Sarah Woods Mystery Series (Volume 3) (24 page)

Chapter 23

The next morning
, I got a call from Bob Owens. He wanted to talk and asked if I’d meet him somewhere for coffee or lunch. We agreed on the bakery across the street from his house.

I arrived at ten o’clock
, and Bob was sitting at a table with coffee mug in hand. He looked up, smiled, and quickly got to his feet.

“Sarah, please let me buy you a coffee.” He joined me at the counter and I accepted his offer.

“Thanks,” I said. “I appreciate that.”

Once we sat down at the table together, I noticed Bob looked different. His expression seemed light. His blue eyes seemed brighter, too.

I waited for Bob to speak, because I still didn’t know exactly why he’d asked me to meet him.

He cleared his throat and reached across the table for my hand. “Sarah, I wanted to thank you.”

“For what?” I asked innocently.

“Rebecca called me late last night. She told me that the police showed up at her house and arrested Kyle. Apparently, he’s being charged with conspiracy for attempted murder. Kyle is denying any involvement, of course, and he’s hired the best lawyer they can afford. But the best part for me is that Rebecca now understands that I never molested the girl. She believes I’m innocent now.”

“I’m so happy for you,” I said. “I know the past three years have been very difficult. I’m glad I could help make things right.”

“So, what happened with the guy who attacked you?” Bob asked. “Is he in custody?”

I reflexively brought a hand to my lip. The swelling had gone down, but the soreness still lingered. “Oh, Dana Clark is in the hospital. He’d lost a lot of blood from where I stabbed him in the chest with a letter opener. His girlfriend, Bridget, tried to sew him up with one of those cheap sewing kits.”

“Ouch,” Bob said, making a face. “W
hat will happen to him?”

“I imagine he’ll be charged with something, but I think the prosecution is waiting until they know what his recovery chances are.”

Bob nodded thoughtfully and stared into my eyes. “Look, Sarah, I want to apologize for my behavior at dinner last week. I’m very embarrassed at how I handled things. I just assumed you thought I was guilty, and I was angry for your meddling in my private life. But if you hadn’t meddled, then the truth may have never come to light.”

I squeezed his hand. “You have nothing to apologize for. I completely understand.”

Bob didn’t seem to want to let go of my hand. He looked down and smiled with embarrassment. He eventually pulled away and sipped his coffee.

“Does this mean that you and Rebecca might get back together?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I don’t think so. That ship has sailed. I don’t know if I can ever forgive her for abandoning me. I mean, I know that Kyle manipulated the situation, but still. It was ultimately
her
choice to leave me, and that’s that.” Bob looked into my eyes. “Actually, I was hoping you’d let me take you out to dinner again. Let me make up for last time.”

I smiled sadly. “I appreciate the offer, but I need to be honest. I’m in a relationship with someone. I don’t really know how serious it is, but it wouldn’t be fair to date anyone else until I know for sure.”

Bob nodded slowly. “I’m not surprised. He’s a lucky guy, whoever he is. Maybe you can keep me in mind if things don’t work out with him.”

I couldn’t suppress a laugh. “Sure, I’ll do that.”

He took a deep breath and let it out, then pushed himself up from the table. “I hope I’ll see you around, Sarah.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Me too. And thanks again for the coffee.”

* * *

When
I got home, I saw Max’s Jeep parked on my street. I could barely believe my eyes. I rushed up to my apartment and there he was, installing something on the front door.

“What are you doing back so soon?” I threw my arms around him and squeezed him tight. “You weren’t supposed to be back until next week.

“Work can wait,” he said, standing back to look at me. He caressed my lip with a pouty smile. “Poor baby. Look at your face. You're still beautiful, even with all the bruises.”

“You really didn't have to come back. I’m perfectly fine.”

He feigned a hurt expression. “Would you like me to leave?”

I ruffled his wavy brown hair. “No, in fact, I might consider tying you up to my bed so you never leave again.”
I gestured to the screwdriver in his hand. “So, what are you up to?”

