Crime Wave Read online

  A soft rattling noise came from the driver’s seat. I cast a glance at Dorothy. This time she’d removed the contents from her purse and was digging around at the bottom like she was searching for a trunk of gold.

  I shook my head. “What are you doing now?”

  She whipped a small peppermint candy out from the pits of her purse. “Would you like a peppermint, dear?”

  I stared for a couple seconds, then reached out and took the candy from her hand. “Thank you.”

  How deep was the abyss of her purse?

  “What do you have in there?” I leaned over and tried to peer in.

  “Whatever you need, I got it,” she said with a wave of her hand.

  When I turned back around, Allison had already emerged from the hotel room. She was climbing into her car. I was torn about which move I should make next. I wanted to see the man leave the room and find out which car he got into, but I wondered where Allison would go next, too.

  Since I’d already caught Allison in the act of adultery, I felt that it was more important to possibly discover the identity of the mystery man. With a photo of him and description of his car, surely Arthur would know who this man was.

  “We’ll wait here and see who comes out of the room,” I said.

  “Don’t you want to follow her?” Dorothy asked.

  I shook my head. “I’ve already got what I need from her.”

  Dorothy shrugged. “It’s your case to screw up.”

  I scowled. “I know what I’m doing.”

  Okay, I didn’t really know, but I was doing my best. Catching Allison in the act had been exceptionally easy though. Couldn’t Arthur have followed her today just as I had? I’d gotten the evidence so easily that it almost seemed too good to be true. I’d take what I could get though.

  After a couple seconds, the man stepped out from the room. He glanced to his left and then to his right. Was he looking for someone? His big mistake was that he never once looked straight ahead out across the parking lot. If he had, he may have seen us. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. As he talked on the phone he walked over and climbed behind the wheel of a silver Lexus.

  “Get ready to follow him,” I said.

  “Oh, dear. I’m not cut out for this spy stuff,” Dorothy said, stuffing her crossword puzzle book back into her giant purse.

  “Okay, pull out now.” I motioned as the man turned out onto the street.

  Where was he going? As long as he didn’t catch on that we were following him, we’d soon find out more about this mystery man. After a couple blocks, he turned left. Dorothy had somehow allowed a black SUV to get in between our car and the Lexus.

  “These darn old drivers,” she huffed.

  Dorothy punched the gas and whipped around the SUV, flashing the old man the stink eye in the process. I held on tightly to the leather seat, probably leaving indents from my fingernails.

  “He’s getting onto the highway,” I said.

  “Oh, no, no. I don’t do highways. People drive too fast.” She shook her head.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. You passed that old guy back there like he was sitting still. I haven’t seen anyone drive this fast since I went to that NASCAR race with my ex-boyfriend,” I said.

  She glanced over. “You’re exaggerating, dear.”

  “Dorothy, you have to do this for me. After all, you wouldn’t let me drive your car. Uncle Griffin would have wanted you to.” I batted my eyelashes.

  She released a heavy sigh. “Why did you have to bring his name into this? Just this once, but don’t blame me if we get into an accident.”

  Something told me she wasn’t joking. I said a silent prayer as she merged onto the busy highway. What did I have to lose at this point? After a couple of honking horns and a few more glaring looks from Dorothy, she’d caught up with the Lexus. We trailed behind just enough so that with any luck he wouldn’t be suspicious.

  Another couple of miles and he exited the highway.

  “Good job, Dorothy,” I said as she followed at a nice pace behind.

  “I can do anything when I set my mind to it.” She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel.

  My stomach flipped as the Lexus sped up and zipped in and out of traffic.

  “I think he may be on to us,” Dorothy said as she struggled to keep up.

  I knew he was really speeding if even she couldn’t match his pace.

  When we finally spotted his car again, he was turning into a parking lot of a small office building.

  “Hurry before he gets out of the car and we can’t see which building he goes into,” I said.

  “First you tell me to slow down and now you tell me to hurry up. Make up your mind, will you?” Dorothy said.

  When we pulled into the parking lot, I spotted the sign on the outside of the building and couldn’t believe my eyes. What was going on? The sign on the front read Abbott, Louis, and Cooper, PLLC. That was when it hit me that this was the address on Arthur Abbott’s business card. Who was this man walking into Arthur’s building? Was he possibly going inside to confront the husband of his lover?

  “Where should I park?” Dorothy asked, snapping me out of my jumbled thoughts.

  “Just pull into this spot right here. I have to call my client.” I pointed.

  She frowned, but didn’t ask what was happening. I knew she’d get the full details soon enough. I dialed the number on the card that was listed for his office. If this man was really going to confront Arthur Abbott, then this scene could turn ugly quickly. What had I dragged my assistant into?

  A woman answered the phone. “Abbott, Louis, and Cooper. How may I help you?”

  “May I speak with Arthur Abbott?” My words were rushed.

  She must have picked up on my panic. “I’m sorry, but he’s not in the office right now. Is there anything I can help you with?”

  Well, that was a bit of a relief. At least the men wouldn’t get into a fight. Not right now at least.

