The P.I. Contest Read online

  “All of the above. Oh, and plus I found out Conner was screwing a woman in Records.”

  “What?”

  “It’s true. Our engagement is over. I’ve returned the ring, kicked him out and I’m looking for a fresh start. And I mean a totally fresh start.”

  “Oh, Kate, I’m so sorry to hear that. What a flipping jerk, though.”

  “Yeah. I busted him right at the office, in front of all his buddies.”

  Lindsay whooped. “Serves him right.”

  “And then I told Rock I was quitting.”

  “Girl, I like your style. And you definitely called at the right time. Nathan and I are drowning in work. If we don’t find someone soon, our sex life is going to be on permanent hold.”

  “That sounds desperate. So Nathan’s a full-fledged partner now, is he?”

  “I’ve even had new signs and business cards printed with Fox & Fisher. It’s going well, Kate. Really well.”

  “I’m glad. You both deserve to be happy.” Lindsay and Nathan took very different approaches to their jobs. Lindsay was all about gut-feel and action, whereas Nathan preferred methodical research and careful planning. Their skill sets were complementary, and Kate liked them both very much. More than that, she respected them and trusted them.

  “Kate, I’m sorry for what you’ve been through. But I’ve always felt you’d be a perfect fit to work with Nathan and me.”

  Kate had the same feeling. “So when do I start?”

  “I’d like to say tomorrow, but I have a partner now. I should probably arrange a meeting with you, me and Nathan. I’ll call you later to set up a time.”

  JAY SAVAGE FINISHED HIS set of twelve reps, then replaced the weights on the rack. He was glad his buddy Nathan Fisher had talked him into going to the gym tonight.

  He hadn’t worked out once since his sister died and the physical release was just what he needed.

  “Want to grab a beer after we’ve showered?” Nathan asked as they completed a slow lap around the track to cool off.

  Jay checked the time. He had an hour before Eric’s school night curfew of ten o’clock. “Okay, but it has to be quick.”

  They both had damp hair when they perched on bar stools fifteen minutes later. Always health conscious, Nathan asked for a Coors light, but Jay ordered a Guinness, figuring his workout justified the extra calories.

  “So—how are you doing?” Nathan asked.

  He’d attended Tracy’s funeral a month ago and he’d called pretty much every week since then to check in. Jay appreciated his friend’s concern, but he couldn’t talk about what Tracy’s death meant to him, the deep remorse he felt and the guilt.

  “I’m doing okay, but I’m worried about Eric. Hell, even before his mother died I was concerned about him.” At fourteen, Eric was at a critical age. Two years ago, he’d been a cheerful kid, eager to please. Now he was silent and moody, and Jay feared he was on the verge of making some very poor choices.

  Just like Tracy had when she was his age.

  “He must miss his mother,” Nathan said.

  “I’m sure he does, but he doesn’t talk about her. I think he resents having to live with me.” But there was no one else, so neither one of them had a choice in the matter.

  “Maybe he needs time to adjust.”

  “Yeah. We both do.” Eric had been furious with him when he’d imposed a curfew, but so far he was honoring it. Jay didn’t think he was doing quite as well about school. He was pretty sure Eric had been cutting classes. He had an appointment set up this week with his homeroom teacher to see if he was right.

  “He’s lucky he has you.”

  Jay nodded, but in truth he wasn’t so sure about that. He’d practically raised his sister on his own, and look how she’d turned out. He didn’t want to screw up with his nephew, too.

  “Have you decided what you’re going to do about work?”

  Jay sighed. “My leave is over this week. I’m afraid I’m going to have to resign.”

  “Jeez, man, I’m sorry.”

  Nathan knew how much he loved flying. But when you worked as a commercial pilot, you had to be prepared to be away from home for three- or four-day stretches of time. With no backup at home for Eric, he just couldn’t do that.

  “Eric’s too young to be alone overnight. And I can’t afford live-in help.” Jay tried to put a positive spin on the situation. “In a couple of years, when Eric’s older, I’ll go back.”

