The young man’s voice trailed away as his boss shot him a glare, but Jayden chuckled. “That’s Stella, alright. When was she here?”
Dave got a jerky nod from his boss and quickly went to sit behind his computer. Jayden took the seat before the desk and the manager went to hover behind his employee.
“Looks like it was two weeks ago. Wouldn’t settle for anything but a Range Rover Sport in red. We had to order it in as we only had white and black on the premises.”
Jayden smiled again and felt a renewed pang of worry. “Did she come to collect the car herself?”
Dave shook his head. “No. She signed this transfer order the same day and we delivered it into the hands of that tow company.”
Jayden nodded. He had assumed as much, seeing as the car had held no lingering trace of her perfume that always pervaded everything. “Thank you for your help.”
“Wh… that’s it?” asked the manager, looking thoroughly confused. “Did the car arrive with you alright? Was there any damage?”
Jayden looked the man up and down. “No, everything was in perfect order. I’m sorry for dragging you out of your office for something that clearly Dave was more than able to handle.”
The manager pasted on another painful-looking grin and took his leave. Jayden nodded to Dave and started to head out. Just as he was about to leave the building, Jayden turned and appraised the man. “You know, if you ever get sick of a job like this or a boss like him, I might be able to use someone like you.”
Dave tilted his head to the side, strawberry-blond hair flopping into his green-blue eyes. “Like me?”
Jay smiled. “Sure. You remembered her simply from her name, in enough detail to not be mistaken, and all that after two weeks.”
“What do you do?” Dave asked, looking at his jeans, partially unbuttoned shirt, and combat boots askance.
Jay flashed him an arrogant grin and handed him a card. “You will find out.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Jayden parked his car at the hotel and let out a long breath. He would have been back earlier if not for Dave wanting to ask more questions about a job with him. All in all, the man seemed to have a keen mind and the kind of servile attitude that would make him easy for most people to forget, perfect for a right-hand man. Dave had said he needed a few days to think about it, but would call him with his answer soon. He stepped from the car and went around to the trunk to retrieve his parcels.
“Jay!”
Jay looked up as Hector came from the direction of the hotel. The anger on his face was obvious, even in the patchy light of the street lamps.
“What have I done now?” Jay sighed.
Hector stopped in front of him, but the anger contorting his face didn’t reach his eyes. Those, though dark and tight, held more worry than anger.
“Where the hell have you been?” he spat.
“I went to Shreveport,” Jay answered, perplexed. “I wasn’t aware that I had to let you know where I was going.”
“You…” said Hector, pointing a finger at him and seeming unable to find a suitable way to finish his thought.
Jay watched the worry in his eyes turn to relief as they swept over him, but it only seemed to worsen the anger tightening his lips.
Silence fell between them, and Jay tried to pull his head out of what his next moves in finding Stella were.
“Do you know that I have been scouring this town from top to bottom for you, hoping not to stumble across your dead body?”
“Ah,” Jay nodded understandingly. A small smile curled his lips, but he hid it quickly as Hector looked up to catch his expression. “Sorry for causing you to worry and work late. You’d better get home before your missus comes after me,” he added with a light chuckle.
Piers shook his head. “Why did you go to Shreveport?”
Jay shrugged and waved a hand toward the packets in his trunk. “I went to find out when Stella bought me my car. I also needed clothes and such. I had Stella store mine, but without her, I have no hope of getting them back.”
Hector sighed. “She probably carted them all off to Washington so you can follow her.”
Jay uttered a surprised chuckle.
“What?”
“That’s just surprisingly observant of you, Detective Piers,” he replied in a voice of mock solemnity.
Hector’s face darkened again, but he only grated out a, “Don’t move,” before stalking off a short way down the street.
Jay tilted his head to the side. He then made out the outline of Hector’s patrol car and felt his blood respond, feeling a rush of hope that Hector was fetching the information he had asked for.
He watched him return with a cardboard folder in his hand and felt a renewed wave of hope that it wasn’t too thin. Hector had clearly done as asked.
“Here. Natalie and I worked on that for most of yesterday. It is everything we could think of,” he said, handing over the file and talking while Jay flipped hastily through the pages.
“Thank you,” he looked up and smiled, for once no trace of humor in his tone.
Hector huffed a small laugh. “It’s the least I can do. ” He ran a hand over his close-cropped hair and sighed. “And, it is the only thing I can do.”
Jay tucked the file under his arm and decided that he was unlikely to get a better opening than the one just provided.
“Actually, there’s one other thing you can do for me, for her.”
Hector met his eyes in question, and Jay decided to
