Chapter 14
MACK
Layne is so utterly peaceful when she's sleeping. Her default state appears to be slightly tense. Like she's accustomed to being nervous. I could see that being the case for a young lady with no family, no backup, on her own in the world.
Well, not anymore.
I slip out of bed, shower quickly, and sneak out silently. It's not until I’ve exited the elevator and am walking across the marble floor of the lobby, a large envelope in my hand, that I realize I forgot to leave a note. I send a text, hoping her phone is on silent.
Went to deal with Ron. Back soon.
The second my thumb hits send, I realize I'm an idiot. I start typing again.
Good morning, baby. I left quietly so that you could sleep in. I'll be back soon – just went to deal with Ron. Please ignore my first text, I'm just waking up.
Hopefully Layne will understand that it's going to take some time for me to change my communication style, especially before coffee.
Ron is alone in the café, thank goodness. He waves the server over and orders me a coffee as soon as I sit down. I slide the large envelope across the table to him. "About twenty cards were taken from the basket on the gift table last night. We found the culprit, and recovered them all."
Ron's coffee mug freezes halfway to his mouth. "You caught them?"
"Yes. It was Lenore. Neil had no idea. I had them leave, and he's going to search the house for cards from previous family events." I wait for the server to pass by before adding, “Layne was the one who figured it out. She cornered Lenore in the ladies room, to keep things quiet.”
Ron takes another sip of coffee, then sets his mug down. "Why didn't you tell me last night?"
"You were enjoying the night and dancing with your wife. I didn’t want to interrupt. Neil seems like a good guy. I got his number, and I think that therapy for his wife might be the best course of action, unless you really want to press charges."
"Well, damn." He chuckles. "This is exactly what I was testing. Most agencies are thrilled to show off when they make a bust," he says. "Their ego comes first. You just proved that privacy and the client are most important for you."
"Of course. I didn’t want to cause drama on your daughter's wedding day."
"Any other agency would have paraded Lenore through the room and humiliated her."
My head shakes. "Nah. Layne saw her stealing cookies. It seemed more like a compulsion than anything."
"You seem quite close to that woman." His eyebrow raises. "Are you actually together?"
"How about you ask me that question again in a couple of weeks?"
"Fair enough." He extends his hand. "Congratulations. The Barrow Agency is hired. I'll follow up on Tuesday."
"Thank you, sir. Appreciate it."
I finish my coffee, then return to the room. I can hear Layne in the shower.
I don’t know why I'm upset that she didn't respond to my text as soon as she woke up.
I hope that she doesn't think I would ever go back to my old, cold ways. I hope that she realizes that everything is different now.