Page 1 of The Beachside Cafe 4
ONE
Jaymee Mason thanked Andrew, the bartender of her oceanside café on the coast of California when he set a tropical cocktail in front of her.
“You always make these better than anyone, Andy. Except Cameron, of course.”
They both laughed. She’d been introduced to the drink by Cameron Smith, a private investigator and investor in her café. Cameron was helping Jaymee investigate the disappearance of her soon-to-be ex-husband, Doug Lent.
It had been three months since the last time Jaymee saw Doug, and during that time their investigation had uncovered some devastating and disturbing discoveries. Doug was blackmailing six people who had worked with him at IDL – Intersectional Dynamics Laboratories, more than five years before his death.
Cameron, she came to realize, was well known by the police and detectives and they valued his input. This helped them work in conjunction with the investigators who’d been assigned the case.
Jaymee had decided early on she was going to divorce Doug. He was not the man she thought he was. It devastated her and shattered their daughter, Cheyenne’s, trust. She had always been a daddy’s girl. Twenty-one was still too young to realize that trust can’t just be given, it has to be earned.
She felt a presence beside her and turned to see her boarder and new employee, Carmine Russo, sliding onto the stool next to hers. He smiled at her, exposing two rows of crooked but clean teeth. “Mornin’,” he said.
She raised her eyebrows. “It’s not noon yet?”
They both turned their eyes to the clock hanging on the wall, which said it was ten minutes till.
“Thank God for that,” Carmine said in his raspy voice. “I’m supposed to be in at twelve. Saw you sitting here and thought I’d say hello.” The fifty-year-old was one of the men Doug had been blackmailing. Cameron and Jaymee had taken him off their suspect list in Doug’s disappearance as his life had been threatened as well. Made homeless through the events, Jaymee invited Carmine to take an adjoining apartment that connected to the large house Doug had bought for his family.
“Well, it’s good to see you, Carmine. You’re looking pretty good.”
“Appreciate it. I’m a little surprised to be honest with you.”
Jaymee raised one eyebrow. “Why?”
“I didn’t think I’d be here right now, talking to the wife of the man who was blackmailing me and helped ruin my life. Have you looked any further into Amanda? Anything you can report?”
Jaymee thought about Amanda Dinklage, the only woman on Doug’s blackmail list and one of their top suspects. She was one of those women that liked control and made sure she had it with the men in her life. If she didn’t have control, she kicked the man to the curb, as they say.
“She’s been lying low,” Jaymee responded. “Everything’s been quiet between her and Dylan. I only know that because Cameron’s been keeping a pretty close eye on her.” She gave Russo a narrow look. “Did you know he had Cheyenne doing surveillance for him? Can you believe that? He recruited my own daughter for that dangerous work!”
Russo laughed, knowing Jaymee wasn’t nearly as outraged as she was pretending to be. Cheyenne was a grown woman and just as courageous and bold as her mother. Jaymee could have objected all day long but if that’s what Cheyenne wanted to do, she was going to do it.
“Sounds like something both of them would do,” Russo responded with a laugh. “I mean, think about it. Those two get along like two peas in a pod.”
Jaymee sighed, taking a long drink from her cocktail. “Of course you’re right. That’s why I love them both so much. Fearless. Both of them. Going where angels fear to tread.”
Russo gave her knowing look. He slid off the stool and gave her a quick salute with two fingers from his forehead. “I better clock in. I’ll be glad to come back and sit down with ya for a while though, if you want.” He winked and she grinned wide.
“I think you probably need to earn your wage. But thank you for the generous offer.” She lifted her glass to him and took another drink.
Just as he was laughing and retreating to the kitchen, her phone buzzed in her pocket and then began the tune she’d assigned to Cameron. She pulled it out and hit the answer button, putting it to her ear.
“Hey there,” she said.
“Hey, Jay,” she heard his voice in her ear and it felt like warm silk had covered her heart. She closed her eyes and focused. She’d been having a little trouble concentrating since she realized how incredibly good-looking and compatible Cameron was and how utterly wrong she had been about Doug. She was now at the point she didn’t know what had attracted her to Doug at all, and couldn’t wait to be divorced. “What are you up to?”
“I’m just drinking a noonday cocktail and relaxing. What about you?”
“I’m standing in front of the courthouse. I need some back up. You remember what I was doing this morning?”
“Yeah, I think you said you were gonna check out Brian O’Rourke. That right?”
“Yep. I… found a source that was able to get into his personal accounts and this was on his schedule. I want to go in and interview him but I’d love it if you could come along, too. Can you meet me here?”
“If you think I can help, I’d be glad to meet you. Right outside? In the courtyard in front of the municipal section?”
