voice suddenly went high pitched and shaky. He frowned. She was terrified of something.
“You must be talking about the transportation job,” he lied smoothly. “It’s been so long that I almost forgot. Sure. You can stop by the office with a check.” He checked the caller ID. It showed up as Unknown. Strange.
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly drive to that part of town. Perhaps I could meet you at the coffee shop on Main Street?”
A very public and overly crowded place. This was even more interesting. “I think I could swing that. What time?”
“I could meet you in an hour if that would be convenient.”
She was in a hurry. And she was covering her tracks. She’d only be doing that if she were terrified of a bug in her house. “I could do that,” he repeated when she’d given him a time. He hung up the phone and smiled.
Finally. Something different.
***
He got his coffee and lounged at the table. Just for the kicks, he wrote Leonard’s Transportation Services on a piece of paper and propped it up on the table. A few people gave him some strange looks.
“Jason Leonard?”
Looking up, he nearly choked on his coffee. She was hot. There was no other word to describe her. Bleached blonde hair, big blue eyes, large rack, and a tiny waist.
And she wore fear like a second skin.
He’d seen that fear far too many times.
He pointed to the paper. “That’s me. Jason Leonard of Leonard’s Transportations Services. I had no idea that I was going to have a career change, but I’m flexible.”
The woman burst into tears, and Jason looked up alarmed. “I’m so sorry. Don’t cry. It was just a joke.”
“It’s not you,” she sobbed as she wiped her tears away. “I’m just really relieved to find someone that can help me.”
“I haven’t said I can help you yet,” he cautioned. “But I’ll hear you out.”
“I’m sorry about the ruse. I think my house and my phone are bugged. I used an internet phone service to make a call so whoever was listening would just think that I’m settling up an old debt.”
“Smart,” he murmured. She didn’t look the type to be crafty. “But the fact that you used the computer would be suspicious, and anyone listening would easily find that Leonard’s Transportation doesn’t exist. And Leonard’s Protection Services does. I’m in the yellow pages and everything. Not that anyone uses the yellow pages anymore.”
She smiled softly. “I was playing music in the background, so hopefully they didn’t hear anything.”
Really smart. He sat his coffee down and propped his elbows up on the table. “What’s your name?”
“Helen Myers.” She looked down at her hands. “My husband just recently passed away and…”
Startled, Jason held up his hand. “I’m sorry. Myers as in Timothy Myers? You’re his widow?” She nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in any of his pictures.”
“You wouldn’t. I didn’t have a whole lot to do with his business, even though now I run it. I stayed home and homeschooled our son, and Tim was always really careful when we went out. He didn’t want our privacy compromised.”
Homeschooled? She looked like a trophy wife. She had to be at least ten years younger than her business mogul husband. Timothy was CEO of Myers Enterprise, and owned three different production companies as well as seven retail stores.
Helen sighed. “I know what you’re thinking, and no, I’m not a trophy wife. We did meet under strange circumstances, but I loved my husband. I resorted to dancing to pay for graduate school, and he started going frequently after he divorced his first wife. We married within a year, and even thought I got pregnant right away, I finished my degree. But none of that is the point. Davis is missing.”
Leonard was still trying to digest the information. Smart stripper marries wealthy man for love. Based on her clothes, he’d hardly call her a trophy
“You must be talking about the transportation job,” he lied smoothly. “It’s been so long that I almost forgot. Sure. You can stop by the office with a check.” He checked the caller ID. It showed up as Unknown. Strange.
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly drive to that part of town. Perhaps I could meet you at the coffee shop on Main Street?”
A very public and overly crowded place. This was even more interesting. “I think I could swing that. What time?”
“I could meet you in an hour if that would be convenient.”
She was in a hurry. And she was covering her tracks. She’d only be doing that if she were terrified of a bug in her house. “I could do that,” he repeated when she’d given him a time. He hung up the phone and smiled.
Finally. Something different.
***
He got his coffee and lounged at the table. Just for the kicks, he wrote Leonard’s Transportation Services on a piece of paper and propped it up on the table. A few people gave him some strange looks.
“Jason Leonard?”
Looking up, he nearly choked on his coffee. She was hot. There was no other word to describe her. Bleached blonde hair, big blue eyes, large rack, and a tiny waist.
And she wore fear like a second skin.
He’d seen that fear far too many times.
He pointed to the paper. “That’s me. Jason Leonard of Leonard’s Transportations Services. I had no idea that I was going to have a career change, but I’m flexible.”
The woman burst into tears, and Jason looked up alarmed. “I’m so sorry. Don’t cry. It was just a joke.”
“It’s not you,” she sobbed as she wiped her tears away. “I’m just really relieved to find someone that can help me.”
“I haven’t said I can help you yet,” he cautioned. “But I’ll hear you out.”
“I’m sorry about the ruse. I think my house and my phone are bugged. I used an internet phone service to make a call so whoever was listening would just think that I’m settling up an old debt.”
“Smart,” he murmured. She didn’t look the type to be crafty. “But the fact that you used the computer would be suspicious, and anyone listening would easily find that Leonard’s Transportation doesn’t exist. And Leonard’s Protection Services does. I’m in the yellow pages and everything. Not that anyone uses the yellow pages anymore.”
She smiled softly. “I was playing music in the background, so hopefully they didn’t hear anything.”
Really smart. He sat his coffee down and propped his elbows up on the table. “What’s your name?”
“Helen Myers.” She looked down at her hands. “My husband just recently passed away and…”
Startled, Jason held up his hand. “I’m sorry. Myers as in Timothy Myers? You’re his widow?” She nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in any of his pictures.”
“You wouldn’t. I didn’t have a whole lot to do with his business, even though now I run it. I stayed home and homeschooled our son, and Tim was always really careful when we went out. He didn’t want our privacy compromised.”
Homeschooled? She looked like a trophy wife. She had to be at least ten years younger than her business mogul husband. Timothy was CEO of Myers Enterprise, and owned three different production companies as well as seven retail stores.
Helen sighed. “I know what you’re thinking, and no, I’m not a trophy wife. We did meet under strange circumstances, but I loved my husband. I resorted to dancing to pay for graduate school, and he started going frequently after he divorced his first wife. We married within a year, and even thought I got pregnant right away, I finished my degree. But none of that is the point. Davis is missing.”
Leonard was still trying to digest the information. Smart stripper marries wealthy man for love. Based on her clothes, he’d hardly call her a trophy
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