Page 1 of The Beachside Cafe 5
ONE
Jaymee Mason looked up from the paperwork in front of her when the door to her office swung open. It was unexpected, as the employees at her oceanside Saltwater Café rarely needed her help with anything. She relaxed a bit and smiled when she realized it was her daughter, Cheyenne, coming through the doorway.
“Good morning, dear,” she said, pleasantly. Cheyenne had moved into her own condo, leaving the family home, just two months ago, shortly after her father, Doug, disappeared. In the past five months that he’d been gone, Jaymee had gone through divorce proceedings. She and an investor in her café, Cameron Smith, had discovered some unsettling things about her ex-husband that prompted her to make that decision.
Doug had been blackmailing a handful of people from the company he used to work for. At Intersectional Dynamics Laboratories, Doug had worked in the accounting department. Five years after leaving the place, his disappearance created a reason for Jaymee and Cameron, who is also a private investigator, to launch their own examination of what’s going on.
Currently, they had two suspects at the top of their list. Amanda Dinklage and Dylan Lianetti. Amanda worked as a researcher for IDL, while Dylan was on the staff of lawyers.
“Mom,” Cheyenne said, dropping herself in the huge, cushioned chair against the wall to Jaymee’s left. It wasn’t a large office but Jaymee didn’t think that was a good excuse for it not to be comfortable. Cheyenne slid down so her legs were stretched out in front of her and her back was bowed, her chin against her chest. She was a beautiful girl even as exhausted as she was.
“You look tired,” Jaymee said. “Have you been sleeping all right?”
“No,” Cheyenne responded, shaking her head. “They’ve given me more responsibility at the firm and I can’t get some of these cases out of my head. I mean, most of our lawyers work with contract law and that kind of thing. Especially here in California, that’s needed more than anything, I’d say.”
Jaymee raised one eyebrow. “That and murder, maybe,” she stated coldly.
Cheyenne frowned. “Yes. And that’s where I’m having trouble. With Dad going missing and… everything we’ve found out about him... I just… don’t know how to feel anymore. How to think. Who can I trust? If I couldn’t trust Dad, who can I trust?”
Jaymee was swept with a heavy feeling of guilt mixed with sympathy. Five months and she hadn’t questioned how easily Cheyenne had taken the news that her father was a criminal. She had been a Daddy’s Girl. She had Doug wrapped around her finger and vice versa.
To find out her cherished daddy was a blackmailer and was likely killed by one of his victims had to have a painful impact on Cheyenne.How could she have not seen that?Guilt for being so wrapped up in her own life felt like a knife in Jaymee’s heart. She hopped out of her chair and went around the desk, dropping down next to her daughter.
“Oh, my precious girl,” she whispered, putting one hand on the side of her daughter’s head and the other one around her back, her hand gripping Cheyenne’s shoulder. She pulled her into a side hug that was all-encompassing, kissing the top of Cheyenne’s head while she rocked back and forth. “I really thought you were taking all this better than I would have expected. It’s going to be all right, honey. You still have me. What your dad felt for you was love. You were probably the only person he loved that ever walked the earth, really.”
“He loved you, too, Mom.”
Jaymee doubted that. Their marriage had not been one of love and passion. It was almost like a business arrangement in Jaymee’s mind. And she’d come to terms with that. As of late, another man had made his way into her heart, innocently at first but more openly in the last few weeks. She and Cameron had a relationship unlike any Jaymee had had before. He was loving and kind to her. He was both outgoing and knew how to enjoy quiet times together. She was yet to find anything she’d consider a flaw in Cameron Smith.
“I’m able to get past the hurt easier than you, dear. I haven’t felt a passion for him for some time. I don’t want to hurt you more than you already are, though. So we need to talk about how you feel and how I can help you feel better. You don’t need to worry about me. I’m happy right now. You know why.”
Cheyenne pulled away slightly so she could look up into Jaymee’s eyes. “I really am happy for you and Cameron, Mom. He’s a great guy. And I don’t blame you. I’ve been really struggling trying to come to terms with knowing what Dad was really like. He was… so different with me. I really never would have believed any of this. I would have been one of those children whose parents have all the evidence against them but they keep testifying on behalf of them.”
She shook her head.
“You’re supposed to love your parents that much, Cheyenne. You can’t blame yourself for being human. And you’re right. He didn’t treat you badly in any way. He was never anything but a loving, supportive father. What he was when he wasn’t a father isn’t your fault. I think you might be the only reason he stuck around. It certainly wasn’t for me. But again, don’t worry about me.” Jaymee kicked herself mentally for bringing the topic back to her. The last thing Cheyenne needed was to hear sarcastic remarks about her father coming from her mother. Especially not at that moment.
“I feel like he was fooling us all.” Cheyenne’s voice was so quiet, Jaymee could barely hear her. “I feel like a huge fool. He pulled the wool over my eyes.”
“No. He didn’t. Not anymore than he did anyone else. You were the light in his eyes. That’s why he was the way he was with you. You have to understand that.” Jaymee squeezed her daughter’s shoulders once more before. “He loved you, honey. You were the only good thing in his life, I think. It wasn’t fake. None of that was fake. I’m sure of it.”
Cheyenne gazed at her mother. “Thanks, Mom. You do know how to make me feel better. I love you.”
“I love you, too, honey.” Jaymee hugged her. While in mid-hug, the door of her office was thrown open abruptly, making both of them jump. Jaymee sharpened her eyes on the stranger who was standing there, looking frantic.
The brown-haired woman grabbed the door and closed it behind her, pressing her back against it. “Jaymee Lent?” the woman said, breathlessly.
“Mason. Yes. I’m Jaymee. Who are you?”
“I have something for you.”
When the woman whipped her head from side to side, scanning the interior of the room in a panicked way, Jaymee got the impression she was checking for cameras. Her heartbeat went into overdrive and she stood up slowly, holding her hands out to show she was not on the defense. “Can I help you? You won’t be hurt here. What can I do for you? Is this about Doug? IDL? The investigation?”
“Here.” The woman grabbed Jaymee’s hand and yanked her closer. Fear stabbed Jaymee in the chest but she kept herself together. The woman pressed a rectangular object in Jaymee’s hand. “You didn’t get this from me,” she hissed as if suddenly Jaymee and Cheyenne were her enemies. Her eyes opened wide. It was like she’d just realized where she was, who she was with, what she was doing.
She sucked in a sharp breath, hopped back to the door, pulled it open and was gone as suddenly as she’d been there. Jaymee turned to give her daughter a curious look.
“What did she give you?” Cheyenne asked.
