Loved by You

by Sophia Knightly

  “Oh, is that the backstory you mentioned when you told me about Brie?”

  Sadie’s eyes met Piper’s solemnly. “Unfortunately, yes. I get the feeling that Roman is caught between a rock and a hard place with her. He feels indebted to her father, but he’s not that taken with Brie.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “A mother’s intuition,” she said with a wise smile. “He doesn’t return her public displays of affection. In fact, he usually looks uncomfortable.”

  “Oh,” Piper said, surprised. What could she say to that?

  Sadie sat back and inhaled strongly. “He never shares his private life with me. I have to respect that.”

  Piper smiled. Whether Sadie respected it or not, it was natural for her to opine about her son’s love life. “When Roman called me out of the blue, I realized how much I missed you, Sadie. And when he told me that you’d widowed again, I wanted to come see you.” She reached for Sadie’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I don’t want you to think it was only because he asked me to.”

  “Don’t worry, I don’t think that,” Sadie said generously. “I’m not thrilled that Roman did it behind my back, but he meant well.” There was so much to admire in Sadie. She didn’t waste time on grudges and hypersensitivity. That was probably why she had so many friends.

  “How many times have you seen Roman?” Sadie asked casually, though Piper could only imagine what was going on in her mind—questions about how Piper had felt upon seeing him again.

  Sadie listened intently as Piper filled her in on her recent conversation with Roman over lunch, leaving out his electrifying kiss at the end.

  “I don’t know where Roman got the idea that you were abusing pain pills,” Piper said tactfully, “but over lunch he told me he’s worried that something might be off with your—”

  “My mind?” Sadie guessed. Her eyes flashed indignantly. “Is that what he’s worried about?”

  Piper nodded miserably.

  Sadie’s mouth twisted. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s getting those ideas from The Stinky Cheese.”

  “Why would Brie do that? You’d think she’d want to get along with you.”

  “That would be the logical thing, but she wants to push me out of the picture because she knows I’m onto her.”

  “Roman mentioned that some important files have gone missing a few times.”

  “They have, and what’s most confounding is that it happened after my shoulder injury.”

  “What was in those files that made them so important?”

  “The first file had all the letters of commitment from the high-end donors along with copies of their checks. And the second one was filled with pledge letters from the silent donors. I keep the files current and always follow up with a handwritten thank you note to give it a personal touch.”

  “That’s nice. And classy.”

  “Well, it’s the least I can do. Some of the donors are personal friends, some are fellow tennis enthusiasts, and others are current and retired pros. We have a good mix.”

  “I’ll say,” Piper agreed. “Is there any reason why you keep hard copy files instead of electronic ones?”

  Sadie lifted her shoulder in a half shrug. “I keep both. I like to have back up hard copy files for every event. Roman can’t understand why I do it, but I’m old school. I don’t trust computers, even with an external hard drive backing up my files.”

  “How do you save them electronically?”

  “Nadine scans the letters and donation checks, and then saves them in a designated file.”

  “How long has Nadine worked for you?”

  “Let’s see.” Sadie gazed in the distance and seemed to calculate the time. “She’s been with us for almost two years now. That girl is a godsend.”

  “In what way?” Piper asked.

  “Nadine lives and breathes tennis and is a huge fan of Roman’s. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for him. I think she used to have a little crush on him, but she’s engaged now. Anyway, she’s a computer geek and that’s perfect in my books.” Sadie shook her head ruefully. “I’m not tech savvy at all. Every time I’ve updated the programs on my computer something gets messed up.”

  “Were the missing files ever found?”

  “They eventually showed up, but in the oddest places—places I know I’d never put them. That’s what makes me so upset. I think a certain someone has been messing with my stuff.”

  “Brie?”

  Sadie threw her hands in the air. “I wouldn’t put it past her. I saw her shoot a concerned look to Roman when I mentioned I’d found the first file tucked underneath the coffee pod supply in our office kitchen. It even had coffee stains on it, and you know I would never put an important file there!”

