5. Maxon
The Grant estate is a suffocating space. With its sprawling acres of gardens, grasslands, and a speckling of trees, it really shouldn’t be. Yet here I stand alongside the pond struggling to breathe.
My chest is tight due to the most recent fight with my father. I couldn’t even say what it was about exactly, words like “disappointment” and “failure” were thrown from his side while I retaliated with words like “cheater” and “abandoned.” It was an old, familiar fight, a fight that won’t even be acknowledged in the footnotes of his memoire.
I skip a pebble into the pond, causing ripples against the otherwise still water.
Devon waits off a little ways, letting me cool off from the argument before bombarding me with my work again. He deserves another raise after witnessing that madness, I knew being my personal assistant wasn’t something that was easy. I wasn’t Mrs. Bennett, who gracefully dealt with things and handled her staff with a motherly elegance.
No, I was far more like a storm that rattled and shook everyone I surrounded myself with, threatening to tear them down just because I could.
I send another pebble bouncing across the water’s smooth surface. “Did you call Ms. Knox’s bank?” I ask, knowing full well Devon is standing at the ready for when I finally tap back into my reality.
“Yes sir, they said that the checks were good, they cashed at a Southampton branch by a ‘S. Duggery.’”
That was Paige’s landlord. “And the bank that holds the loan?”
“They have not received a payment in over six months sir.”
I skip another rock, making a displeased grunt when it hits the water and sinks instantly. “Any details on this Ms. Duggery?”
“Based on her social media accounts, she’s a Buffalo native. Bought the condo ten or so years ago. Married a cellular communications executive about five years. No kids. A dog named Banjo and a cat named… Edward.” He shakes his head as I look for another rock to throw. “I do not understand the need to name cats with human names.”
I chuckle. “Have you reached out?”
“No sir, I was waiting for your say so.”
I nod. “I’d like to show Ms. Knox this information before we continue forward. Get a better understanding of how she met Mrs. Duggery and their relationship.”
Devon nods. “Sir, may I be bold for a moment?”
Bending down I pick up a flat, round rock the size of my palm and I run my finger over its curves before casting my assistant a questioning look. “Go ahead.”
“I vaguely understand why you offered to look into this case, but what I’m questioning is why you’re delving into it so deeply?”
I focus on the rock in my hand, the grey colored stone reminding me of the woman who forced herself past my assistant earlier this week to bang on my door and the steely look in her eyes. “I always pour myself into my work Devon.” I say. “You know that.”
He nods solemnly. “Yes, but this isn’t your specialty. Not to mention wholly underneath you. Your typical cases deal with millions of dollars. This one… It’s hardly worth your stationary.”
A chuckle escapes me.
“I just don’t understand why you don’t pass it on to one of the new graduates, they need things to pass the time. Or one of the interns for that matter. Why are you so invested in it?”
I cut a glance at him before dropping it back down to the stone that I’ve yet to throw, reluctant to part with the thing that so closely resembles her eyes. “Because it’s Paige.” I say simply.
There’s a second of silence. “That girl in the photos back in LA. That’s her?”
A smile cracks across my lips at the mention of my home on the west coast. “A long time ago, yes. That’s Paige.”
Devon doesn’t respond instantly, which is unusual for him when it comes to my dating life. “And your intention with taking this case is to become her knight in shining armor?”
“No.” I say. “I gave that title up a long time ago.”
I skip the rock and watch as it patters across the pond’s surface leaving behind perfect ringlets as it runs away from me.
Just like she did.