But she wasn’t here for romance or job opportunities. She was here to save her mother, Deena, from the guy who was trying to steal their family business.
Deena had been gushing about Chuck Sullivan for months now. Sam didn’t know who this guy was or when he’d come into the picture, but she was certain that he was up to no good.
Why else would he suddenly swoop in and pretend to be interested in the family business? Sam knew the type. They preyed on widows with a cushy nest egg. Her mom didn’t have much money. In fact, she’d had to sell the modest house Sam had grown up in to pay for some of Dad’s medical bills. Now, her mother lived in a one-bedroom apartment, hence the reason for Sam to rent a motel room instead of staying with her mother. She loved her mom, but that small apartment was too close quarters. Sam liked her privacy.
Chuck probably didn’t realize that her mother had no money, though. Or maybe he was trying to take the business away somehow. Saltwater Sweets was practically famous on the East Coast for its candies, and Sam was sure it was worth quite a bit of money. Her mother was very naïve, and because she was such a sweet person, Sam knew she’d fall for this guy’s scam in a heartbeat. Sam needed to protect her.
The hotel door opened, and a woman with a clipboard came toward her.
“Hi! I’m Jules Whittier. Are you Sam?”
Sam pushed the sunglasses back up her nose and smiled at the chipper woman coming toward her. That was another thing about the small towns, the people were always so friendly. Not like at the law firm.
“Yes, I’m Sam.”
“Welcome! I just have a little bit of paperwork to fill out on the rental car.” Jules pointed at the Toyota that Sam had rented at the airport for the drive out. “It will only take a few minutes.”
That was good because Sam only had a few minutes. She was due to meet her mother and this Chuck guy for lunch at some restaurant on the water.
Even though her mother insisted that Chuck was a nice guy with the best intentions, Sam knew that was how they always acted at first. He probably figured he could buy her a fancy meal to win her over. Well, if he thought she was going to sit there and fawn all over him for a lobster dinner, he had another think coming. She knew just the right questions to ask, to dig down to the root of what he was really up to. Chuck Sullivan wasn’t going to know what hit him.
Hopefully, she could nip this romance in the bud and bring her mother back to her senses in a few days and then head back to her stressful life in the city. Surely, it wouldn’t take much to expose this scammer’s true intentions to her mother.
CHAPTER2
Gina glanced around to make sure no one was watching as she pulled her car into the alleyway that led behind the brick building that housed the offices of Ellison Chandler. The building was on the outskirts of town, and the back parking lot ensured privacy for Ellie’s clients.
At first, Gina had been worried about hiring Ellie. From her references, she was a good private investigator, but she was also the daughter of Leena McCain, one of the senior citizens in town that Gina and her cousins had befriended. She didn’t want anyone to know that she was searching for Hugh. Her cousins had no idea how her marriage had ended, and she wanted to keep it that way.
Ellie had assured her she was discreet and of course would never divulge a client’s name to her mother. So far, no one had mentioned anything about Gina hiring a PI, so she assumed Ellie was true to her word. She’d have to be, or no one would hire her, especially not in this small town, where rumors flourished like fertilized dandelions.
Gina took the back stairway to the second floor. There was only one office there, and Gina stopped for a second in front of the thick oak door with the frosted glass window that had Ellie’s name stenciled in gold and black before knocking.
“Come in!”
Ellie’s office was as simple and efficient as she was. It was furnished with the basics: an old oak desk with a squeaky Naugahyde chair, rows of metal filing cabinets along one wall, and an old leather Chesterfield sofa along the opposite wall under a row of windows. It looked like Ellie had spent more than one night on that sofa. The only personal item was a framed photograph of a man in a police uniform atop one of the cabinets. The scent of stale coffee lingered in the air.
Ellie was seated behind the desk, her silver-streaked dark hair pulled back. She wore her uniform of a black T-shirt and jeans. Gina had met with her a few times, and she’d always been dressed similarly. A laptop was open to her left, and she had a pile of papers in front of her.
“Hi, Gina. Have a seat.” Ellie gestured to a worn chair on the opposite side of the desk, and Gina sat.
“Thanks. How are you?” Gina asked.
“Good. You?” Ellie looked up at Gina with her sharp blue eyes. Ellie was what Gina’s grandmother would have called a “keen observer.” She always seemed to be studying her surroundings and the people in them. Gina imagined that was a holdover from the days when Ellie had been a cop and had to rely on observation and instinct to get her job done. Her gaze was a bit intense, and Gina imagined that those blue eyes had elicited a confession from more than one criminal.
“Great.” Gina liked Ellie.
She guessed her age at around late forties, too young to be retired from the police force, but Gina had never asked about it. They’d clicked right away but hadn’t discussed much about their personal lives, though Ellie knew all about Hugh and his betrayal, of course. They’d only met a few times and hadn’t had time to develop a friendship, though Gina felt they could be friends in due time. Ellie was smart and trustworthy, and Gina guessed she had a fun side to her. A sad side, too, Gina had noticed and wondered if that had anything to do with the framed picture on the filing cabinet.
Ellie shuffled the papers and got down to business. “I’ve made some progress in the case.”
Gina’s heart flipped. “Did you find Hugh?”
“Not exactly. I traced him and his assistant…” Ellie looked down at the paperwork for reference. “Holly?”
“Yes.” Gina frowned as images of the vivacious brunette bubbled up. Gina had thought she and Holly were friends, but apparently the whole time she’d been fooling around with Hugh.
“I traced them to the Cayman Islands. They’ve been there for a while. Holly has a bank account with eighty grand in it.”
