Saturday (Timeless Series #6) (4 page)

Investigation

Kyle

“Carol, could you come in here for a moment?” I just finished doing a search of every architect company in the city but didn’t find any leads, not even with her name affiliated with it. Who knew so many architect companies existed at all.

Carol walked inside with her notepad and pen at the ready. “Yes, Kyle?”

“I need help with something.”

“Of course. What can I do for you?” She took a seat and crossed her legs.

“I need help finding a girl.”

“A girl…?”

I understood how strange my request sounded. I could ask Will for her number but that would probably piss him off. And I certainly couldn’t go to Florence with my questions. After the way our relationship ended she wouldn’t help me with a damn thing. “I met her a week ago. She runs an architect company and her name is Rose. I tried tracking her down myself but with no luck. Maybe you’ll have better success.”

“Do you have any other information?”

“No.”

“Is this company in Manhattan?”

“Yes. That I do know.”

She left the chair and closed her notepad. “I’ll do my best. But I’m not a PI so don’t expect anything.”

“Whatever you can manage is appreciated.”

***

Mark walked into the office, looking lower than I’ve ever seen him. He fell into the chair and leaned forward, gripping his skull in anguish. While he was silent for the time being, he was about to explode.

I knew he lost his case.

“Mark, you can’t win them all.” I took the seat beside him and tried to console him as much as possible.

“But I should have won this one.”

I patted him on the back. “You did the best you could, man. There was nothing else you could have done.”

“Tell that to her parents. Tell that to her sister.” He refused to meet my gaze, his cheeks turning red with rage. “The judge threw out that evidence when she shouldn’t have. It was totally unfair. What the hell is wrong with our legal system?”

What the hell was wrong with our world, actually?
“Mark, you have to let it go.”

“I don’t think I can…”

“It’s impossible to win every case. Sometimes the defendant has more ammo in his arsenal. Sometimes you get a bad judge. Sometimes the jury is the one at fault. Cut yourself some slack.”

He left the chair, getting away from my affection. “She was raped and murdered.” He rested his fist against his lips, his eyes closed from the rage. “And the fucker got away. You expect me to cut myself some slack?” He turned to me, his eyes red and bloodshot. “What if that were your sister? Your girlfriend?”

I’d already been through that once—and it was the worst experience of my life. “You can’t win them all.” I felt like a parrot repeating myself, but it was the only thing that came to mind. It was easy to lose sleep over our cases. It was easy to lose ourselves too. But we had to stay sane, to remember there was only so much we could do in any given situation. “Maybe you should take the rest of the week off—with pay.”

“That’s not going to solve my problem.”

I slowly approached him, not wanting to push him even further. “Take some time to clear your head. Go to the beach. Take a trip. Just take some time for yourself. This business can be daunting. It’s best to pace ourselves.”

He stared at the ground, his eyes lifeless.

I knew exactly how he felt but I could never tell him that. Some people in the office knew what happened all those years ago, but a lot of them didn’t. I liked to keep my private life to myself as possible. Otherwise old wounds would fester and become infected all over again.

He finally nodded. “I think I should.”

I clapped him on the shoulder again. “Great. I think that will be best.”

***

A few days later I got a lead.

“Kyle, I have a name and an address.” Carol placed the note on my desk. “I’m pretty sure this is the girl you’re looking for. It’s just a few blocks away.”

I snatched it from the surface.

INDIGO DESIGNS.

“You’re sure?”

“From what the leasing information I pulled up, it said a woman named Rose was the tenant. That was the best I could do.”

I shoved the note into my pocket, feeling my lips automatically form a smile. “Thank you.”

***

Her office was a tiny little place above a Chinese food restaurant. It had to be four hundred square feet at the most. And with a location like that, I suspected she didn’t pick up a lot of foot traffic.

So why have an office at all?

I made it to the second floor then walked past the windows. They were tinted so I couldn’t see anything inside. Just before I walked inside I stopped because I panicked. Now that I was here I didn’t know what to say. Did I just ask her out? Did I act like I needed work? What should I do?

If she was looking at me through the window I must look strange.

I straightened my shoulders and walked inside with confidence. Rose was shy and withdrawn but every woman responded to a man who knew what he wanted. The bell rang overhead the moment I walked inside, and then I came face-to-face with her.

