Sarah Woods Mystery Series (1-6) Boxed Set (48 page)

Chapter 11

When I arrived, Carter was sitting at our usual booth. He looked up from his newspaper and quickly removed his reading glasses. Old school, he still liked the feel of paper in his hands instead of reading on a tablet or phone. I teased him about it whenever I got the chance.

“
You know, if you started reading the newspaper on the Kindle, you could increase the font size and you wouldn’t have to wear those grandpa bifocals.”

He took a sip from his coffee mug. “I think we might have a small problem.”

“
What kind of problem?”

Carter leaned in. “I think I’m being followed by a guy in a black Cadillac. Don’t look now, but he’s parked across the street.”

“
Any idea who he is?”

“
I noticed the car for the first time yesterday. He tailed me all over town but I lost him before I got back to my house. When I saw him again this morning, I called a friend and had him run the plates. Car is registered to a Muriel Durgess who’s eighty-six years old.”

“
Did you get a look at the driver?”

“
He wears a baseball cap. Keeps it low on his face. It’s hard to say, but I’m guessing mid-thirties.”

“
So it’s definitely not Muriel.”

“
I figure the Cadillac is either stolen, or he’s borrowing it from his grandmother.”

I sipped some coffee and took a moment to consider everything. “You must have a plan if you wanted to see me.”

Carter leaned back and shrugged. “I don’t want to pry you away from your other obligations.”

“
You mean Emily Hodges? There’s not much to do until Max installs the surveillance equipment this afternoon.”

“
Good. I have a hunch this guy might try to follow me home. If he does, I’ll lose him again, but I’d like you to tail him to find out where he goes.”

“
Can he see us sitting here together?”

“
I don’t think so. He’s turned in the opposite direction. When we leave, I’ll go out to my car first.”

“
Are you sure this guy is following you. There’s more than one black Cadillac in this town.”

“
Trust me, this guy is up to something.”

A few minutes later, Carter signaled the waitress for a check. He left a ten-dollar bill on the table, put on his leather jacket, and slid out of the booth. “Call me as soon as you have information,” he said as he walked away.

“
Guess we’re not ordering breakfast,” I mumbled.

I waited for a full minute, then slid out of the booth. Carter was already in his Buick, stalling as he pretended to read something on his cell phone.

I got back into my car and waited. Carter drove off; the Cadillac did not. I waited another two minutes before I made the call.

“
He’s just sitting in his car in the same spot,” I told Carter. “He doesn’t look like he’s in a hurry to go anywhere.”

“
Can you see him?”

“
Just his silhouette from behind. Should I approach him?”

“
Don’t bother,” he said.

“
How long do you want me to wait here?”

“
Go home. Looks like I’ve made a mistake.”

“
Roger that.”

Chapter 12

Boston’s Logan Airport—a labyrinth of mass proportions—was packed with cars, buses, and taxis when I pulled into the United Airlines arrivals gate. Max stood out in the crowd of weary travelers. He smiled when he spotted my car. I squeezed the car into a small opening by the curb, put the car in park, and then helped Max with his luggage.

“
You look surprisingly cheerful after spending six hours on a plane,” I told him.

He kissed me hard on the lips, then stepped back to gaze at my face. “I missed you.”

“
I missed you, too. Now let’s get out of here before that monster truck mows us over.”

“
Want me to drive?” he asked. “I remember the last time you tried to get us out of Boston.”

“
Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I teased, letting him take the driver’s seat. “So, does that mean you don’t enjoy getting lost for hours in traffic?”

“
Not as much as I love getting side-swiped by a lousy driver.”

“
Good point.”

Thanks to Max, we made it back to Bridgeport in record time, with an hour to spare. We stopped at his house to grab the necessary equipment for the job, then ate a quick lunch on our way to Emily’s house.

“
I really appreciate you doing this,” I said, when we pulled into her driveway.

“
I could do this job with my eyes closed.”

Max grabbed a duffel bag from the back seat and we headed to the front door.

“
Nice place they have here,” Max said, looking around. “Must keep their landscaper busy.”

He was right. The same red truck was parked out front. And the same young man was raking dead leaves.

Why would the Hodges’ spend so much money on property maintenance? It was fairly obvious they were going to lose the house.

I rang the doorbell and we waited for what seemed like a full minute. “Maybe she’s in the shower,” Max said.

“
I told her we were coming.”

I rang the doorbell a second time and knocked again. Finally, the door opened and Emily appeared in the doorway.

“
I am so sorry,” she said, out of breath. “I was resting on the couch. I must have fallen asleep.”

“
Hello, Emily, I’d like to introduce you to Max Stevens.”

She regarded him with a faint smile. “The surveillance expert, I hear.”

Max—always the one to downplay that moniker—smiled humbly. “Nice to meet you, Emily.”

“
Please come in. Would you like something to drink?”

I kindly declined, and Max got right to work, inspecting the kitchen for strategic hiding spots that would provide ideal camera angles.

Emily took a seat at the table to watch. I couldn’t blame her for wanting to keep her eye on him; most women did.

“
So,” she said, finally peeling her gaze away from Max. A worried look clouded her features. “How does this work once the equipment is in place?”

“
The live feed from the cameras will automatically be recorded by a program we can access at any point via laptop.”

“
So, Paul won’t be able to see the cameras, right?”

“
Correct,” I reminded her. “That’s the point.”

“
Will you be able to hear conversations?”

“
No. These particular cameras aren’t equipped with microphones.”

Emily nodded. “So, what happens next?”

“
Just go about your normal routine. Just pretend everything is fine.”

The expression on her face suggested she was uncomfortable with the whole thing. “So, what should I do in the meantime?” she asked.

