Two Guys Detective Agency (25 page)
“...SO IF ANYTHING becomes available, please keep me in mind,” Linda said. “Thank you,
Samantha.”
She ended the call, crossed off Samantha’s name, then went to the next person on the list she’d made of
friends, neighbors, and mere acquaintances who might be able to recommend her for a job that would
dovetail into a career. Maybe something clerical or administrative. Preferably something with benefits.
She dialed the next number and forced cheer into her voice. “Hi, Jill, this is Linda Guy Smith.”
“Hi, Linda. I didn’t know ‘Guy’ was your middle name.”
“It’s my maiden name.”
“Oh. How
are
you?”
She was finding it hard to strike a balance between sounding well enough to be a competent employee,
but pitiful enough for people to want to help her. “Fine...you know — most days.”
“Depression, huh?”
“Well — ”
“Of course you’re depressed. Who wouldn’t be, losing your husband like that, and you still a young,
vibrant woman?”
She took the opening. “I’m glad you think so, Jill. Actually, I called because I’m putting out feelers to
get back on a career track.”
“Oh? What did you do before you were a stay-at-home mom?”
“I was a young mother, so I didn’t get a chance to work outside the home much.”
“I was a young mother, too, but I also had a career.” Her voice vibrated with censure.
“I really admire that, Jill. You’re way ahead of me. I guess I’m a late-bloomer.”
“Well...what is your degree in?”
“Actually, I didn’t get a chance to finish my college degree. But I studied political science at UK for two
years.”
“Oh. Well, Linda, in this day and age, I’m sure you realize that getting a job without a college education
and no work experience is going to be very difficult.”
She closed her eyes. “Yes, I do. That’s why I’m reaching out to friends like you who might be able to
recommend me because of my character...and my circumstances.”
She’d gotten to the point where she actually counted the length of the awkward pauses to see who could
hold out the longest.
One Mississippi....two Mississippi...three Mississippi —
“Absolutely, I will keep you in mind the next time I hear of an opening you’d be qualified for.”
Milly Washburn still held the record at seven Mississippi’s.
“Thank you very much,” Linda said. “Meanwhile, can I email you a resume and a cover letter?”
“Sure. You take care, Linda.”
The line went dead before Linda could ask for her email address.
“Perfect,” she murmured.
All morning she’d spoken to people who felt sorry for her, but didn’t hold out much hope of her
finding a job considering the education and career decisions she’d made.
Meaning, she’d done everything wrong.
She looked at the last remaining name on the list and sighed.
Oakley
.
She inhaled and swallowed her pride in one gulp, then dialed his number.
He answered on the second ring. “Hi, there. I didn’t expect to hear from you.”
“Well, the other day you said you were there for me.”
“Of course I am.”
She gave a little laugh. “I’m calling in a chit.”
“Whatever you need, I’m your man.”
She bit down on her tongue. That was the last thing she needed to hear. “You know the vending
machine job isn’t exactly a career builder, so I was wondering if you know of anyone who has a job
opening I might be qualified for.”
“Actually, I might. But it’s a nine-to-five job, and would be a conflict with the kids’ schedules,
especially in the summer.”
“We’ll make it work,” she said, sounding more sure than she felt.
“Let me make a phone call, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Okay...thank you.”
“Sure thing.”
She ended the call, feeling a tad better. Even if the job didn’t materialize, at least it had broken the ice
between them. Oakley had always been one person she couldn’t stand knowing things weren’t good
between them.
A whirring noise in the front yard caught her attention. She hoped it wasn’t another surprise guest from
Octavia, but she doubted it since her sister had been spending the days at the agency with Klo trying to
figure out where Richard might be. They were an unlikely pair, but apparently had reached some kind of
alliance to use the final week of the agency’s resources to try to find a fugitive.
She stepped to the window and looked outside to see Stone Calvert pushing a lawn mower across her
neglected yard. She smiled in surprise. Klo must’ve sent him over, bless them both.
She went to the fridge and poured two glasses of lemonade, ready to take a break herself. On the way to
the front door, she stopped at the mirror to survey her appearance. Good...but not great. She finger-combed
her hair and gave her cheeks a pinch, then was irritated with herself. What did it matter? Stone had seen her
a hundred times.
Although she wouldn’t mind dispelling the picture of her having a meltdown in the parking lot of the
funeral home.
She opened the door and walked outside, lifting the glasses to get his attention. He looked up and
waved, then turned off the lawnmower. “I didn’t know if you were home.” He pulled on the hem of his
shirt and tugged it over his head, then used it to wipe the sweat from his neck.
Her tongue tripped at the sight of his naked, muscular torso. “Y-yes...job-hunting on the phone.”
“Ah. If we had an opening at the gym, it would be yours.”
She laughed. “I’m not exactly a walking billboard for a gym.”
He skimmed her figure. “I disagree.”
Her mouthful of lemonade when down the wrong way. She coughed violently.
“You okay there?” He patted her on the back.
“Yoo-hoo, Lin-da!”
She looked up to see Nan Boyd and the mob of neighborhood walking women on the sidewalk, arms
pumping in tandem as they covered the ground like a swarm of colorful locusts. Necks stretched and
mouths gawked at Stone, and Linda cringed inwardly, knowing how it must look. The rumor mill would be
busy tonight. And if the women in the group she’d talked to this morning about a job had felt sorry for her,
she was sure that was pretty much out the window.
“You should join us sometime!” Nan shouted.
“I will,” she promised weakly.
When they were gone, Stone laughed. “I take it those are the community busybodies?”
“Yep.”
“Sorry about that.”
“I’ll survive,” she said, then took another drink from her glass. “This is so kind of you.”
He shrugged his big shoulders, displacing lots of muscle. “It’s not much.”