She was sitting at her small desk with an iPad on the surface. Judging the surprise on her face she didn’t get very many customers. I was probably the only person to walk inside that day—or maybe even that week.

Rose’s eyes narrowed slightly when she recognized me. She didn’t move from her desk, remaining absolutely still. Even her breathing didn’t change.

I stepped further inside and felt the nerves get to me. She was staring at me intently, unsure why I was there and what I wanted. That confidence I felt a moment ago was dissipating. Like she was the sun, my confidence evaporated from my skin. “Hi. I hope this isn’t a bad time.”

“No. I’m just surprised to see you.”

I was surprised too.
“I was in the neighborhood and thought I would stop by.”

“How did you know I worked here?”

“You told me.”

“No, I didn’t.” Her clipped tone suddenly turned hostile.

Maybe this was a bad idea
. “Well, I looked it up online. It was pretty easy to find.”

That same threat was still on her face.

Did I just screw this up
? “I’m sorry if I’ve done something to offend you. I didn’t see the harm in coming here. If you want me to leave, I’ll go.” She never behaved this way in our previous interactions, but now she was a wild animal cornered against the wall. Frightened and uncomfortable, she was about to lash out. I took a step back toward the door so she knew I meant it.

“No, it’s okay.” She shook her head like she realized her mistake. She was being rude when I’d done nothing to deserve it. “What can I help you with?”

“Like I said, I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by.”

That wasn’t the answer she was hoping for. “Well, it was nice to see you but I should be getting back to work.” She grabbed her stylist and returned to her iPad like the conversation was over.

Why did I always like the unattainable women? First, it was Francesca and now Rose.

I put my hands in my pocket and approached her desk. It was made of white wood with pastel blue organizers on top. The entire room was decorated in bright colors, yellow, pink, and white.

A smart guy would give up because he knew this was pointless. But I was definitely not smart. In fact, I was as dumb as they come. “I just inherited a large piece of property in the Hamptons and now I need someone to design a home for me. If you’re interested I’d love to talk about it.” Most of that was true. When my father passed, he had a lot of wealth that wasn’t placed within a trust. It went to his lawyers, who kicked it around until it was finally cleared to fall in my hands. It took nearly five years to finally get it.

“You inherited property?” she asked. “I’m sorry…” She forgot about her iPad and looked up at me, the sincerity shining in her eyes.

“Thanks. My father passed away seven years ago. It’s taken a very long time for some of his wealth to finally fall into my hands.”

She nodded in understanding, like she’d been through the same thing. “Take a seat.”

I sat in the chair facing her desk and realized how close we were to one another. In fact, it was the closest we’d ever been.

And we were alone.

I didn’t have any ideas for the property I attained. In fact, I was going to let it sit there for a long time before I figured out what to do with it. I could sell it for a good price as it was. But now I used it as an excuse to talk with Rose.

“Is there something specific you had in mind?”

Since I had to come up with ideas on the spot, no. “Not really. It’s going to be my dream home, the place where I retire, and I want an expert to help me along.”

“I’ve worked on a lot of homes so you’ll be in safe hands.” When she spoke of her profession she was surprisingly calm. It made her feel safe because it was her element. But once she was pulled out of that she was a different person.

Today she did her hair differently than the other times I’d seen it. It was curled in spirals, and it was pulled over one shoulder. Make up was on her face, more than it was the other night. Her eyelashes were thick and long, and the eyeliner under her eyes made them stand out. The foundation on her skin blended perfectly into her face. With make up was she gorgeous. Without it, she was still gorgeous.

She pulled out a notebook and a pencil. “Do you have any pictures?”

“Of what?” The house that I hadn’t even begun to build?

“Of the land. I need to know where it is, how big it is, and what’s around it.”
              I shook my head in response. “Sorry, I don’t.”

“That’s okay,” she said. “Do you have any at home?”

“Actually, no.” I didn’t see the point in taking a picture of the bare land, especially since I never planned on doing anything with it.

“Well, I need that information before I start.”

I didn’t realize how genius this idea was until that moment. “Let’s drive out and take a look at it. You can see it first hand and we can take some pictures.” Now I’d be able to spend the whole day with her—maybe even the night.

