Christy Barritt - Squeaky Clean 04 - Dirty Deeds (11 page)

He shook his head. “No, I want our wedding to be nice. I know it’s important to you.”

I had always kind of wanted a big wedding. My version of nice was totally different than these people here at Allendale. I just wanted a warm church, a pretty dress, and a reception that offered a little more than cake, peanuts, and mints.

“It will all work out,” I told him. “More important than the wedding is the marriage. Isn’t that what you always say?”

He sighed again. Something was bothering him, but what? His car? The wedding? Or something else?

I squeezed his arm. “What are you thinking about? You’re not acting like yourself.”

He paused on the sidewalk and brushed a hair out of my face. “You know me well.”

“I should hope so.”

He looked in the distance a moment before making eye contact with me again. “I guess I just wanted this whole week to be fun, a chance for you and me to get away. It seems like it’s turned into anything but that. Jackie is missing. My car is totaled. My friends haven’t really grown up like I thought they would have. In my head, we were all tight. Now that I’m seeing them again, I feel like I hardly know them.”

“People do change.”

“I know they do. I just hoped that they’d changed for the better. You know, less of
The Breakfast Club
or
The Hangover
, and more of
Star Wars
.”

“
Star Wars
?” I questioned.

He shrugged. “I was trying to think of some movie where the main characters grew up by the end. I was having a little trouble.”

“Obviously.” I winked.

He hooked a hair behind my ear. “I promise you, before we leave, we’re going to have at least one night together to do something. Have a fancy dinner. Go to the spa. Something.”

I grinned up at him, soaking in every wonderful angle of his face. “Promise, Luke Skywalker?”

“Promise.” His lips grazed mine.

I fought a frown. I’d made a promise to Riley when we started this trip, and I was doing a lousy job keeping it.

I had to do a better job at minding my own business.

That just might be the biggest challenge of my life.

***

Back at Allendale, Riley headed to grab some sandwiches from the market downstairs. We decided to simply eat in my room and unwind a little, and that was fine with me. I hadn’t even been here a day, and I was already craving cheap pizza and Chinese food.

I started back up to my suite to tidy up. I decided to take the elevator this time. I stepped inside, saw Jackie’s mom, and realized it was too late to escape.

As soon as the doors closed, Jackie’s mom reached for a button and held it. The elevator jerked to a halt.

I stared at the woman as if she might be a crazed killer. But, no, she was just a grieving mother. I tried to remember that and ignore the fear that started to rise in me. I cleared my throat, about to offer some platitude that I’d probably later regret. Before I had a chance to, she started.

“You’re an investigator?”

I tried to step back but couldn’t. “That’s right.” Again, not a good time to go into the details of it now. Po-ta-toe, po-tah-toe, right?

“I want to hire you to find Jacqueline.”

“I’m not sure what I can do here.” I practically stuttered as I said the words.

A promise is sacred.
I think I’d just read that in my devotional last week.
It signifies trust.

“You’ve got to be able to do more than what’s currently being done. I’ll pay whatever your cost. Money isn’t a problem.”

I had to get out of this somehow. “But Clint—”

Mrs. Harrington raised her index finger, one with a very pointy red fingernail, I might add, up in the air. “Clint is her boyfriend. I am her mother. I’m the one calling the shots here, no matter what that redneck thinks.”

I sucked in a long, deep breath. “I see.”

“Will you do it?”

How could I say no to someone in need? It wasn’t like I needed to go undercover or anything. I could simply look around on the web, ask a few questions, keep my ears open. It wouldn’t be investigating by the strictest definition.

I knew in my heart I was trying to justify things, though. I knew I should say no, or at least talk to Riley first about revising my promise.

But then a tear trickled down Jackie’s mom’s face.

I thought about my own brother who’d been kidnapped, only to reappear in my life nearly twenty years later. I remembered my family’s grief, how his disappearance had torn us apart. We’d never been the same afterward.

