Sarah Woods Mystery Series (1-6) Boxed Set (57 page)

“
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.

“
Do you believe an open marriage can actually work?”

Carter gave me a lopsided smile and shrugged. “It’s better than cheating and lying about it.”

“
So Mari is probably shacked up with a guy for the weekend?”

“
Makes sense,” he said. “It’s probably why she has her phone turned off.”

“
But if she and Kenneth have an open relationship, why would she have to lie about going to a spa?” I asked. “Why not just tell him she’s meeting her lover? He couldn’t object.”

“
Beats me.”

“
So what now?”

Carter shrugged as he zipped up his black leather jacket. “Go back and tell Mrs. Rossini that locating her friend might take a little longer than we expected.”

“
Want to come with me or wait in the car?”

Carter checked his cell phone. “If you don’t mind, I need to return some phone calls. Besides, I think Mrs. Rossini likes you.”

“
Do you have another case you’re working on?” I asked.

He returned his phone to his pocket. “A small matter. Nothing too exciting.”

As Carter headed back to the car, I proceeded up to Alice Rossini’s front door and knocked.

Lucy opened the door, and looking to my left, I saw Alice still resting in her chair.

She looked up at me, her eyes wide with expectation. Her hands appeared to tremble. “Sarah? Do you have some information already?”

I shuffled my feet uncomfortably. “Uh … sort of.”

“
Please sit. Would you like something to drink?”

I looked toward the kitchen to find Lucy standing in the doorway, seemingly ready to move at a moments notice. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“
So what did you find out? Please tell me that Mari is okay.”

I sat on the couch and lowered my voice. “Kenneth provided me with some interesting information.”

Alice folded her hands in her lap but they wouldn’t remain still. “What is it?”

“
Did Mari ever mention their open relationship?”

 
Alice blinked at me. “Their what?”

“
Mari and Kenneth are allowed to have sex with other people. They both agreed to it when they got married. At least, that’s what he said.”

Alice sighed. “So that’s what that means.”

I smiled at the old women’s
naiveté. “It’s probably more common these days than when you were married.”

Her white eyebrows furrowed. “So what are you saying? Mari has taken a lover for the weekend?”

“
It’s the most likely scenario. Maybe she doesn’t want anyone to know.”

Alice didn’t move. Her eyes scanned the room as if searching for something. “If she had planned to go away with a lover, she wouldn’t have confirmed spending the day with me. It doesn’t make sense.”

 “
Maybe her lover showed up at the party and convinced her to go away for the weekend. Did you happen to see Mari paying particular attention to any male guests that evening?”

 
“
Mari was busy talking to many people. As a host, she needed to mingle.”

“
Did any of her close friends attend the gala that night?”

Alice tilted her head as if trying to remember. I observed her pale skin and small frame. She seemed so fragile and worried. “Mari is friendly with the charity event coordinator,” she said. “Sheila Hansen is her name. Maybe you could call her and see if she knows about a boyfriend?”

“
You wouldn’t happen to have her number, would you?”

“
I don’t. But, she’s well known in the fundraising circuit. I believe she has an office here in Bridgeport. Or you could ask Kenneth for her number. He must have it.”

“
I don’t want to bother him again. I can find her on the Internet.”

Alice smiled and the color seemed to return to her face. “Thank you, Sarah. I really appreciate it.”

“
Well, I’d better get going. Carter is waiting for me in the car.”

“
Forgive me for being nosy,” she said. “Are you two an item?”

I laughed. “No. He’s showing me the ropes of the business. I’m still a newbie at all this investigative stuff. I’m taking some online classes in criminology.”

“
Well, you seem very professional and knowledgeable. You must be a fast learner.”

“
Thank you. I decided to change careers after my divorce a year ago. I used to be a massage therapist.”

“
Divorced? I’m sorry to hear that,” she said with a genuine look of dismay.

“
It’s not a bad thing. We needed to part ways.”

“
Do you have children?” she asked.

“
Brian. He’s away at college,” I said. “He wants to go into the music industry but he’s taking classes in business management.”

Alice looked down at her lap. “Henry never had time for children. His career was always top priority. I suppose it’s a blessing when one knows what one has a passion for.”

I nodded. “I think I understand. Being a massage therapist was nice because I knew I was helping people overcome pain, but I always felt I was destined for something … I don’t know. I wanted to challenge myself. To forget the fact that my life was crumbling around me. I suppose it’s a bit naïve, but I thought I could reinvent myself.”

Alice patted my arm. “That’s not naïve, my dear. It’s called making the best of it. I admire people who can pick themselves up by the bootstraps and trudge on. When Henry died, I could have slipped into a deep depression, but I refused to feel sorry for myself.” Alice smiled up at me. “Besides. You must get asked for dates all the time. Do you have someone in your life?”

“
Actually. There is someone.” I said. “We’ve been dating almost a year, but it’s nothing serious. We’re taking it slow.”

Her eyebrows arched. “Really? What’s his name? How did you meet?”

“
Max Stevens. His sister used to be my receptionist.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. Talking about Max’s sister still made me weak in the knees. “I won’t get into the details, but Max is in the surveillance industry so we sometimes collaborate on jobs as well. We have a lot in common that way.”

“
How interesting. I hope I’ll get to meet him someday.”

A thought occurred to me. “You know, Max is a horror movie buff. He would get a big kick out of seeing all these props you have displayed.”

Alice’s face lit up. “Well then, you two should come over for dinner tomorrow night.”

“
That’s very kind of you, but I wasn’t fishing for an invitation.” Okay, maybe I was.

“
It’s no trouble,” she said. “I love company and Lucy is a wonderful cook. Her specialty is chicken and dumplings.”

“
That sounds delicious. Are you sure it’s not an imposition?”

“
Not at all.”

“
I’ll double check with Max, but I’m pretty sure he’ll be available.”

“
You’ll get to meet Lucy’s husband, Oliver. Did I mention that they both live here with me?”

“
No, you didn’t,” I said, looking around. Lucy was nowhere in sight. “She seems like a helpful young lady.”

“
I found them through the Senior Alliance Foundation.  Lucy and Oliver moved here from North Carolina a few months ago. My son was worried about me being alone all the time.”

“
That explains her accent. She seems mature for a young woman. I can tell she takes good care of you.”

“
And Oliver takes good care of the house. Or at least he tries. It’s not easy maintaining an old dwelling like this. He can barely keep up, bless his soul. He’s only a handy man, so he’s learning as he goes.”

Lucy entered the room and set a tray on Alice’s lap. “Time to take your medication, Mrs. Rossini.”

“
Thank you, dear. I lost track of time, didn’t I?”

Lucy placed two white pills into Alice’s palm, and then watched closely as Alice downed them with a glass of water.

I figured Carter was tired of waiting for me so I stood up to leave. “Well, Alice, what time shall we come over tomorrow night? What can I bring?”

“
How about six? And no need to bring anything, just that sweetheart of yours. I look forward to meeting him.”

 
“
Great. In the meantime, I’ll call if I’m able to get in touch with Mari’s friend. Who knows, maybe Mari will come home by then and all your worries will be gone.”

“
Well, that would certainly ease my mind.”

“
By the way, do you have a photograph of Mari?”

“
On the mantle.” Alice pointed toward the stone fireplace. “You’re welcome to take it.”