“Horror films? Must have been an exciting career,” Carter added.
“My husband was a highly respected producer and director back in those days.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, when did your husband pass away?” Carter asked.
Alice looked up at the mantle. A framed photograph of a young couple seemed to capture her attention. “Ten years ago yesterday. He was tinkering in the basement with some of the larger movie props he kept stored down there. Henry would while away the hours in his dungeon, as he liked to call it. The basement is filled with all kinds of medieval torture devices. Friends have tried to convince me to sell them on EBay. I could probably make a small fortune, though I don’t really need the money. Truth be told, I couldn’t stand to part with any of Henry’s prized possessions. Anyway, he was down there one day and … had a heart attack. Dropped dead. The doctor couldn’t understand why. He always had a strong ticker.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said.
“He left this world doing what he loved most.” Alice’s expression changed. “But let’s get to the real reason I invited you here to begin with. Not that I don’t like talking about my dear Henry. I could go on for hours. However, I want to tell you more about my friend, Mariposa Parker. Everyone calls her Mari, for short.”
“Mariposa? That’s an interesting name,” I said, while digging into my purse for a notebook and pen. “She doesn’t sound like she’s from New Hampshire.”
“Her name means butterfly in Spanish. She’s from Portugal. Used to be a famous model there, but moved here about five years ago when she married Kenneth. They live right across the street in the renovated blue house with all those skylights. He owns an investment company in Boston, but spends most of his time playing golf while she does her charity work. I donate a lot of money to Mari’s causes.”
I made a few notes and looked up. “Is that how you and Mari became friends?”
“Yes. I’ll never forget the day they moved in across the street. They’d hired a crew to install those hideous skylights. Everyone on the block thought it was an abomination to change the appearance of an historic home like that. Anyway, Kenneth doesn’t care. He does what he pleases.”
“Do they have children?” I asked.
“Not together. Kenneth has a teenage son named Ethan from a previous marriage. He goes to Boston University and lives in one of the dorms.” Alice raised her hand to her chin as if she’d just forgotten something important. “Oh dear, how rude of me. Can I offer either one of you something to drink?”
Both Carter and I exchanged a knowing glance. “Thank you, we’re fine,” I said, not bringing to her attention the fact that she had already asked.
Alice’s shoulders relaxed. “The night before last, the Parker’s held a masquerade ball for Halloween. Like most of their fundraising events, it was quite elaborate.”
“So this would have been on Friday night, correct?”
“Yes. I only stayed for an hour. These eighty-eight year old bones harbor a lot of aches and pains. I’m usually in bed by nine.”
I made a few notes and looked back at Alice. “Did something happen at the party?”
“You see, that’s why I called you. I think something dreadful happened to Mari after I left the party that night.”
“So you haven’t spoken to her since?”
“No. As a matter of fact, she was supposed to come over yesterday morning, the anniversary of Henry’s death. She always makes it a point to spend the day with me. I called her around noon yesterday. She never answered and never called me back. I called the house. Around four. Kenneth told me that Mari had decided last- minute to go away for the weekend by herself. Some kind of spa resort. He didn’t know which one.”
“You don’t believe him?” I asked.
“I don’t know what to think. I explained to Kenneth that Mari would never miss Henry’s anniversary. He tried to convince me that she must have simply forgotten, and told me not to take it personally. I asked if he’d call the spa to make sure she’d arrived safely, but he just laughed at me like I was some crazy, paranoid old woman.”
“Did he actually see her leave?” I asked.
“No. He said she was already gone when he got up. That’s when he noticed the text message on his cell phone.”
I paused to consider what had been said. “She texted him? Why not leave a note on the table or refrigerator?”
Alice shrugged.
“So, what makes you think she’s not at the spa?” I asked, trying to get to the core of the issue.
“Like I said, she’d never miss Henry’s anniversary. I don’t believe she just forgot, especially when she confirmed at the party the night before that she would be coming over the next day. It doesn’t make any sense. ”
“Maybe she doesn’t want anyone to know where she is.”
Alice looked down at her hands, folded in her lap. “I suppose it’s possible. But why?”
“Did Mari take a car?” I asked.
Alice nodded. “Yes, Kenneth said she took her Mercedes.”
I thought about that. “Does her car have OnStar? Her husband could activate the GPS and find out where she is that way.”
Alice shook her head. “I don’t think so. Her car is an early model Mercedes. I don’t think it has all that fancy stuff.”
“They could track her through her cell phone,” I added.
“It must be turned off,” she said. “It goes straight to voicemail.”
I chewed on the end of my pen and glanced at Carter. He didn’t have anything to offer. This was clearly my decision.
I wanted to help Alice. Besides, this could be my chance to make up for my last job. Carter seemed to believe I could do this so after taking another minute to consider everything, I looked up at Alice. “Is Mari having an affair?”
She blinked, apparently surprised by the question. “What? No. I’m positive she isn’t.”