“Well, it means a lot to me. I think Jarrod is still a little too young to wrestle with a lawnmower on this
slope.”
“Agreed. Consider me your lawn service for as long as you want me.”
“That’s very sweet, but I promise I won’t take advantage of you.”
He grinned. “Then the deal is totally off.”
She smiled because she knew he was only teasing her. “Can I ask you a serious question?”
“Sure.”
“The day you found Sullivan, did you notice a file anywhere around him?”
“You mean the file Klo is looking for?”
“Right.”
“No, I didn’t see anything like that.”
“It couldn’t have been under his jacket, or somehow wound up in the ambulance?”
“I don’t see how.”
“Okay, thanks. And I just want to say again how grateful I am that you acted so quickly.”
He nodded. “You’re welcome.” He handed the empty glass back to her. “Guess I’d better get this done.”
She walked back inside just as Octavia pulled up in the minivan. A few minutes later, she came in
through the garage door.
“Hey,” Linda said.
“Hey, yourself.” Octavia pursed her mouth and looked at her expectantly.
“What?”
“I see you have a new gardener.”
“Stone is just being a good friend.”
“Right...the man just wants to be friends.”
“How was your day?”
“I so noticed you changed the subject there. Frustrating, thanks for asking.” She shook her head. “I just
feel like I have all the pieces where Richard’s concerned, but I can’t make them all fit.”
Linda shrugged. “I’m pretty good at puzzles.”
“No offense, but I’m a little brain dead now.”
“So...just give me the big question you’re trying to answer. Act like I know nothing about this case.”
Octavia lifted her arms in a shrug. “Where can Richard be living in the area undetected — no credit
card, no phone activity, nothing?”
“Someplace that takes only cash...or a hostel...or he broke into a home that’s for sale...or he’s staying at
the YMCA.”
“The cops checked the Y’s, the homeless shelters, and the hostels. And the campgrounds, not that
Richard would be caught dead camping. And we know from when they tried to pawn the art that they’re
out of cash.”
“Unless they found a private collector to buy the art.”
“No private collector is going to buy the art without papers and insurance. And if they went to a
museum or a high end gallery, they would be reported immediately to the police. The people shady enough
to do business on the black market aren’t going to pay them very much.”
“But they could barter the art for something that’s more sellable, like jewelry.”
“You’re right...but if that’s the case we’ll never find them.” She massaged her temples. “Okay, so what
do you spend when you don’t have credit or cash?”
“Stocks, bonds...gold?”
“We don’t have any left,” she said in a bleak voice. “Besides, the accounts would be flagged the minute
he tried to make a transaction.”
“How about some of the virtual currencies?”
“Good thought, but those transactions have to be backed by cash or credit cards.”
Linda sighed. “Maybe I’m not good at this after all. Sorry — I’m not much of a world traveler. The last
trip Sullivan and I took, we used points.”
Octavia lifted her head. “What?”
“Well, if there’s an upside of having credit cards maxed out, it’s that you get a lot of travel points. So
for our anniversary, we farmed out the kids and went to the Hyatt for the weekend.”
Octavia bumped her palm to her forehead.
Linda squinted. “Are you okay?”
“Get in the van. I’m driving.”
“I THINK WE should call the police,” Linda said as they walked into the Marmot Hotel.
“No way,” Octavia said. “First of all, we don’t even know he’s here. Second of all, if he is here, I want
to talk to him before they do.”
“He has a gun, sis.”
“He’s not going to shoot me.”
She grabbed Octavia’s arm. “You don’t know what he’s going to do. Let me call Oakley. He’ll let you
talk to Richard if he’s here.”
“Okay, if he’s here, then you can call Oakley.”
“Could he even check into the room without you?”
“Patsy has dark hair, everyone is always telling us how much we look alike. All they needed was my
credit card number and something with my picture on it. And once they get in...everything is on points,
nothing would be in his name. My credit card is maxed out, but there are lots of points to still be used.”
They walked up to the reservations desk. “Guest Octavia Habersham?”
The clerk tapped on the keyboard, then looked up. “Do you want me to phone Ms. Habersham’s
room?”
She had to fight to remain calm. “Oh, no thanks — I’ll call her on my cell to let her know I’m on my
way.”
“Very good, ma’am.”
As they walked away, Linda was dialing Oakley.
“I don’t feel well,” Octavia said. “I’m going to find a restroom.”
“I’ll meet you right back here, and we’ll wait for Oakley, okay?”
“Okay.”
But as soon as she was out of earshot, she muttered, “Sorry, sis...this is something I have to do on my
own.”
She rode down to the basement and stepped off into a humid hallway. Then she used her cell phone to
call the front desk of the hotel. “Yes, could you please deliver two extra towels to guest Octavia
Habersham? Yes, right away. Thank you.”
She disconnected the call and when she saw a maid coming out of laundry carrying two towels, she
called the elevator car. They boarded together, and she let the maid choose a floor. Seventeen.
“That’s my floor, too,” she said.
When they reached the seventeenth floor, Octavia pretended to be busy in her purse until the maid
alighted. She followed at a discreet distance until she could tell which room the woman was headed for.
“Are those towels for Habersham?”
The woman nodded.
“Those are for me,” she said with a big smile. “Thank you so much.” She slid a tip into the woman’s
hand, and waited until she’d walked away before facing the door.
With her heart in her throat, she knocked on the door. “Housekeeping,” she said, disguising her voice.
She stacked the towels in front of her face.
This was going to be so good.
But then the tip of a cold gun barrel was pressed against her temple. Octavia slid her gaze sideways to
see the stocky blond man smiling at her. “I knew you’d lead me to him eventually.”
The fact that he still had remnants of confetti glitter embedded in his skin was some consolation for
knowing he was going to kill Richard.