“Okay,” I agree. “But if you stay, you can make sure I really don’t.” It’s not going to be the same without her. It was her that talked Stowe into letting me serve drinks that day. Then when Quinn found out I was staying in a motel, she informed me I was her new roommate. She’s truly an angel. I think when she saw me, she saw a bit of herself because at one time she was a girl trying to find a way out too.
“You want me to stay?”
“No,” I say without hesitation, even as a lump forms in my throat. I wouldn’t do that to her. “You don’t let anyone stop you from going after a life you dream of having.” I give her my own small words of wisdom.
Quinn grabs me, pulling me in for a hug. “Rent is paid till the end of the year. You can always call. I’ll pick up.” I force a smile onto my face, not wanting her to see me upset and feel guilty. She’s done so much for me, and I can thank her by letting her go.
The only problem is that once again, I’m all alone.
Chapter 2
Mack
My brother Lawson got married last weekend, so my other brother Ari and I decided to keep business to a minimum since the newlyweds are on their honeymoon. There was only one active case, so I grabbed it up to give myself something to do in the downtime.
It’s not that I want to stay busy all the time, but our detective agency turns away more people than it accepts, so I’ve gotten used to working non-stop. Part of me wonders if that’s going to change now that Lawson’s married and soon to be a dad.
I ignore the clench in my chest at the thought of my brothers getting married and starting families without me. Ari is so uptight, who knows if it will ever happen, but I can’t help the spike of jealousy I feel when I think back to Lawson’s wedding day. It’s not that I wanted to be him, it's just that I could feel how truly happy he was, maybe for the first time ever, and I wanted that too.
When I saw the Baxter case come across our database, I grabbed it up without really thinking it through. All I saw was a trip to Seaport, and it sounded like the perfect excuse to get out of town. This case was supposed to be simple. All I had to do was grab a few pictures to confirm identity and then come home. But from the moment I got here, nothing about this case has been simple.
A few days ago, I arrived in Seaport, but the more I read the case notes, the more things didn’t add up. Lawson was the one to talk to the client before he went on his honeymoon, so it could be why he missed a few details.
Roy Baxter has hired us to find his missing daughter, and nowhere in the file did it say that he went to the authorities. Sure, she was over eighteen at the time she went missing, but from what Lawson could find, she had no friends, teachers, acquaintances, or literally any other person in her life besides her father.
My suspicions began to grow when I considered why a young woman would leave her only relative and disappear without a trace. Roy Baxter would only say that she was allowed to go to the ballet in the city once a month, and on her last outing she disappeared.
Lawson pressed him for known enemies or if he thought there was foul play. Roy Baxter stated that he wouldn’t answer the question. After the initial meeting, Lawson got a message that said that there was a chance she could possibly be in Seaport.
After I took over the case for Lawson, I realized that we had almost nothing to go on. Nothing except that she disappeared before going to watch a ballet performance. With only that information, I thought about what a young woman with nothing and no one would do to make quick cash, and if she enjoyed dancing, that left only one spot in Seaport.
The first night I got here, I drove out to the strip club on the edge of town. The Bald Beaver brings in tourists from all over, which means it brings in a lot of dancers too. As soon as I walked in, I saw Whitley Baxter serving drinks, and all my plans changed.
Pulling into the parking lot for a second time, I don’t plan on leaving until I get some answers.
My phone vibrates as I get out of my car, and when I see Ari’s name come across the screen, I answer. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Didn’t you see the alert for the office?” When I don’t answer right away, he sighs. “The alarms are going off.”
“It’s probably just the cleaning crew. Besides, I'm stuck in Seaport.”
“What do you mean you’re stuck in Seaport? You were supposed to get the photos and come back.” I can hear the annoyance in his voice as he moves around. “Are you there?”
Someone walks past me, and I hold the phone closer so people can’t hear my conversation.
“Yes, I’m here,” I whisper. “Listen, things got complicated, okay? I’m going to be here for a few days.”
“Lawson is on his honeymoon and now you take off. I guess I’ll just run the entire company on my own!”
“Or you could get the stick out of your ass and take a vacation for the first time ever,” I offer unhelpfully as I walk toward the building up ahead. The music is loud, but I’m already running late, and I need to get inside.
“You take enough vacation time for the three of us.” I want to argue with him, but as usual, he keeps talking. “There’s enough going on that one of us needs to be there.”
“There’s nothing going on that can’t wait.” Ari needs the break more than all three of us, but he’d never admit it.
“Are you at a strip club?” He sounds annoyed as I nod to the bouncer and step inside.
“I thought we were talking about you taking a vacation,” I offer, trying to change the subject.