”

  “Who knows? Professional courtesy, maybe? It really doesn’t matter at this point. He’s probably halfway back to the states by now. Or Singapore.”

  “My brain hurts. What the hell is going on?”

  “Can you call Carter and let him know we’re on our way to the Sanborn’s?”

  Five minutes later we pulled into the Sanborn’s driveway. Carter and Richard were standing in front of the house. When we joined them, Richard seemed anxious. “What happened at Hutchins’s place?”

  “He’s gone,” Max said. “I have a hunch he was there to spy on Cunningham. The owner of the house has been on Maui for the last few weeks. Hutchins told her some story about working for NASA.”

  “We could contact all the rental car companies in case he’s still on the island. Do you remember what kind of car he drove?”

  “No rental car. Hutchins was dropped o
ff by a black SUV. When Sarah and I were there yesterday, all we saw was a golf cart. That was probably his mode of transportation. But he’d need to return it to the country club before leaving.”

  “Okay, I’ll look into that,” Carter said.

  “Did you get in contact with the parents of the girl in the photo yet?” Max asked.

  Carter nodded. “I located a phone number for the girl’s mother, Carla Foster. She didn’t answer when I called.”

  “Did you leave a message?”

  “No point in that. She’d never call me back if I told her why I was calling.”

  Max nodded.

  “I have her office address,” Carter said. It’s always better to discuss these matters in person. But first we need to go in and give Dr. Theo an update. He must be itching for some news.”

  The Sanborn’s kitchen looked like a hurricane had gone through it. Broken dishes covered the floor and countertops. Dr. Theo casually walked in, cup of coffee in hand, and regarded us with tired eyes. He waved a hand around the kitchen. “How do you like my daughter’s handiwork? She did a fine job, didn’t she?”

  “Jessica did this?” I asked.

  “She had a little episode last night and decided to take her frustrations out on the china.”

  “What prompted the outburst?”

  Dr. Theo shrugged. “It could be her medication. I might have to adjust her dosage.”

  “For the ulcers?”

  Dr. Theo nodded. “The stress is too much for her.

  “Maybe I can help,” I said. “Would you like me to talk to her?”

  “She’s resting at the moment, but thank you.”

  “Well, I hope she’ll be all right,” Richard interjected. “Perhaps this is a bad time for an update.”

  Dr. Theo turned to Richard. “No, please. What is it?”

  Richard looked around the kitchen and scratched the side of his cheek. “It’s about Cunningham’s neighbor, Sal Hutchins.”

  Dr. Theo blinked a few times. “What about him?”

  “We think he was in Hawaii to watch Cunningham.”

  “Look.” Doctor Theo set his coffee mug down abruptly, causing the contents to swoosh up and spill out onto the table. “I thought I’d made myself clear. I don’t give a shit about Cunningham. I want you to find my grandson. That’s all I care about. Please tell me you understand.”