“Is she unhappy in her marriage?”
“I don’t think so. Kenneth is not my cup of tea, but she seems to be very much in love with him.”
“Other than forgetting the anniversary of your husbands death, what else makes you think she’s in any kind of trouble?”
“Well, Mari has admirers—beautiful women often do.”
“Admirers? You mean stalkers?”
Alice nodded and looked away, as if embarrassed. “She had some kind of trouble with a fellow last week. He sent her letters and followed her all over the place.”
“Did she tell you his name?”
“If she did, I don’t remember it. You can ask Kenneth. He’d know.”
“Maybe Mari and her husband had an argument and she just needed to get away for a few days,” I said.
“It’s possible, but I’m telling you … Mari would return my calls.”
“What else can you tell me about Kenneth?”
“He’s a sports fanatic. Very successful. He’s a bit of a show-off, but he fully supports Mari with all her charity efforts.”
“Has she ever mentioned domestic abuse? Anything that might give her reason to leave him?”
“No. She would have told me.”
I offered Alice a tentative smile. “I’ll go over and talk to Kenneth. We might be able to use her credit cards to track her down if he’s willing.”
A sincere look of gratitude appeared on her face. “Thank you.”
“By the way,” I said, “did you mention to Kenneth that you were thinking of hiring us?”
“No, but I’m sure he won’t be surprised when you show up at his house. He’ll probably tell you I’m a pain in his butt.”
I returned my notebook to my purse and turned to Carter. “Do you have anything to add?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I think you’ve got this covered.”
“Good.” I turned back to Alice. “I’ll contact you as soon as we have any information.”
She leaned over and grabbed an envelope from the coffee table, then hand
ed it to me. “Here is an advance for today. Is five hundred enough for your time and expenses?”
I hesitated. “It may only take a few phone calls to find out where Mari is. I won’t need that much.”
“If you can gather the information I seek, it’s well worth my peace of mind.”
Carter and I stood up to leave. “We can see ourselves out.”
“Thank you both so much. Your assistance means a great deal to me.”
“Our pleasure. And try not to worry about your friend,” I said. “Chances are she’ll return on her own.”
Chapter 2
“I love working for rich people,” Carter said, as we crossed the street to the Parkers’ house. “Wouldn’t it be nice if all of our clients would pay?”
I knew Carter was referring to my last assignment, which was more of a favor for a friend than an actual job. “Thanks for reminding me,” I said.
Carter patted my shoulder; his way of offering encouragement. “How were you supposed to know the woman was a con artist?”
“That’s the point,” I said. “I’m the detective. I should have sensed something evil about her.”
He smiled. “Believe it or not, even I get fooled by people occasionally. And I’ve been doing this stuff a lot longer than you.”
“Thanks. I guess I feel better. Lesson learned? Don’t be so trusting.”
We approached the Parkers’ front door and knocked. A moment later, a ruggedly handsome man in his mid forties - wearing sweatpants and a rugby shirt - stood in the entryway. He eyed us suspiciously, glancing at Carter first, then back to me. “Can I help you with something?”
“Kenneth Parker?” I asked.
“That depends.”
“My name is Sarah Woods and this is Carter. We were just visiting with your neighbor, Alice Rossini. She’s very concerned about your wife. Could we talk for a few minutes?”
Kenneth shook his head and chuckled derisively. “Let me guess, Alice hired a couple private eyes. I told her when we spoke yesterday that my wife is just fine.”
“I’m really sorry to bother you. May we come in?” I asked. “I’m sure it will only take a few phone calls to locate her. Unless, of course, you’ve spoken to her recently.”
“As I already told Alice, my wife texted me yesterday morning. She’s at the spa.”
“Why a text?”
His expression suggested I was some kind of imbecile. “Uh … that’s how people communicate these days.”
“Look, I’m sure your wife is perfectly fine. If we can just have five minutes, we’ll be out of your hair. Promise.”
After a moment, Kenneth swung the door wide to let us in. “Make it quick. My son is home from college for the weekend and we were about to leave. We have a racquetball session scheduled for seven o’clock.”
I glanced across the room and noticed a teenaged boy sitting on the stairs, texting on his cell phone. “Thank you,” I said. “This won’t take long.”
Once inside, I noticed how open the space was. Many walls must have been taken out. I wondered why someone would buy a beautiful old home only to rearrange the inside with contemporary design. Sleek black and stainless steel appliances dominated the kitchen-dining room where Carter and I were invited to have a seat.
Kenneth stood behind the bar and planted his elbows on the counter, eyeballing us. “Okay. What do you need?”
“Approximately what time did your wife leave yesterday morning?”
“I don’t know. When I got up around nine, she was already gone. That’s when I noticed the text.”
“She never said which spa she was going to?”
“No.”
“Does she have a favorite?”
“Mari spends half her life getting pampered. I can’t keep track of all the different places she goes.”