  “Um, no, I guess not. Do you happen to know where he is?” I asked.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t give out that information. I can take your number and have him call you as soon as possible,” she said in her best professional tone.

  She sounded as if she’d dealt with her share of frantic people over the telephone.

  “That’s all right, thank you anyway,” I said, hanging up the phone without giving her a chance to say anything else.

  How would I find out who this man was?

  “What’s going on now?” Dorothy asked.

  I knew by the look in her eyes that she was about to whip out the knitting needles again if I didn’t do something quickly. That was when it hit me. I could send Dorothy into the law firm to see who the man was. I mulled that plan over in my head for a couple seconds, then realized that I was nuts for even having the thought in the first place. I couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t go in there and totally give our cover away. Besides, I couldn’t send someone else in to do my job. If I wanted to know who this man was, then I’d have to go inside the building myself.

  “I have to go inside and find out who that man is. He went into the building where my client works. The law firm…” I pointed at the sign.

  Dorothy pushed her eyeglasses up on her nose and peered for a few seconds. “I suppose it is. Huh. What do you make of that?”

  “I don’t know, but I intend to find out. Obviously, the man who is cheating with Allison Abbott knows that her husband works there. Maybe he came to confront him. I’m going in there to find out,” I said.

  A worried look crossed her face. “Just be careful.”

  “It’s my job,” I said with a half-hearted smile.

  Chapter Three

  When I stepped into the building, a blast of cold air hit me from the air conditioning. The lobby looked like any other, with nondescript fake leather chairs and a few old magazines stacked neatly on the coffee table in the middle of the room. I felt eyes on me and looked to my lef
t. A blonde middle-aged woman stared at me, offering a strained smile.

  “May I help you?” she asked.

  I recognized her voice from the phone. It was at this point I realized I didn’t have a plan. Was I going to ask “who was the man who just entered?”

  Finally I settled on, “I’m here to see Mr. Abbott.”

  She frowned, probably because she recognized my voice. “He’s not here right now.”

  Footsteps to my right caught my attention. I glanced over and immediately panicked. I had “guilty” written all over my face. The mystery man that Allison Abbott had been with at the hotel and that I’d followed here was approaching me. What would I say to this man? He had to know that I followed him. He was coming over to confront me.

  “Is everything okay, Ms. Smith?” he asked while looking at me.

  The woman cast another glare my way, then said, “Yes, this lady is here to see Mr. Abbott. I told her he isn’t in right now.”

  He knew this woman?

  He held out his hand. “My name is Sam Louis. May I help you with something?”

  I glanced over at the desk and saw his card lined up in the little holder beside the one for Arthur Abbott and another man named Matt Cooper. No wonder Arthur had hired me instead of using someone associated with the firm. Did Arthur suspect his partner of cheating with his wife?

  I shook his hand, but I was sure my mouth was hanging open the entire time. I needed to get ahold of myself.

  “Um. No, I’ll just come back some other time. Thank you very much.” I turned and rushed out the door without looking back.

  Sam Louis was the Louis in Abbott, Louis, and Cooper. He worked with Arthur and was cheating with Arthur’s wife. What a dirty rat. When I told Arthur about this I was sure it would turn his whole world upside down. I wasn’t looking forward to being the one to deliver that news. But had he already suspected what had been happening? If so, he hadn’t shared that bit of info with me.

  When I climbed into the car, Dorothy asked, “What happened?”

  “The mystery man is partners with my client. He’s cheating with his partner’s wife,” I said breathlessly.

  “What a low-down rotten thing to do.” Dorothy shook her head.

  “We have to tell my client what I found out. We’ll go to his place.” I pointed toward the street. “Punch it, Dorothy!”

  Chapter Four

  When we pulled up to the building, I hopped out. “Do you want to come with me?” I felt bad that Dorothy had to sit in the car again.

  She shook her head. “No, thank you. I’m doing just fine staying out of trouble here in the car. Besides, I’m getting paid overtime, right?”

  She pulled out her knitting needles and flashed me a smile.

  I scowled. “Yes, I guess you are.”

  The parking lot for the tower of condos was empty, which I found completely weird. Sure, it was the middle of the day and most people were at work, but I expected to see at least a few cars. There was one car parked at the first handicap parking space next to the door. Arthur Abbott’s Lexus. He wasn’t supposed to park in that space. It was reserved for a handicap driver, but I guessed I’d let it slide since there was every other available spot left. It still wasn’t an excuse as far as I was concerned though.

  I made my way through the glass entry doors and looked around. The lobby was empty and dark. The lights weren’t even on. Had someone forgotten to pay the power bill? The elevators were down the hall a little and to the left. The dimly lit space was creepy and I looked around for another living soul, but found no one. I pushed the up button for the elevator and the door immediately opened. After a brief pause, I pushed forward and stepped into the small box that dangled through the air by flimsy cables. Yeah, I was no fan of elevators.

  From out of the shadowy hallway, a man appeared. He wore white pants and a blue shirt.

  I clutched my chest. “You startled me.”

  He frowned. “May I help you?”

  “I’m just here to see Arthur Abbott.” I looked at the card Arthur had given me. “He’s in 1064.”