  “Of course not.” No doubt Brie had relished the opportunity to make Sadie look bad. “Is the foundation office connected with Roman’s tennis academy? I mean is it housed in the same building?”

  “It is. Why do you ask?”

  “I just thought of something. Are there surveillance cameras in the building?”

  “There are many in the main areas and also in the office.”

  “Perfect. Shall we have a look at the videos then?” Piper said with a raised brow.

  Sadie stood abruptly, her wide eyes illuminated with a light bulb moment. “My goodness, Piper, you are sharp. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Let’s go.”

  Piper grabbed her handbag and rose from the couch, ready for action. “What if Roman’s there?”

  “No one will be there at this hour.”

  “Are you sure?” The last person Piper wanted to run into was Roman.

  “Yes. Nadine has already gone home, and Roman said he had plans tonight and wouldn’t be in until tomorrow.”

  “How far is it from here?”

  “A twenty minute drive. You can follow my car and leave from there if you like.”

  Chapter 11

  Geez, Sadie sure was in a rush, Piper thought, as she followed her. She was driving a bit over the speed limit and weaving in and out of the lanes to gain time. Roman would be incensed if he knew she was driving like that.

  They turned onto Livingston Drive, and Sadie drove a few more miles before making a right turn. She stuck her arm out of the car and pointed to a large contemporary building. The first thing Piper noticed was the semi-circular concrete wall at the entrance. LION TENNIS ACADEMY in bronze letters graced a big sign with the crest of a navy blue lion’s head below.

  Stately royal palm trees surrounded the massive two-story tennis academy flanked by fifteen clay courts on one side and fifteen hard courts on the other. The structure had oyster white exterior walls and a high-domed steel gray roof.

  She followed Sadie’s car into the parking lot behind the building and pulled into one of the areas marked “guest” while Sadie parked at her designated spot. She joined Sadie and together they walked to the side of the structure.

  Sadie briskly led Piper to an unmarked, metal door. “If we hurry, we’ll intercept Evan before he finishes his shift.” She typed in a code and opened the heavy door.

  “Who’s Evan?”

  Sadie waved a hand. “He’s an old flame, but more importantly, the main security guard. He sits in his office all day and watches the security cameras as people come and go.”

  “Looks like we’ll get some answers soon.”

  “I’m sure we will. Evan’s a retired cop.” Sadie flashed a sly smile. “I got him this gig to soften the blow when I broke up with him.”

  “Sadie, you are too much.” Piper grinned at Sadie’s antics. “So there are no hard feelings between you?”

  Sadie looked surprised. “Why, none at all. I set him up with my neighbor, Sally Jean, and they’re a happy couple now.”

  “Perfect. Lead the way, Sherlock, or should I call you matchmaking Wonder Woman?”

  “Either will do.” Sadie let out a peal of laughter and covered her mouth. “Oops, I didn’t mean to
be so loud. I can’t help feeling giddy. Maybe I’ll get the answers I’ve been looking for.”

  As they entered further, they walked past a spacious, glass-paned room filled with state-of-the-art gym equipment and weights. They turned left and continued down a long corridor. Sadie gestured to the main hall that opened out from the reception area. Large glass-covered bookcases bordered either side filled with Roman’s many tennis trophies, plaques and awards.

  “I love roaming around here. It makes me so proud to see all the awards Roman brought home from his competitions. It’s truly impressive, especially his gold Olympic medal,” Sadie said proudly.

  “It’s awesome,” Piper agreed.

  They walked past two massage rooms, the men and women’s locker rooms and a steam room.

  Sadie gestured to a large student living area, which had a study library area and an adjoining cafeteria where the kids could hang out with a tremendous view of the tennis courts below.

  They finally reached the security office at the very end of the hall.

  Sadie knocked on the door and entered. “That’s Evan,” she whispered before he got up to greet her.