My dad started drinking to drown his guilt. My mom worked two jobs to make up for my dad’s bad decisions. I began the endless task of trying to right my mistakes since I’d been the one watching him when he was taken.

Mrs. Harrington grabbed my arm. “Please, Gabby. If it makes you feel better, we wouldn’t have to tell anyone. It would just be between you and me.”

Her words drove away my doubts. This could be our secret. No one would have to know except Mrs. Harrington and me. I could do this, and Riley would never have to know.

I nodded. “I’ll do it.”

She sniffled and wiped away her tear using a tissue she pulled from her purse. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.” She let go of the button long enough for the elevator to start its ascent, only to press it again. We jerked to a stop. “I’ve called the police, as well.”

“You did?” I blinked in surprise. How did Clint feel about that? But she was right. This should be her call. She was Jackie’s mom.

“So why do you need me?”

She raised her pointy little chin in what I would call defiance. “I trust you more than the police. Besides, my first husband used to always say two heads were better than one. Maybe between you and law enforcement officials, one of you will discover something.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

“If you find out any information, I’m in room 4561.”

She let go of the button. We started moving. Until she pressed it again. My stomach dipped. We’d probably moved a whole four inches since I stepped foot inside this elevator.

That was getting really old.

“I should tell you that they’re in your room right now.”

“What was that?” I put my hand on the mirrored wall, trying to brace myself for any more sudden moves or stops.

“The police. They’re searching your room. I thought you should know.”

So much for that relaxing evening.

***

“I do apologize for this inconvenience, but since this room is now part of a potential crime scene, we’re going to have to move you to a new room.”

I stared at the man standing in my doorway. He was the same person who’d greeted us at our breakfast table our first morning here. I glanced at his nametag and read “Bentley Allen.” I wondered if he was related to the Allens who’d founded Allendale.

Manners, Gabby. Manners.
I sucked in a deep, calming breath. “It’s no problem. I only want what’s best for this investigation.”

I just gave myself another mental point for letting courtesy win over snarkiness.

It was the small victories I’d learned to hold on to.

The police were all over my suite like ants on a slice of watermelon. They wanted me to leave everything until the scene was officially cleared. Thankfully, I had some makeup stashed away in my purse, but everything else I would have to do without.

That meant that in the morning, I could take my skinny little wallet down to one of the overpriced gift shops downstairs and pick out some nice nautical wear, which was all they seemed to sell here. Well, that and golf shirts. At least I’d fit in better if I dressed liked the masses.

Riley arrived just as Bentley was leading me to a new room, apparently the only open suite in the whole place. I filled Riley in on what had happened as we climbed the stairs. Bentley led me up one floor to a new suite that was nearly identical to my old one. Same couch, two wingback chairs, a coffee table, TV, and breakfast nook. It had two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom.

Riley and I ate our dinner while watching the news and then stepped out onto the balcony for some fresh air. The beautiful mountains were only shadows on the horizon since night had fallen. From behind me, Riley slipped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. For a moment, I felt blissful and safe. I forgot about everything else that was happening.

“So, Gabby, about my old life … ”

I turned around, relieved that he might finally be opening up. Maybe that unsettled feeling would finally leave my gut. “Yes?”

“There are some things that I haven’t told you. Mostly because I’m not proud of them.”

“You can tell me anything, Riley.”

He looked off in the distance. I could tell by the set of his shoulders, by the strain in his eyes, that he really felt burdened by whatever it was he had to share. “You know I grew up in a Christian home, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah, you’ve talked about that a lot.”

“In college, I was determined to stay on the straight and narrow. I found an on-campus group for Christians. I attended a church that was close by.”

Just as I’d imagined.

He drew in a deep breath. “But then I became friends with this guy named Scoggins.”

“I’ve never heard you mention him before.”

Riley rubbed a hand over his forehead. “Yeah, I don’t talk about him a lot. Scoggins was a really fun guy. He was my roommate my junior year and was the ‘life of the party’ type of person.”

I didn’t miss the “was.” I gripped the railing, a nudge of anxiety growing in my gut. Where was this conversation going? My anxiety didn’t overshadow my curiosity. I really wanted to know about this part of Riley.