He laughed while setting
the tool on the floor. “I'm installing a security system in your apartment. The next time some idiot decides to break in, well, he ain't getting in.”

I kissed him again. “You really are the best, you know that? But I should probably tell you. I’ve decided to buy a gun.”

Max blinked at me in shock. “What? When did you make this decision?”

“Well, just recently. I guess I need to take my job a little more seriously. I need to be prepared.”

He sighed with resignation. “I suppose Carter is on board with this?”

“Yes. He’s taking me to the shooting range this week.”

“I guess I don’t have to tell you that this is a major game changer. If you’re going to carry a gun, you better feel confident using it.”

“I know. I’ve given it a lot of thought. And the irony isn’t lost on me. I never let Brian play with guns when he was a little kid because I didn’t want to promote violence. And yet, here I am doing just that.”

“I get it, Sarah. Just promise me you won’t go looking for trouble. Guns sometimes give people a false sense of security.”

I blinked my eyes innocently. “Who
, me? Looking for trouble? What ever gave you that idea?”

Max pinched my cheek. “Very funny.”

I laughed and hugged him again. He smelled so good, and his arms wrapped around my waist caused a tingling sensation in the pit of my stomach. I realized then just how much I’d missed him.

“When do you have to leave?” I asked.

“Tomorrow. I wish I could stay longer, but, you know how it is.” Max took my hand and led me to the couch. I could tell something was on his mind. Once we were sitting down and facing each other, he sighed with frustration.

“What’s up, Max?” I said, feeling uneasy. “Everything okay?”

“I don’t know.”

I waited for him to continue, but he seemed to be stalling. “Does it have to do with us?” I asked.

When our eyes met, he nodded solemnly. “Look, Sarah, you know how much I care about you, right.”

I swallowed hard. “Yeah, I know. I really care about you, too.”

“Well, how would you feel about moving away from here?”

I felt paralyzed. “Move away? What do you mean?”

“I got a job offer in California. A company called Tech Safe Solutions in San Francisco. They want to hire me as an in-house developer for a new line of security products. The great thing about it, I’ll have a steady paycheck, I won’t have to travel, and I get health insurance. I haven’t had health insurance in years. I actually applied for the job last year, before you and I started seeing each other. They finally got back to me with an amazing offer I just can’t pass up.” Max squeezed my hands in his. “But I want you to come with me.”

A big, fat lump formed in my chest. I knew I’d lose him if I didn’t go to California. And it wasn’t fair to try to convince him to stay. 

Max said, “Take some time to decide. The job doesn’t start until the end of the summer. I’m sorry to drop this bomb on you, especially after the crazy shit you’ve just been through. But I really want you to come with me.”

“I’m really happy for you,” I said, trying like hell to keep myself from breaking down. “You deserve this job.”

He tilted his head and regarded me curiously. “So, what are your thoughts?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m a little shocked.” To say the least.

“You’re always complaining about the winters in New England,” he said. “And besides, I’m sure Brian would come out and see us. He’s in Boston, and you hardly see him anyway.”

“What about my job?”

Max’s expression changed. “Well, I’m sure there’s plenty of clients to be had in San Francisco.”

“I’m talking about Carter.”

He paused. “I’m sure he’ll survive without you, Sarah. I mean, I know you two work well together, but you should think about your own happiness.”

I noted that he didn’t offer to decline the job opportunity, so he was basically giving me an ultimatum.

When I didn’t reply to his last comment, he caressed my cheek. “Let’s not talk about this anymore today, okay?”

“Okay.”

When Max leaned in for a kiss, I pressed my lips against his and a rush of emotions swept through my body, some of which confused me.

When he pulled away, he must have sensed my lingering hesitation. “Guess what? I’m making you dinner tonight. Anything you want, just name it. Tonight I’m your personal chef.”

“How about macaroni and cheese from a box?” I said, making an effort to lighten the mood.