She pressed the end of the pencil to her bottom lip while she stared at the blank paper. The expression was thoughtful—and distinctly cute. “How far is the drive?”

“About three hours.” It was actually two but she didn’t need to know that.

“Hmm…”

“It’s far for a day trip,” I said. “But I have another beach house just a few miles from the property. We can crash there then come back.” With a little alone time, I could charm her into a date.

“You have another beach house?” she asked incredulously.

“Yeah. But I bought that one.” I didn’t want her to think I was a spoiled jerk that got everything from my parents.

“It’s always interesting to see how the other side lives…”

“So, what do you say? We can take a trip out there tomorrow, spend the night, and then head back.”

Her eyes immediately broke contact and she sat back against her chair, putting invisible space between us. “I’ll stay at a hotel.”

“A hotel?” I asked. “All the resorts there are expensive.” Like, crazy expensive. I could barely afford to vacation there.

“Then I’ll stay at a motel.”

Had she never been to the Hamptons
? “There’s no such thing as a motel there. Really, it’s fine. We can just crash at my place. There’s lots of bedrooms and space.”

“No.”  She looked down again and grew flustered. Her breathing became irregular and her skin had a distinct red tint to it. “We’ll drive separately and I’ll come back when the work is finished.”

That was even worse.

Did she not trust me? Did she think I was a weirdo? How did I fix this mess I just got into? “How about this? You can stay at my beach place and I’ll crash with my mom. She lives right down the road.”

The fear slowly drained from her face. “I don’t want to impose on you.”

“You wouldn’t be imposing,” I said. “I’m never there anyway and my mom loves any excuse to see me. I could just walk into her house and she’d be thrilled.” That was the honest truth. After my sister died she clung to me even harder, afraid I might slip away too.

“If you’re sure that’s okay, we can do that.”

Perfect. Now I could spend the whole day with her—and the one after that. “It’s more than okay.”

Distance

Rose

Florence walked inside, and judging the way the skies darkened around her as she moved, she wasn’t happy. “You won’t believe what that asshole did.”

“What asshole?” I had my suitcase sitting by the door with all my stuff packed inside. Getting a physical view of the place was exactly what I needed before I began building the model. It was the best inspiration I could ever receive.

“Kyle.”

In his defense, she thought everyone was an asshole. “What did he do?”

“When we went out last weekend he walked me to my door then dumped me.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder in an irritated way. “He didn’t even give me an explanation. He just said we were over.”

At least he didn’t sleep with her and never call her again like most guys. Florence always assumed every guy was out to get her, but she never assumed any responsibility when things went wrong. “You only went out twice. Maybe he just didn’t feel anything.”

“Whatever. He’s still an ass.”

I didn’t bother correcting her because she was too stubborn. We would just get into a fight that would blow up in my face. It was better just to let the conversation die. “Sorry, it didn’t work out. I know you liked him.”

“God, he was hot.” She sighed in longing. “He’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen in my life.”

I couldn’t deny he was easy on the eyes. It was the first thought that crossed my mind when I looked at him. “There are other fish in the sea, Florence.”

“I guess.” Now that her tantrum was over she looked at my suitcase by the door. “Where are you going?”

I had to tell her the truth—even if she got upset. “Kyle hired me to build his beach house in the Hamptons. We’re going to take a look at it tomorrow.”

“Hold on.” She held up her hand, her attitude firing up again. “He has a beach house?”

I shrugged. “Two, apparently.”

“Ugh.” She stomped her foot and screamed. “Now I really hate him. He’s a young, rich lawyer. Will told me he owns his own practice—and he’s thirty. Can you believe that?”

“Some people are very driven.”

“And he’s hot as hell. Damn, why didn’t it work out with us?”

Florence cared too much about social status and looks. She only went after doctors and lawyers, attracted to their wealth as well as their intelligence. I didn’t judge her for it, but it wasn’t my style. “Florence, you’ll find the right guy someday.”
When she started looking for the right guy.

“So, you didn’t like Will?” She came to the couch and sat beside me. Now she became calm and adopted her inside voice.

“He was nice…” He was smart and polite, but I didn’t see it going anywhere. But then again, I didn’t see it going anywhere with anyone. If Florence didn’t force me to go on these random dates I’d stick to my asexual lifestyle.