“Then there was—”

A rapping sound stopped him mid-sentence.

I wanted to strangle whoever was knocking at the door. “You didn’t order room service, did you?”

He hung his head a moment, his gaze heavy. “We’ll finish this later?”

I nodded, feeling equally as disappointed. “Yep.”

I walked with Riley to open the door. Lane stood on the other side, a wide, semi-goofy smile on his oversized head.

“Lane, what are you doing here?” Riley’s eyebrows went together in confusion.

Lane’s grin widened. “My fiancée just got here, but apparently there are no more rooms open at Allendale. She’s never had a problem with that when she’s stayed here before. Anyway, since we’re doing this whole ‘morality’ thing and no one is living in sin, or whatever it’s called nowadays, I was wondering if she could stay with Gabby?”

Riley glanced at me. That was my cue to take charge. I appreciated Riley not speaking for me.

“Of course that’s fine,” I told Lane. I hoped his fiancée would be quiet and mind her own business. I didn’t need any more drama during my stay here.

He rubbed his hands together as if he was about to take a gamble. “Great. Because she’s here. I can’t wait for you to meet her.” He reached toward the wall and pulled someone forward.

A blonde—tall, skinny, and gorgeous—appeared.

My mouth dropped open. This wasn’t just any tall, skinny, gorgeous blonde.

This was Veronica Laskin. Riley’s ex-fiancée.

You had to be kidding me.

CHAPTER 14

“Riley?” Veronica asked, her eyes widening.

“Veronica?” Riley just stared—like any male would do if they encountered someone who looked like Veronica.

“You guys know each other?” Lane asked, scratching his head. “What a small world.”

“Yeah, you could say that,” Riley mumbled. He took a step back, looking uncertain as to whether or not he should hug her or run the other way.

I voted for running the other way.

I thought back quickly, trying to remember what Riley had told me and do some quick calculations. He’d started dating Veronica after law school, I think. So how had Lane met the woman?

“It’s been forever,” Veronica purred. She glanced at me. “Gabby? What are you doing here?”

I almost muttered that I was part of the cleaning staff. Thankfully, Riley beat me to the start. “We’re engaged,” he explained.

Veronica’s eyelashes fluttered. “Engaged? Well, well, well. What a surprise.”

“Is it okay if we come in?” Lane asked.

I didn’t want to move, but Riley nudged me back some so Lane and Veronica could flood inside. Two bellhops, each tugging carts loaded with suitcases, came with them. Veronica strutted across the carpet, perched on the couch, and waited as Lane tipped them.

Thankfully, my views on God had changed recently, otherwise, I’d think He was like a cosmic joker the way He arranged things in my life sometimes. I couldn’t think of one person I’d like to stay with less than this woman.

After Lane got all of the bags inside, he sat down beside his fiancée. His fingers intertwined with hers. I couldn’t help but notice that he was a good two inches shorter than his future wife—not that there was anything wrong with that.

But there was something wrong with this whole scenario.

With the couch taken, that left Riley to sit in one wing back chair and me to sit in the other one halfway across the room.

“So, how do you all know each other?” Lane asked. “I had no idea.”

Riley and Veronica glanced at each other. Could anyone say
awkward
?

Finally, Riley spoke. “We go way back. I actually worked at her father’s law firm right out of college. We met over dinner at his house one night.”

“No way! What a small world.”

I waited for someone to say they’d been engaged at one time, but no one offered the information.

I cleared my throat, wishing I’d taken more time to do my makeup. “How about the two of you? How’d you and Lane meet?”

Veronica smiled at Lane. Was it my imagination, or did her grin not quite reach her eyes? “We met at a gala up in D.C. I like to call it love at first sight.”

“We met over the punchbowl. I entranced her with my love of numbers.”

Love of numbers? I doubted that. Maybe because Veronica had dollar signs in her eyes? She loved large numbers in banking accounts? That seemed more likely.