  Evan Barker was a tall, rangy fellow in his seventies with thinning white hair, a deeply tanned, weathered complexion and sharp black eyes. His somber expression softened the moment Sadie greeted him.

  After introductions were made, she recounted the unexplained missing files and asked for Evan’s help.

  “Let’s start with the surveillance cameras,” Evan suggested.

  “I hoped you’d say that,” Sadie said eagerly. “I’m mostly interested in what went on in our office, not the whole building, so that should save time.”

  “When was the first file lost?” he asked.

  “Three weeks ago, just after my shoulder injury.

  Sadie and Piper sat on either side of Evan as he scrolled through the computer files containing footage from the past three weeks, starting with the first time one of Sadie’s files was lost.

  Sadie perched her rhinestone reading glasses on the bridge of her nose and stared at the screen. Several minutes went by with boring footage until she suddenly blurted out, “Stop. Can you rewind the tape a bit?”

  “I can’t believe it,” she said as she watched a plump, middle-aged woman in a navy and white uniform dress open a file drawer on the right of Sadie's desk and riffle through the files. “Why on earth would Esmeralda go through my things?” she mused in a bewildered tone. Her brows drew together as she watched Esmeralda read a label on the file and then tuck it into a large tote bag before leaving the office.

  “Who is that woman?” Piper asked, aware that Evan was taking note of everything with a grave expression.

  “Esmeralda is our cleaning lady…hired by me. She used to clean the beauty salon I frequent, but lost her job when she was out sick with a gallbladder attack. As soon as she recovered from her surgery, she came to work here. She doesn’t clean the whole academy, just the offices on the second floor.”

  “That’s odd. Why would she take the files?” Piper said.

  “Beats me,” Sadie replied, her gaze fixed on the screen. “I need to watch more. Please play the rest, Evan.”

  After scrolling though additional footage, Esmeralda appeared on tape one more time and did exactly the same thing as she’d done earlier, leaving with a file in her tote bag.

  “Do you want me to call her in for questioning?” Evan asked.

  Sadie sighed and she took off her reading glasses. “No need to, Evan. I’m going to call her myself. It’s very possible that she picked up the files at someone’s request.”

  “Who?” Evan asked, watching Sadie like a hawk.

  Sadie rubbed her chin as she thought about it. “I’m not sure, but I plan to find out. That’s for sure.”

  “All you need is say the word, and I’ll get to the bottom of this,” Evan blustered.

  “I have every faith you will,” she said, smiling. “I’ll be sure to let you know what Esmeralda says.”

  He nodded. “You do that, and be sure to let me know if I can be of service,” he said firmly.

  “I will. Thanks so much.” Sadie rose and so did Piper. “There wasn’t anything important in the files anyway. Everything is backed up online.”

  Evan stood and scratched his head, then smoothed his disheveled hair over his receding hairline with a craggy hand. “Then why did you want to see the tapes?”

  “There was a lot of confusion when I was gone, and I wanted to know how some of the files had gotten misplaced.” Sadie shrugged. “Looks like it’s a case of miscommunication. Once I chat with Esmeralda, the mystery will be solved.”

  Evan looked dubious. “I hope so.”

  Sadie met his probing gaze with unwavering eyes. “Evan, please don’t mention any of this to Roman.”

  Evan’s bushy white brows met in a deep furrow as he dipped his head to peer at Sadie. “And why not?”

  “I wouldn’t want poor Esmeralda getting in trouble for something she probably did innocently.”

  “All right,” Evan said reluctantly. “But if anything changes and you need an investigation, you know where to come.”

  Sadie touched his shoulder. “I sure do, Evan. You’re the best.”

  When they got inside the elevator and the doors closed, Piper was glad they were alone.

  “None of this makes sense. Esmeralda values her job and needs the money to support her family.” Sadie grabbed her iPhone and called her. “Shoot,” she said dejectedly. “She’s not answering.” She left a message on voicemail and hung up. “The next time I come, I’ll be armed with sage.”

  “What for?”