“Come on, there’s nothing wrong with him. Give him a chance.”

“Florence, I appreciate what you’re trying to do but it’s not working. When I’m ready, it’ll happen. But for right now, I need more time.” Honestly, I didn’t see myself being with another man as long as I lived—and preferred it that way.

She gave me that look she always gave me—one of disappointment. “I’m not trying to be insensitive but you need to move on with your life.”

Unless she’d been through what I’d been through, she had no right to push me. “I will—in time. Can we stop doing these blind dates now?”

“I guess so. Since they’re a waste of time anyway…”

“I need to get back to packing.” I just wanted an excuse for her to leave. These conversations always left me dead inside.

“How long will you be gone?”

“A few days.”

“Where are you staying?”

“At Kyle’s place.”

“Whoa, what?” Her temper flared up out of nowhere.

“I’m staying at his beach house while he stays with his mom.” Like I’d ever stay in the same house with a guy I barely knew. I’d drive home before I had to resort to that.

Her anger deflated like a balloon. “You had me worried for a second.”

“You know me better than that, Florence.”

***

Kyle pulled up in a sleek sports car. It was charcoal gray with a roaring engine to boot. I didn’t know much about cars, and I didn’t have a clue what kind this one was.

But it was nice.

He got out of the car wearing aviator sunglasses. A grin stretched his lips as he walked around the back to meet me on the sidewalk. “Ready?”

“Yeah. I just hope my suitcase will fit.” I could barely carry it down to the sidewalk because it was so heavy. It was eighty inches long so I wasn’t sure if it would fit in the trunk.

“It will.” He popped the trunk then picked up the suitcase like it weighed nothing. “I’ve put bodies back here before.”

My blood ran cold.

He shoved the suitcase inside then closed the back. “Kidding, sweetheart.”

“Oh…” I tried to laugh it off like I knew it was a joke.

He opened the passenger door for me. “Don’t worry, I’m not a criminal. And I’m a great driver. You’re in safe hands.” He pulled up his sunglasses and rested them on his head so I could see his face. His blue eyes were bright and vibrant, the pretty kind girls always loved.

“Good to know.” I ducked then got into the car. Once I was inside I felt the cold leather under my skin. The engine was loud, even from inside. The dashboard was sleek and pristine. It even smelled new.

Kyle got into the driver’s seat and fastened his seat belt. “You have everything?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” He pulled into traffic and made his way out of the city.

***

Once we left the bridge we drove along the coastline. He rolled down his window and let the fresh air into the car. Driving his fancy car gave him obvious satisfaction.

Boys with their toys.

“Thanks for coming along.”

“No problem.” Going to the beach wasn’t the worst way to spend my day. It was nice to be outside rather than cooped up in my office, making blueprints for the engineers. Now I could breathe the fresh air.

“How long have you been running your office?”

“A few years,” I answered. “I know it’s small but if I work from home I won’t work at all.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I get that.”

I already knew a lot about him from Florence. She gushed about him left and right—before he dumped her. “So, you run a law firm?”

“Yeah, I’m the senior partner.”

It was a big accomplishment for a thirty-year-old. “That’s impressive.”

“It’s not as impressive as it sounds. My dad opened it thirty years ago. When he passed away, I took over.”

“Oh…I’m sorry.” Running his father’s legacy must make him happy and sad at the same time.

“I always knew I would take it over someday, but I didn’t expect to do that so soon.” He drove with one hand on the wheel while the other rested on the gearshift. The coastline was in the background, and Kyle spent just as much time looking at me as he did looking at the road. “It’s an honor to work for his firm because we have a lot of great lawyers. I love being a part of it.”

“Do you like being a lawyer?” It seemed more complicated than regular jobs. When they left the courtroom, did they really clock out? Or did they go home and think about everything that happened that day? Did they think about the clients they let down?

“There’s nothing else I’d rather do. But there are days when I hate it—like any other job.”

I didn’t hate my job at all. In fact, I adored it. To me, it was fun.

“It can be stressful taking on a case. And when you lose a case you really care about, it haunts you.”

“I can imagine.”