He laughed. “May I temp you with a slightly better alternative? How about lemon-butter salmon with rice pilaf and steamed veggies?”

I didn’t want to admit that my appetite was gone. How could he act so nonchalant about a decision like this? But I could tell he was happy about his new job, and therefore I wanted to be happy for him. So I forced a smile on my face and said, “Sure. That sounds delicious.”

The END

A Weapon of Choice

Sarah Woods Mystery #9

Copyright © 2014

All rights reserved.

Jennifer L. Jennings

Chapter 1

Sunday, June 22

Sunday mornings are just for me. I sleep in until nine, then drink coffee in my pajamas. Depending on the weather, I might go for a run. On this particular morning I’d decided to forgo the exercise, brew another pot of coffee and lounge on my sofa to watch the Turner Classic Movie Channel.

Alfred Hitchcock movies are among my favorites: Rear Window, North by Northwest, Psycho, Shadow of a Doubt, The Birds, and of course, Dial M for Murder, just to name a few.

I have seen all of these movies many times over the course of my forty-four years. I can still remember the first time I witnessed the infamous shower scene in Psycho.

I was
five years old and was supposed to be fast asleep in bed, but I’d gotten up to use the bathroom. Mom and dad were in the TV room, watching their “adult” movie. Naturally, I was curious to see why an “adult” movie was so different from a “kids” movie and I found out that night.

Mom and Dad never saw me crouching behin
d the sofa, watching the mesmerizing visions on the TV. I held my hands over my mouth, trying not to scream when the murderous knife scene played out. And yet, as horrified as I was, I could not turn my eyes away.

What is it about horror films that titillate us? Is it the adrenaline rush?
Is it to experience death without actually experiencing the physical act of dying?

When death engulfs us in the form of losing a family member, friend, or pet, it is the most gut-wrenching experience
. But what happens when it isn’t
us
involved? When the person who dies is someone you’ve never met.

It isn’t the death that fascinates me
. It’s the psychology behind it. The reasons. What drives a person to murder another human being?

There are millions of reasons why people kill
. It’s been happening since the beginning of time. Some experts will say its nature, some say its nurture, and some believe it’s both. While I may not be an expert in such theories, I agree there are four main motivations that drive a person to commit murder: fear, anger, desperation and greed.

As a private investigator in a small city with a population of 30,000, murders rarely occur
. Most of my jobs involve cheating spouses, fraudulent activity and missing persons. Despite my limited experience however, I am occasionally called upon to assist in a murder investigation.

When I received the phone call that Sunday morning at 10:30, the girl’s voice on the other end surprised me
. She sounded like a teenager.

“Is this Sarah Woods?” she asked, tentatively.

“Yes,” I replied. “May I ask who’s calling?”

“My name is Candice Barr Frazier
. Your son Brian gave me your number.”

“Really?” My son went to college in Boston, and I hadn’t talked to him in a few weeks
. He’d never called to tell me that he’d given out my name and number. “Are you a friend of his?” I asked.

“
Sort of. We have a mutual acquaintance. Anyway, Brian mentioned that his mom was a private detective. He was kind of bragging about it, actually.”

“Well, it’s nice to know he remembers he has a mother.”

She cleared her throat nervously. “Um, I know this is Sunday, but I was hoping you might have some time to meet me.”

I didn’t need to check my calendar
. I already knew I had nothing going on. “Sure. What’s the nature of your business?”

“I’d rather discuss this in person, if you don’t mind
. Where is your office?”

“I don’t
have an office. I usually meet with clients at the Hometown Diner in Bridgeport. The booths are very private. And the food is not half bad, either. Or I can meet you anywhere you feel comfortable.”

“
The Hometown Diner is fine. What time?”

“How about two o’clock
. The place will be dead at that hour.”

A long pause
. “Thank you Ms. Woods. I appreciate you being available at such short notice. How will I know it’s you when I get there?”

“I have long, straight, brown hair,” I said
. “And, I’ll be wearing a white button-down shirt. And please, call me Sarah.”