Chapter Ten
Luka
She looked so sad standing in her window looking down at me.
It brings back the theory my mom had earlier today, that she had her heart broken at some point.
My investigator also dug up the fact my little elf was in school right up until a month or so ago.
He couldn’t find out what made her stop going or why she didn’t finish the year out.
She was staying in a dorm before she moved to the crappy apartment she moved into.
The apartment I’ve had a security detail out front of for the past two nights now.
When she told me she was worried about getting home so late at night because it wasn’t the safest place, I didn’t even hesitate to put a team together to watch over my little elf, so I knew she was safe.
There are two women and one man watching my girl at all times except when she’s with me of course.
She was late tonight and when I asked Sarah about it, she said she didn’t come out of the Elf Station, or whatever the hell they call it, for an hour or more and when she came out, she looked troubled.
I wish I could just go to her and ask her what is bothering her.
I wish I could make it all better for her.
That is one of the reasons I canceled on her.
After I leave from watching her tonight, I am going straight to her hometown.
I have her father’s address, which is where she lived up until the time she moved into the dorm room.
I drive all night and make it to the house a little after the sun comes up. When I knock on the door a tall brunette answers and looks me up and down.
“Can I help you?”
“Yeah, I was wondering if Caleb Walsh was home?”
“That depends. What do you want with him?” I don't like this woman.
“I have a business deal to discuss with him. Is he home or not?”
She licks her lips, and I fight the urge to snarl at her. “Caleb, someone is here to see you?”
She shouts it so loud I’m certain the neighbors heard. I hear movement in the background, but take a step back when she yells again.
“Caleb! Oh, there you are. This man says he’s here to talk to you about something or other.”
“Larry Snow?” I nod, and he takes my hand in a friendly shake. “Come on in. We’ll go to the back and get started.”
Larry Snow is a name I go by when I want to do undercover work of my own, usually when I try to buy or sell businesses but I’ve also been known to use it so I don’t have to tell anyone where I’m at.
It’s much easier to get a full night’s sleep when you are Larry Snow rather than Luka Frost, someone everyone wants something from.
But not my little elf. She doesn’t want anything from me. And ironically, I want to give her everything.
As I walk through the house, I look for pictures or something with Lumi in it but there’s only pictures of Caleb and his wife. “You have a lovely home.”
“Thank you.” I look over at the wife who has taken it upon herself to come with us into his back office. “I decorated it myself.”
“Ah.” I give her a lukewarm smile as she goes to sit on the arm of Caleb’s chair while we speak. I lied. The whole place looks like something vile vomited in it and it says a lot that she takes credit for it.
I’ve never been one of those men who believed women have no place in business.
My mom and my sister are very involved in my company, and I often go to them if I have a large problem I need advice on.
This woman, however, doesn’t seem to have anything to offer other than being Caleb’s window dressing.
She asks no questions, offers no insights and when I catch her out of the corner of my eyes, she’s twirling her hair and looking bored.
Maybe Caleb thinks she’s good luck. If his finances are anything to go on, he is wrong.
His business is about to go under, and he’s over-extended himself.
When I offered to meet him to buy into his business, he was more than happy to meet with me.
“So, you see, the company makes a tidy profit.”
Maybe two years ago it did. “Indeed.”
He offers me a drink and has her go get lemonade when I turn down the alcohol.
“Your wife is pretty young.” I see him tense up. “She can’t be much older than my own wife.”
This puts him at ease again and he gives me a big chuckle. “Yes, she’s pretty amazing, isn’t she. Fifteen year age difference between us.”
And if that’s true, I’d eat the fucking desk between us. Me and Lumi are probably closer to that fifteen-year age gap more so than he is with his wife.
“Where did the two of you meet?”
This has him stiffening up again. He suddenly won’t meet my eyes anymore and deceit drips from him. What is this guy hiding?
“My wife and I met while picking out Christmas trees.” I give him half-truths to make him more comfortable.
“My daughter introduced us.”
“You have a daughter?” I fake my surprise and bide my time.
“Yes. My wife roomed with her for a little while in college.” Interesting.
“My wife paused college to have our baby.”
“Good man! I’m hoping me and Kristy will have one soon.” What about the one you already have, you old fool?
“You must be very grateful to her.”
“Kristy? Yes, I am.” He can not be this stupid, can he?
“No, your daughter. For introducing you two.”
“Lumi…is no longer with us.”
I fight down the growl that wells up in my chest.
“She’s passed?”
His wife walks in with a tray and a fake ass smile. “Who passed?”
“Lumi.”
The woman’s smile melts off her face, and her eyes grow cold.
“Yes, she is dead and gone. And we don’t talk about her anymore.”
What a lying bitch!
“It makes my husband very sad.”
My ass. The only person it seems to make sad is her. She gives me a pinched smile and offers me a glass of lemonade.
“Freshly squeezed. Just for you.”
Right. If this is ‘freshly squeezed’, I’m an Olympic swimmer…and I can’t fucking swim.
“How did this topic come up in the first place?”
“Mr. Snow has a wife around the same age as you. He met her Christmas tree shopping. They have a baby now.”
As fast as Caleb is talking, it seems like his wife is more upset about Lumi than he is. The whole thing is very weird and off slightly. Why would they tell me Lumi is dead? Why are there no pictures of her? Why the obsession with babies? Something is very wrong in my little elf’s world.
“If you’ll excuse me, I have another appointment I’m supposed to be at in an hour on the other side of town. I’ll take these numbers with me and give them to my accountant.”
Both of them stand to walk me out, giving me fake smiles that look more like grimaces. My next stop is to find someone else who knows something about this and someone who has some insight into my Lumi. No way am I taking them at their word when everything they say is a fucking lie.