“
We’ll keep a close eye on the surveillance tonight when Paul gets home from work. If we believe he has doctored your beverage, we will call you first, then contact the police and submit the tapes as evidence. It might be a good idea to keep the tea just in case the lab wants to test it.”

Emily nodded slowly as she placed both palms on her knees for support.

“
Can I get something for you?” I asked.

She raised her left hand to object. “I’m fine. I just get dizzy sometimes.”

“
Have you talked to your parents recently? Maybe you should call them. You need emotional support right now.”

She shook her head. “Honestly, talking to them makes me even more depressed. My dad is grouchy. And my mom is a worry-wart.”

“
You know, it might be a good idea to confide in Linda. She’s trained to help people going through trauma.”

“
She’s so busy with her other patients. I hate feeling like a burden.”

“
But she’s one of your best friends.”

“
She’s also Paul’s friend. You haven’t mentioned anything to her, have you?”

“
I promised I wouldn’t.”

She seemed relieved as she exhaled a long breath. “Did she ever tell you about our wedding in Hawaii. How my brother showed up?”

“
She just said that he made an ass of himself. Something to do with the wedding cake.”

A spark of anger lit up her eyes. “Do you have siblings, Sarah?”

“
No.”

“
Well, lucky you.”

“
Would you like to talk about it?”

She glanced over at Max, who was just out of earshot. “Benjamin and I barely tolerated each other growing up. He was the young prince, and our parents kissed his ass. No wonder he became such a drama queen.”

“
Drama queen?”

“
Oh, did I forget to mention he’s gay and proud?”

The blunt comment left me speechless.

“
He knew he was gay at an early age,” she continued. “And that was fine, but he had no shame. For instance, when he was ten, my parents had a group of friends over to the house for a party. Benjamin decided it would be an excellent time to come out of the closet and tell everyone he was gay. It was so embarrassing. No one knew what to say.”

“
Awkward.”

“
That’s what I mean. He’s gay. So what. Why does he have to be so open about it? But that’s Benjamin. He always has to push the envelope with everything. When he was fourteen, he tried to show me the proper way to give a blowjob using a banana as a phallus. What kind of person does that?”

“
It’s over the top.”

“
But even so, everyone loved Benjamin despite his crass nature. I could never stand him. He’s like Richard Simmons on speed.”

“
So what precipitated the blow-out at the wedding?”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s a long story. I’d rather not get into it if you don’t mind.”

“
No problem.”

Emily turned her head to watch Max install the cameras. “Do you believe in soul mates, Sarah?”

“
I don’t know. Sometimes yes, and sometimes I think love is random.”

“
What does it mean if you can’t trust your husband?”

“
Well, that’s why I got divorced.”

She turned back to face me, expressionless. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“
It’s okay. I found the man I was supposed to be with.”

“
So, then you
do
believe in soul mates.”

I smiled at her. “I believe in timing.”

She nodded as if she understood implicitly. “You’re very pragmatic, aren’t you? I wish I could be more that way. Problem is, I’ve put all my eggs in Paul’s basket. What would I do without him. Especially in my condition.”

“
You have other people in your life to turn to. No matter what we find on the surveillance footage tonight, you won’t end up alone. Have you thought about what you’ll do if Paul is arrested?”

“
Well, if we lose the house, I’ll probably have to go stay with my parents.”

“
Where do they live?”

“
Florida. They’re both retired, but my dad has emphysema, so they don’t get out much.”

A few minutes later, Max joined us at the table. “It’s all set, ladies. The cameras are in place.”

Emily looked around the kitchen. “Nicely done, I can’t even see where they are.”

“
Good, then I’ve done my job,” Max said, smiling. “I’ll just need a few more minutes to confirm the transmitters are working. Other than that, I’ll have to come back in a few days to replace the batteries, or remove the devices, depending on the outcome.” He turned away to type something on his tablet computer.

“
Well then.” Emily placed both palms on the armrest and pushed herself up shakily. “I should go lie down. I’m feeling very tired today.”

“
Keep your cell phone handy tonight,” I said. “Just in case.”

“
Thank you both for everything. I need to write you a check, dear. I know you’ve been working so hard to help me with this. I feel awful that I haven’t given you any compensation yet.”

“
Don’t worry about that right now. We’ll discuss it later. You need to rest.”

“
Thank you. I want you to know how much I appreciate everything your doing.”

“
I’m glad I can help.”

Max gathered his equipment and headed to the door. I gave him the head nod, the one that implied, ‘give us a few minutes alone.’ Max got the hint, gave a quick wave good-bye to Emily, and left.

Emily turned to me. “He seems like a nice man.”

“
Yes, he is.” I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Can I ask you a question? It might be none of my business, but it’s something I feel I should bring up.”

“
What is it?”

“
Well, I couldn’t help but notice the guy working on your yard. He was here a few days ago, and again today.”

“
Oh, that’s Hector. Why do you ask?”

“
I’m curious because you said you were having a hard time paying the bills. Usually, landscaping is one of the first luxuries to go.”

“
Hector and my husband have a barter agreement between them. Paul does his taxes, and he maintains our yard. It seems to work out for everyone.”

“
So, are they friends?”

“
Well, I wouldn’t call them friends, necessarily.”

“
Has Hector ever been invited into the house before?”

“
Is there a particular reason you’re asking?”

“
Just curious.”

Emily shrugged as if she couldn’t see the point. “Well, sometimes he needs to use the bathroom, or get a glass of water. I don’t see any harm in that, do you?”

“
Not at all. He’s very lucky to have such nice clients to work for,” I said, turning to leave. “Anyway, I’ll let you get some rest now. I’ll be in touch.”