“I work with criminal cases a lot, like homicide, child abuse, sexual assault, rape, stuff like that…it can be heartbreaking sometimes.”

I quickly looked away and stared out the passenger window, not wanting him to catch a glimpse of my face. There was a knot in my throat so I swallowed it, but it was painful all the way down.

“I haven’t lost a case myself, but I know people who have. It really eats them away.” The radio was on in the background so he turned it off altogether. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just looking at the scenery.”

“Enough about me,” he said. “When did you know you wanted to be an architect?”

I remembered the exact moment. “Did you play with Legos as a kid?”

“Psh. I still play with Legos.” The same beautiful grin was on his face, making him look even more handsome.

“Well, I used to play with those a lot as a child. I would build towers, castles, and buildings…I knew then that I wanted to do it forever.”

“That’s cute.”

I turned back to him, my eyebrow raised.

“I’m picturing you as a little girl sitting on the floor playing with Legos…I’m sure it was cute.”

I smiled before I looked away.

He drummed his fingers gently on the wheel as he cruised down the highway. There were no other cars in sight, and the road seemed to be paved just for us. “So…are you not seeing Will anymore?”

I suspected this would come up eventually. “I wasn’t planning on it.” They were friends, so hopefully Kyle would pass on the message if Will wanted to ask me out again.

“On our second date you mentioned you didn’t like the dating scene…any particular reason why?”

I didn’t want to be interrogated about it, but I couldn’t hold it against him for asking. After all, I did divulge that information to begin with. “I prefer to be alone.” I wasn’t going to tell him the truth. It was one of those secrets you took to the grave.

His tone darkened, becoming serious. “No one likes to be alone…”

“Well, I do.” Being alone was better than trying to move on with my life. It was just too painful. The times I tried, it just blew up in my face. Remaining detached and isolated was my only solution—and it worked for me.

Kyle didn’t press me further on the topic. Somehow, he understood the conversation was no longer welcome. “I had a really painful break up about a year ago. It wasn’t pretty.”

I turned his way, intrigued.

“We were dating for a few months then she went back to her ex. Then a few months later we started dating again. This time I thought it was the end of the story. I thought we were going to be together forever. Just before I proposed she left me again…for her ex.” He had the strength to chuckle. “Jokes on me, right?”

“I’m sorry that happened to you.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “I was devastated in the beginning but with every passing month it got easier. And then six months later I was over it. She’s married and pregnant, and I’m happy for her.”

“You’re a good man.” Most people would be bitter about it forever.

“And you know what they say about the good guys, right? They finish last.”

***

“I know it’s not much to look at, but this is it.” He walked across the sand in his jeans and t-shirt. The wind had picked up slightly and ran through his hair. His vans were getting covered in sand but he didn’t seem to mind. “Beach house number two will go right here.”

It was a nice piece of land. The great thing about it was the fact it was isolated. There were no other homes around. Privacy was extremely valuable when it came to private homes. “Where is your property line?”

Kyle pointed in the distance. “Way out there…” Then he turned around and pointed in the other direction. “Way out there…”

So he owned a mile of the beach. His family must be even wealthier than I imagined.

“So, we have plenty of room.”

“So, you don’t want a beach house. You’re looking for a mansion.”

“Uh, not really,” he said. “I want something big enough for a family of four.”

“Why four?”

“My wife and two kids. They’ll be living with me. Well…at least I hope they will.” He chuckled while he watched me, seeing every expression I made. “Maybe a pool and a deck. But nothing too fancy.”

I walked up and down the sand and tried to picture what I might design for him. He seemed like a man with simple tastes and pleasures. He would be easy to please unlike some of the diva clients I had.

When I moved across the sand he watched me the entire time, keeping his gaze on me no matter where I went. I pulled out my notebook and made a few notes, taking down measurements and ground structure. It took me nearly thirty minutes to complete, wanting to gather as much information as possible while I was there. When I was finished the sun was beginning to set.

“Pooped out?” Kyle asked.

“Something like that.” I tucked my pen between the pages and closed the notebook. “I have a few ideas you might like.”

“Perfect.”

***

He pulled into the gate of his beach house and parked in the roundabout in front of the house. It was the average size of a home, but beautiful in its design. It had a distinct beach feel to it, something I noticed in his personality as well.