Page 4 of The Beachside Cafe 5
“Good. And if you would, just you, auntie. I don’t think they’ll let anyone but you in the building.”
“Tight security, huh?” Jaymee said.
“Yes,” Jennifer replied in a serious tone. “As a matter of fact, very tight. I’ll see you then?”
“You will. Thanks for the invitation.”
“No problem.”
Jaymee pressed the end button on her phone and gave Cameron a close look. “Tomorrow at two, I’m supposed to go alone, though.”
Cameron immediately shook his head. “You’re not going alone. You saw what they did to Jennifer. I’m not letting them take you and inject poison in your body. That’s not happening.”
Jaymee was touched by Cameron’s concern. He really was the best thing that had happened to her since Cheyenne was born. Jaymee couldn’t possibly be happier with that part of her life. And she didn’t want to mess it up by getting killed.
“It’s risky,” she admitted with a nod, “but I bet it’s worth it. Think of all the information I could gather.”
Cameron grunted, a look of disapproval on his face. “We have this flash drive with a ton of information on it. I think we should take it to the detectives and let them go through it. After Alex makes a copy to analyze, of course.”
“And that’s what we’ll do,” Jaymee said, hurriedly, “but first, I’ve got to get as much as I can, even if it’s dangerous. I need to…” She stopped. How could she explain to Cameron, whom she had fallen in love with and believed that love was returned, that she felt a great need to find Doug. She spoke carefully, choosing her words. “I need to find Doug. I won’t have any kind of closure until I do. I hope you understand. We might be divorced now but it won’t sit right with me until he’s found so he can either be told the developments or… or he won’t need to be told.”
Cameron gave her a sympathetic look. “I get it. I really do. Okay, Jaymee. I’ll take you there, though, drop you off near the south entrance and wait in the car. Don’t even try to make me leave, I’m not going to.”
Jaymee giggled, his gaze warm on her face. “I don’t want you to leave. I think it would be better if you stayed, definitely. And I’ll check in with you through text. I might call you and if I do, don’t say hello until after I do, okay? I might want you to hear what’s going on without letting them know I’ve called you.”
Cameron’s disapproving look disappeared and was replaced by a satisfied expression. “Got it. So what are we gonna do until two o’clock tomorrow?” He rolled his eyes and put on a bored expression which made Jaymee laugh.
“I’m sure we can think of something fun to do. Let’s go to the café and get a drink. That might calm our nerves. I think I need one after seeing that video. I’m afraid to look at any of the others. She looked really scared.”
“She did,” Cameron nodded, “which is exactly why you can’t go there alone tomorrow. No telling what will happen to you. For all we know, she could be setting you up.”
Jaymee lifted her eyebrows. “Seems odd to choose me for something like this. I have nothing to do with IDL.”
Cameron shook his head. “You might not. But Doug did. And he’s the one that connects you to all the danger that you’re in right now. Think about it. She works for Amanda. Jennifer does. She might be a loyal employee luring you there so they can get rid of you.”
Jaymee felt a momentary sense of terror. But it slipped away when she convinced herself the bad guys would understand the actual police and a private investigator were after them. She was pretty low on the totem pole. Taking her out wouldn’t stop anything at all.
“I don’t believe that’s what’s going to happen. And I’m going to be in constant contact with you anyway. Maybe I’ll call you and put it in my pocket so you’ll hear everything that’s going on.”
Cameron nodded, pushing himself to his feet. He leaned to grab his jacket from where it was draped over the back of his office chair. “Now that sounds like a real good idea. Let’s go get that drink you were talking about. I’m going to drop this off with Alex so he can make a good assessment of it. I don’t trust anything until Alex does his thing with it. Once he analyzes it and can tell me what it all means, I’ll be happier.”
Jaymee chuckled as they walked down the hall to the entrance that led out to the parking lot. “You really do just expect him to drop everything when you bring him something to study, don’t you?”
Cameron smiled at her. “It’s not that I expect it. He’s usually just that interested. It’s hard to catch him in the middle of something he can’t put aside for later.”
“I wonder why?” Jaymee mused. “Let’s take my car.”
Cameron nodded. “Okay. It’s because he’s constantly working. He doesn’t take breaks so he never gets behind. Sometimes he’s ahead of schedule, he’s told me, and had to turn to video games to occupy his mind.”
“I can’t imagine.” Jaymee stated the words with conviction. She couldn’t imagine being so far ahead in work that video games were the answer.
“Me neither, if I’m honest,” Cameron added.
She got behind the wheel and they headed to Alex’s laboratory. Alex had been Cameron’s friend, confidant and computer nerd for several years, as far as Jaymee knew. They were close and relied on each other like brothers.
The huge building loomed in front of them as they went down the long driveway to the parking lot outside the front. It stretched around to the left side of the building for overflow but there usually wasn’t a need for that. Few people visited Alex’s lab. Most of the cars belonged to employees.
“I have no idea where I’m going to park,” Jaymee joked as she slid into one of the first parking spaces closest to the main entrance. “We’ll have to walk all the way there, I’m afraid.”