  “What are you going to do in the meantime?”

  Jay shrugged. “Good question.”

  “We’re looking for someone at the agency,” Nathan said casually.

  “Yeah?”

  “Remember that summer we worked for Power Investigations?”

  Jay laughed. “I haven’t thought about that in years.”

  “We were staked out in that van, and it was so bloody cold.”

  “I was determined to make us coffee with that old propane stove—”

  “And the curtains caught fire. Remember how that gray-haired guy came running from his garage with a garden hose?”

  “Yeah, in his underwear. And his wife yelling at him from the front door…”

  They were both laughing too much to continue with the story. Their cover had been so blown that night. Plus, the interior of the van had been badly damaged. For some reason Power hadn’t fired them, though.

  Jay wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “Yeah, that was some job, all right.”

  “We raked in a pile of dough that summer.”

  “True.” Enough money that they’d both been able to enroll in college that fall. Nathan to study criminology and Jay aviation flight training.

  The two men drank their beers quietly for a moment. Finally Jay said, “You really have an opening?”

  “You bet. Lindsay and I have been turning away clients lately because we just can’t handle any more.”

  “You think Lindsay would agree to hire me even though I have no police training?”

  “All that’s really necessary for this job is the ability to think fast on your feet. You should see some of the characters we’ve interviewed for the position. If you’re interested, come to the office and we’ll talk. How about tomorrow at ten?”

  Jay finished his beer. He couldn’t believe how much better he felt now than when he’d left to meet Nathan two hours ago. The workout, the laughter, the friendship…he’d needed them all.

  And now, on top of all that, Nathan was offering him a job. A job that might just be the perfect thing.

  “I’m interested.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  JAY SAVAGE WAS INFINITELY more comfortable traveling above the ground than below it. As the subway car swayed to the right, his body swayed left, knocking his legs into the knees of the seated lady beside him. She glared.

  “Sorry.” He’d given up his place for the old gal. Some gratitude.

  He glanced at his nephew beside him. Eric moved with the rhythm of the train, as if they were part of the same entity—much like a cowboy on a horse. He waited for Eric to acknowledge his presence, but Eric’s gaze was unmoving and unseeing.

  Presumably his attention was all on the music playing on his iPod. The wires of his headphones led from his backpack and disappeared under the black wool of the hat he wore pulled over his embarrassing blond curls. At least Jay assumed Eric found those curls embarrassing, since he wore his hat almost all the time.

  The train stopped at Cathedral Parkway, and as Eric swung forward, Jay tapped his shoulder. “Have a good day at school.”

  Eric just ignored him, disappearing amid a herd of other middle-school-aged kids. Jay waited for the rush to end before slipping out and catching the next train headed south.

  He didn’t know why he bothered to ride the subway with Eric every morning. His nephew never talked to him. He supposed he just wanted to make sure he really was going to school. When Tracy was fourteen she’d skipped more days of school than she’d actually attended. He didn’t wa
nt her son making the same mistake.

  Jay exited the subway at the stop for the Museum of Natural History. The offices of Fox & Fisher were just a few blocks west. He was looking forward to finding out more about this job Nathan had promised him. He’d been dreading finding a new career, but this one sounded like it could be interesting, and he’d be glad to be working with Nathan, whom he both liked and respected.

  And though the agency was small, with only two partners, just this September one of their cases had made the front page of the Daily News. So they were doing good work. Important work.

  When Jay made his way up to ground level, he was greeted with a gray sky. Two-day-old snow was now sludge in the gutters. March wasn’t the city’s prettiest month, but he supposed April would be here before he knew it.

  February had certainly passed quickly enough. Looking back now, the days were a blur of sadness and grief and endless, unhappy chores. He’d had to sublet Tracy’s apartment, sell her furniture and settle her financial affairs. Then there’d been the business of moving Eric to his apartment and trying to make the kid feel at home.