I nodded. “You could check her credit card accounts for recent transactions. Do you have shared accounts?”
He hesitated. “Yes, but I don’t usually keep tabs on her spending habits.”
“You could go online and check the recent transactions. That should tell you which spa she’s at.”
Kenneth tapped his fingers on the counter. “Fine. If that’s what it takes to appease Alice’s distress.” He removed a cell phone from his back pocket, typed a few numbers into his cell phone, and shook his head.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
Kenneth pushed a few more buttons. “Hold on, just let me check the other account.”
After a moment he looked at me. “There must be an explanation. Maybe she’s been paying with cash.”
“Have there been any cash withdrawals in the past week?”
He referred to his phone again and scrolled the website. He shook his head. “Look, I appreciate the fact that Alice is concerned about my wife. But don’t you think I’d be the first one to call the police if I thought she was in trouble?”
“Alice mentioned that Mari had a stalker.”
Kenneth ran a hand through his thick brown hair. “You mean the freak-show that sent nude photos of himself?”
“Nude photos?”
“The guy was disgusting, but he never actually caused any harm. The police finally tracked him down. He didn’t have a criminal record or anything so we didn’t press charges. Kind of a wimpy guy anyway, if you ask me.”
I fetched my notebook from my purse. “Do you remember his name?”
“Joshua Limp. I’ll never forget it because the guy was anything but limp if you know what I mean.”
“Any other stalkers, or admirers? Any enemies?”
“Enemies? Not a chance. Everyone loves Mari.”
“I’m wondering if there’s a coincidence that she decided to leave the morning after your event Friday night. Maybe she had an argument with one of the guests?”
“I doubt it,” he said.
“Has she ever gone off before without telling you where she was going?”
“Once. Last year she went up to a resort in Maine for the weekend.”
“Do you remember the place?”
“The Seaside Inn. But I doubt she’d ever go back there again. She complained about a rude manager who disrespected his employees.”
“She went by herself?”
He shrugged. “I’m not her keeper. She’s welcome to come and go as she pleases. She likes to spend time by herself occasionally.”
“It wasn’t because you two had an argument?”
Kenneth shook his head, clearly insulted. “We never argue.”
“How long have you been married?”
“Almost five years.”
“No arguments in five years?” I said. “That’s impressive.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “You can ask anyone. I’m a good husband.”
“I never said you weren’t.”
Kenneth turned to Carter as if he, as a male, might sympathize with him. “You know how women are these days, right? They don’t want to be controlled. I don’t want to be the guy who calls his wife every hour to check up on her. It’s pathetic. So many guys these days are insecure wimps.”
Carter nodded, but remained quiet.
“You’re not concerned she might be with another man?” I asked.
Kenneth snorted. “Mari and I have an open marriage. I take it Alice forgot to mention that to you?”
“An open marriage?” I repeated.
He smirked. “It was part of the understanding when we got married. Mari was fine with it. Go ahead and judge me if you like, but it works for us.”
I tucked my notebook and pen back into my purse. “I’m not judging you, sir. But, I’m starting to get the picture. Perhaps Mari never told Alice the truth out of embarrassment.”
Kenneth put his hands up in surrender. “I’ll be the first to admit, Alice means well. But that lady should mind her own business.”
“Did you know that your wife usually spends the day with Alice every year on the anniversary
of her husbands death? Yesterday was that day, and that’s why Alice is concerned.”
“I get it. Believe me, that old woman has nothing better to do than worry. My wife is a busy woman and she probably just forgot about it.”
I glanced at Carter. “You have any questions?” I asked.
Carter looked to Kenneth with a serious expression. “Just out of curiosity, how does the whole open relationship thing work?”
Kenneth smiled. “Why? Is your marriage getting a little stale?”
Carter laughed. “I’m not married. I’m just fascinated by the concept.”
“Well, it’s pretty simple. I have a few girlfriends in the city I see from time to time. As long as I’m careful not to pick up any diseases or get someone pregnant, Mari doesn’t mind.”
“Do these girlfriends know you’re married?”
“Of course. I’m honest with everyone.”
“Do they ever fall in love with you?” Carter asked.
“I see what you’re getting at. And yes, it has happened before. When it did, I ended the relationship right away.”
Carter nodded as if that answered his question. “Okay, thanks for the clarification.”
“Well,” I said, getting up from the stool. “We won’t keep you any longer. Thanks for your time.”
Kenneth walked us to the door. “You know, maybe you should tell Alice to save her money. How much do you guys charge by the hour? Can’t be cheap.”
I ignored his question and offered him a smile. “I hope you hear from your wife soon. Have a nice day.”
Chapter 3
After leaving the Parkers’ house, Carter and I headed back to my vehicle parked in Alice’s driveway. “What do you think of Kenneth Parker?” I asked him.
“A little cocky, but I admire his honesty.”
“Did you notice he said the word wimp several times? He must have issues with weak people.”
“Interesting observation,” Carter said.
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