  The man glared at me as if I’d just said the most offensive thing possible, then turned and walked out the door. That was odd. What had that been about?

  I took the elevator up to the tenth floor and tried not to think about how much I hated heights. When the door chimed and opened, I let out the deep breath I’d been holding. I hurried off the elevator and down the hallway, looking at the numbers on the doors. This place was like a ghost town. Why was no one around? It was odd, almost as if the building had been abandoned. Was there a hurricane evacuation and no one told me about it?

  When I reached the door marked 1064, I knocked. I glanced over and spotted the doorbell, so I pushed on it a couple times. No one was answering. As I stood there, I took out my cell phone and dialed, praying that Arthur Abbott would pick up the phone this time. Again, he didn’t pick up, but in the distance I heard a phone ringing. That must be his cell phone, right? Where had he taken off to?

  When I knocked on the door again, it rattled. It looked as if someone had tampered with the door. The frame had been pulled away from the door slightly. My heart rate increased. I turned the knob, and to my surprise, the door was unlocked. So what if he didn’t answer the door and it looked as if someone had broken in. I had to be brave and check out the place.

  I opened the door slightly, and called out, “Mr. Abbott, it’s Maggie Thomas. Are you home?”

  When no answer came, I squared my shoulders and stepped into the room. The entire wall at the rear of the room was glass overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The bright blue water and white sand was breathtaking. Quiet engulfed the condo. There was no television playing, no talking, and no radio. Maybe he’d had a problem with the door and went to find someone to replace it. Everything seemed to be in place, so I figured no one had broken in to steal something. Shades of white with sprinkles of blue dominated the décor. The whole building being empty gave me the creeps. It was like the apocalypse had taken place and I was the only one left. It was just me and the little lizard that I spotted crawling on the balcony outside the glass doors.

  I stepped across the room and stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. I placed my hand on the glass and peered down. People dotted the beach below, but the condo’s pool was empty. Not just devoid of people, but it had no water in it, reinforcing my idea that this place looked abandoned. What was that all about? I’d have to ask Arthur when I found him.

  To my right was a glass sculpture. I wasn’t sure of its significance, but it was pretty nonetheless. I picked up the art and studied it for a second before placing it back on the table.

  That was when I spotted an arm on the floor. At least that was all I could see and I assumed that a body was attached to that arm. I prayed that a body was attached.

  I hurried over to the beige-colored leather sofa. “Mr. Abbott, are you okay?”

  I nudged his body with my foot, but he didn’t move. It sure didn’t look as if he was okay considering that there was a large amount of blood staining the white rug underneath his body. I glanced around the room to see if we were alone. I didn’t want to be in here if there was a killer still around. Had Arthur taken his own life, or had someone taken it for him? No one appeared to be in the condo, but they could have been hiding or in another room waiting to attack me. I had to get out of there and dial 911. I reached down and checked for a pulse, but found none. Well, I hadn’t seen this turn of events happening.

  As I rushed out the door, I called for the police. My thoughts raced as I took the elevator down to wait for the police to show up.

  Dorothy looked up from her knitting when I ran out the front door of the building.

  Her eyes widened when I approached the car. “What in the name of heavens is wrong with you?”

  “My client is dead,” I said breathlessly.

  “You killed your client?” she screeched.

  “No! I didn’t kill my client. He was dead
when I got there,” I said with panic in my voice.

  “What happened to him?” she asked.

  “I don’t know, but the police are on their way.” I ran my hand through my hair and released a deep breath.

  Dorothy and I sat in silence while we waited for the police. Finally, sirens sounded announcing their arrival. When they approached, I pointed toward the building and told them in which room they’d find Arthur’s body.

  A few minutes passed and Dorothy and I watched the activity. Soon I felt eyes on me. When I looked to my right, a dark-haired man wearing a white shirt, blue tie, and dark pants removed his aviator sunglasses and fixed his gaze on me. He was walking straight toward me. A gun was secured in its holster at his hip and I knew right away that he was with the police force.

  “You found the body?” the police detective asked.

  His dark eyes stared at me, not letting me go from their mesmerizing hold. I pulled the pink leather card case from my purse, pulled out a pink card and handed it to him.

  “I’m Maggie Thomas, Private Investigator.”

  He stared at it for a moment, as if he was memorizing every detail. Maybe I was imagining things, but I could have sworn the slightest of smiles crossed his lips. What was so funny?

  “You found the body in the condo?” he asked again.

  I swallowed hard, then replied, “Yes, that’s right.”

  I wouldn’t let him intimidate me. I knew my rights.

  “Why were you here?” He tapped the edge of my business card with his finger.

  “He’s my client,” I said, trying to sound confident.

  “And what was the nature of the case?” he asked in his professional tone.

  I paused wondering if I should tell him or not, but then I figured they might arrest me for murder, so I decided to spill my guts.

  “He believed his wife was cheating on him. I followed her today and confirmed that was true. When I followed the man she’s cheating with, he went to the deceased’s law firm. Arthur Abbott is a lawyer, you know. Or he was a lawyer,” I said, letting out a pent-up breath.