  Jay crossed the street and hurried along West Seventy-ninth Street until he came to the old brownstone where Fox & Fisher was located. A half flight of stairs led to the main door and a small vestibule with mailboxes and a door leading off to a hallway and more stairs.

  Nathan went up another story and found yet another hallway. The door on the right had a new copper nameplate etched with The Fox & Fisher Detective Agency.

  He took a deep breath, as if he was about to plunge into a cold lake, then opened the door.

  A pretty brunette sat behind a modern, slate-gray desk. She smiled, waved him inside, then continued with the conversation she was having on the phone.

  He glanced around. The all-business, ultramodern decor was softened by the presence of lots of green, healthy plants. An inviting array of magazines were spread out on a coffee table near a sofa and two armchairs. There was a bowl of jelly beans there, too.

  Jay sat in one of the chairs—made of molded metal, yet surprisingly comfortable—and reached for the candies.

  He looked up when the door opened again—this time admitting a tall woman about his age, dressed in a cream-colored trench coat. From this angle, all he could see was long, reddish-blond hair and a thin, elegant body.

  With businesslike strides, she approached the receptionist and placed a hand on her desk.

  “I’m here to see Lindsay Fox.”

  Her voice was deep and sexy and he gave the woman a second glance. If this was an example of the kind of clients they had at Fox & Fisher, then he was all in.

  The receptionist—Nadine Kimble, according to the nameplate he’d just noticed beside a small flowering plant—held up a hand for the woman to wait, then finally ended her call with a timid promise to phone back at the first chance. She set down the phone, then said, “I’ll call Lindsay for you, but would you please wait a minute? The gentleman was here first.”

  The redhead turned to face him, then. “Sorry. I didn’t see you.” Her gaze swept over him with almost professional efficiency.

  He was struck by how pretty she was. She reminded him, superficially, of Nicole Kidman, except that her skin wasn’t pale porcelain like the actor’s but flooded with freckles. The cute splotches of pigment only made her look more beautiful.

  “Mr. Savage?”

  He blinked as he realized the receptionist was trying to get his attention. “Yes.”

  “Nathan is waiting for you. I’m sorry I didn’t greet you when you came in, but I was talking to my mother and if I’d interrupted her, well, let’s just say it’s never a good idea.”

  He immediately decided he loved this receptionist.

  “Just take that door to the left, Mr. Savage. And good luck.”

  “HE LOOKS LIKE a football player,” Kate said. She ignored the chair that Lindsay had invited her to sit in and went, instead, to check out the view from the window, which happened to be of a brick wall.

  “Quarterback or lineman?”

  “What?” Kate supposed the view didn’t matter. She wouldn’t be in the office much, anyway. She turned back to survey the decor, which she approved of. Modern, calming and most of all…practical. When it came to work, she didn’t like to waste time and that was the message behind all this functional metal and glass furniture.

  “Do you think Jay Savage looks like a quarterback or a lineman?”

  Lindsay seemed amused. Kate was not. She hadn’t expected there would be competition for this job. When she’d seen that man in the waiting room, she’d assumed he must be a client.

  A very distinguished-looking client, with magnetic blue eyes and a commanding presence. “How should I know? He’s big, all right. He’d never blend into a crowd on surveillance. A good investigator needs to blend in.”

  Lindsay didn’t look convinced. “You’re quite a bit taller than average, too, you know. And redheads always stand out in a crowd.”

  Kate was about to argue that she knew how to appear shorter, but realized how ridiculous that would sound. The truth was, she felt nervous.

  Until ten minutes ago, she’d assumed the job was hers for the asking, that this “interview” was simply a formality. Just her luck that Nathan had offered the job to his buddy the same night she’d contacted Lindsay.

  If only she’d phoned Lindsay sooner.

  Jay Savage may not have her qualifications, but he wasn’t the sort of man you could easily write off. He had an air of confidence and competence about him. He seemed like someone who was used to being in a situation of authority. A man who could do pretty much anything he put his mind to.