  Sadie’s chest expanded as she inhaled deeply. “I’m going to light it in the foundation office.”

  Piper smiled. “To ward off evil spirits?”

  “Yeah, clearly the air is tainted. I want to purge the negative energy and replace it with positive vibes.” She took hold of Piper’s hand, surprising her with her strong grip. “Thank goodness you’re here with me.”

  “I’m glad too,” Piper said, gently squeezing Sadie’s hand.

  Just as Sadie was about to slide her phone into her handbag, Esmeralda called back.

  Chapter 12

  By the time they reached the Foundation office, Sadie’s conversation with Esmeralda had ended. “Let’s wait until we’re in my office before we talk about what Esmeralda told me,” Sadie suggested, furtively looking over her shoulder.

  She typed a code on the electronic lock on the door and they entered and passed an empty reception area on their way to her office. The décor was a serene combination of pale mushroom walls, gray-planked wooden floors and sleek white desks.

  Tennis paraphernalia and glossy photos with tennis stars adorned the hallway on either side. Sadie pointed to a closed door that bore a gray metal plaque with Roman Spenser on it.

  She stopped in front of the next door. “Here we are. My office is right next to Roman’s.”

  Once inside, Piper asked, “Well? What did Esmeralda say?”

  Sadie braced her hips against her glossy white desk with her hands resting on either side at the edge. “At first she had no idea what I was talking about. Then she got flustered when I explained the missing files had caused me all kinds of trouble.” Her brow creased. “She was surprised and then totally confused.”

  “Confused? Did she say why she took them?”

  Sadie exhaled a weary breath “Brie told her to take the files and bring them to her.”

  “Just like that?” Piper drew back in surprise. “How could she imagine that you wouldn’t find out about it? Sounds like she might have struck a deal with Esmeralda.”

  “She didn’t have to,” Sadie said with irony. “The Stinky Cheese is a sly one. She covered her tracks by simply telling Esmeralda that I needed the files at home, and she would take them to me. She did it twice, and was so convincing that Esmeralda believed her.”

  “So it was Brie’s doing, and now you hav
e proof,” Piper concluded.

  Sadie’s eyes sparked with indignation. “The Stinky Cheese strikes again,” she said with a sharp twist of her lips.

  “Roman needs to know what she’s been up to, Sadie.”

  “Yes, but if I tell Roman, it’s going to be Brie’s word against Esmeralda’s. I’m sure Brie was banking on it.”

  “What she did was underhanded. There has to be a way to expose her.”

  Sadie’s jaw jutted forward. “I’m working on it, believe me.”

  “Have you thought of hiring a private investigator?”

  Sadie exhaled her breath in a rapid huff. “I don’t need a private eye. I know all about Brie.”

  “Did you already have her investigated?” Sadie was normally even keeled, but today all her nerve endings seemed electro charged.

  “I didn’t need to have her investigated. She is the daughter of Monica Aries, who was my nemesis years ago when we competed on the tennis circuit.”

  Piper raised her brows. “She was? You need to connect the dots for me. Why didn’t you mention Monica when you told me about Vince?”

  “It’s a convoluted tale.” Sadie scowled. “We weren’t only adversaries on the courts. Monica was fiercely competitive in our personal lives too.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Monica wanted Rex for herself, but he chose me. She never forgave him—or me—for winning Rex’s heart. After Rex and I got married, she got married too. The same year, in fact. They had a baby boy, but within two years she filed for divorce.”

  “When did she have Brie?”

  “Much later. Monica set her sights on nabbing Rex’s good friend, Vince, and she finally succeeded after many years.” Sadie gave Piper a meaningful look. “When they married, she was already pregnant with Brie and used that to snare Vince.”

  Piper’s jaw dropped. “So you’ve known Brie since she was a little girl?”

  “Yes, but I kept a distance from Monica as much as I could so our paths wouldn’t cross.”

  “But how did Brie connect with Roman then? It couldn’t have been a coincidence.”