  “You say he’s a pilot? Is he even qualified for this job?”

  “Well, he’s a friend of Nathan’s, and Nathan promised him an interview before I found out you were available, so we’re kind of stuck having to consider him for the position.” Lindsay passed her a file of case reports.

  Kate leafed through them, the printed words a blur. “What’s this?”

  “I wanted to give you a flavor of the kind of work we do here at Fox & Fisher.”

  “I’ve read about two of your cases in the paper,” Kate reminded her. In one instance, Lindsay had managed to locate a child rapist from the FBI’s most wanted list. In the other, more recent case, she and Nathan had prevented a big-time property developer from murdering his wife. “Pretty exciting stuff.”

  “Believe me, those cases aren’t typical of our usual clientele. You won’t need to carry a gun—neither Nathan nor I do. The beauty of this job, though, is that unlike the police department, we don’t have to take every case that comes our way. We can pick and choose.”

  “Tell me more.”

  “Why don’t I just go through our list of open cases? Our work load right now is pretty typical.” Lindsay clicked on a file on her computer, then twisted the screen so Kate could see, too. The jobs were mostly what Kate had expected. Locating missing persons, insurance fraud, background checks.

  “You can set your own hours,” Lindsay said, adding with a grin, “I can’t remember the last time I had to work the midnight shift. Plus, you’ll never see a doughnut in our office. Multigrain bagels with light cream cheese is Nathan’s idea of a treat.” She wrinkled her nose.

  Kate laughed. “Where do I sign?”

  “Start with this.” Lindsay handed her a sheet of paper on a clipboard with a pen. “It’s a standard job application. Fill it out, then we’ll meet with Nathan and Jay in the boardroom.”

  “Nathan and Jay?”

  “We decided we’d have a roundtable discussion. It was my idea. I figured you’d really shine if Nathan had a chance to compare you directly to Jay.”

  Kate wasn’t so sure, but she couldn’t admit to being fazed. “Fine. If that’s what you want.”

  “We won’t be making our final decision until later.” Lindsay raked her fingers through her straight blond hair. “And don’t worry. Nathan’s a reasonable
man…as you well know. In the end, he’ll be forced to concede that you are far more qualified than his friend.”

  That made sense, Kate decided. She could see how Nathan was obligated to at least give Jay Savage a hearing. She sat down and began filling in the empty spaces, while Lindsay resumed work at her keyboard.

  When she had the form completed, Kate passed it back to Lindsay.

  Lindsay scanned it quickly. “Great. I’ll call Nathan and let him know we’re ready.”

  While Lindsay was on the phone, Kate popped a throat lozenge. Over the past couple of days she’d developed a tickle in her throat and she hoped she wasn’t coming down with a cold. But given all she’d been through lately, she wouldn’t be surprised if her immune system had quit on her.

  “We’re ready. You, too? Good.” Lindsay disconnected the call, then stood. “Let’s go get ’em, Kate.”

  “You bet.” Kate held her head high as she followed Lindsay from her office to a room down the hall. They settled into chairs and Kate took quick stock of her surroundings. Like the rest of the office, the conference room was modern, minimalistic and monotone. On the wall were some odd-looking black-and-white photographs. After a few seconds, Kate realized they were close-ups of paper clips.

  A moment later Nathan and Jay entered the room. Kate had hoped to discover that Jay’s physical presence wasn’t as impressive as she’d thought, but to her dismay, she felt the same jolt at seeing him the second time.

  She tried to focus on Nathan, who had a warm, boy-next-door appeal that was much easier to handle. Though he looked to be as fit and agile as ever, his true strength lay in his brilliant mind. His new glasses only added to his charm.

  Nadine appeared briefly to offer a choice of beverages. Kate opted for water, and once everyone had been served Nadine returned to the front desk, closing the door to give them privacy.

  “So,” Lindsay began. “Thank you, Kate, and Jay, for coming to talk with us today. I wish we could offer both of you a job, but unfortunately that isn’t economically feasible right now.”