"I’ll call our seamstress and she can pin the hem into place, then leave it with us and you can pick it up next week."

  Behind me, my mother began to sob.

  "What's wrong, Mom?" I asked, half turning.

  "I can't believe you're getting married!"

  "I told you someone would marry her," said Lily.

  "You did, honey, you did," sobbed Mom as she patted Lily's knee with one hand and squeezed Victoria with the other. "I just never really believed it. I thought I might have to pay someone!"

  I pulled a face. "Mom, I can hear you!"

  "And your father... he was so sure you would marry a police officer," Mom wailed but I wondered if she were relieved or disappointed.

  "Solomon is so much more than that," said Lily. "He's probably got a uniform for everything. Does he, Lexi, does he?" Silence dropped over the room as all eyes turned to me. I was sure not a single person breathed as they considered all the uniform wearing options Solomon could possibly wear.

  "He's wearing a suit to the wedding," I said to collective sighs of disappointment.

  "Shame he isn't going in his commando suit," snickered Lily.

  "What's a commando suit?" asked Mom. "Is that from his time in the Army?"

  I sighed. I refused to explain that one. My mom might drop my niece and then Serena would be on my case for eternity.

  "And how about a veil?" asked Cherry, mercifully stepping in. She skirted the podium, an array of frothy white veils in her arms and an assistant trailing behind her. "We have a lace trim, a cathedral-length though maybe not with this dress, there's a completely plain, two-tier..." she continued as I zoned out for a moment. "Lexi?"

  I blinked. "Yes?"

  "Do you want to try them all on?"

  "The short one," I decided.

  "The birdcage veil. Great choice. Very contemporary." Cherry tipped the veils into her assistant's arms and raised a small veil on a headband and slid it onto my head, playing and fluffing the net until she decided it was just right before she stepped back.

  I blinked again. It was perfect. The dress, the rhinestone sash, the shoes, the tiny veil that swept down under my chin and allowed my hair to sweep freely down my back. I looked like a bride.

  "Oh, Alexandra," breathed Mom. "You look stunning."

  "I'll take the veil and the sash," I decided, not caring about the price tags. If I had to work every crappy case searching for missing pets, misplaced family members, and stolen goods for the next five years, I would do it without a single complaint. Well, without a single audible complaint. That is to say, I might complain a lot but I would still be grateful to wear these beautiful items.

  "Wonderful! Here's the seamstress. She'll pin the hem and then you can take this all off and I will have the veil and sash wrapped and waiting for you to collect when the dress is ready. We can take care of everything else at the cash register before you go."

  "Thank you, Cherry." I smiled at her, grateful for her patience.

  "No, thank you," she said, squeezing my hand before she took off.

  While the seamstress hemmed the dress and cooed at my blue heeled sandals, my family began to mill around, examining all the other dresses until one-by-one they began to leave. By the time the seamstress had finished, only my Mom, Lily and the two baby girls remained.

  I told them I would be a few minutes, then hurried to get changed, slipping off the dress and hanging it on the padded satin hanger before pulling my own clothes back on. Except for that moment of panic, it was fun to try on my remaining three options of beautiful dresses and now that I knew my final choice was made, relief yielded to excitement. The dress was the final decision to make in the wedding plans. All I had left to do now was find a tank, and work out what was puzzling me about the strange case Jas Kapoor asked me to work on. Then Solomon and I could get married, party the night away and the next day, we could get on a jet and leave Montgomery behind us. Perhaps that was what I needed to close the past for good: a well-deserved vacation.

  By the time I emerged from the changing room, I was in better spirits. "Mom? Lily?" I called as I returned to the salon but they weren't there. I turned around, following the corridor back to the front of the salon and found my mother at the cash register, handing over her card. "Mom? What are you doing?"

  "Paying for your dress and the veil and the sash," said Mom as Cherry returned her card. "Your father and I agreed that when you got married, we would pay for your dress. You know that."

  "You didn't have to pay for the extra things too!"

  "We know, but we chipped in for your brothers' and sister's weddings and we want to do the same for you too. No arguments. Just a thank you will do."

  "Thank you," I said graciously. Then I rushed over and hugged her.

  "I'm so pleased you're marrying a man," breathed Mom.

  I let her go gently. "I have no idea what to say to that," I said.

  "We'll call you when your dress is ready," said Cherry. "Then you'll come in, and we'll do one last fitting before you take the dress home with you. I hope you'll send us a snap of the big day for our wall of fame," she added, nodding to the wall of framed photos of happy couples. Behind us, the door opened, causing the bell atop to jingle.

  I glanced over my shoulder at the newcomer as Cherry began to wrap the veil and sash in a pristine white box.

  "Lexi?" said Julia Atwater, frowning in surprise, then smiling. She carried a garment bag over one arm.

  "Hi, Julia," I said, hoping that I concealed my astonishment in time. I didn't need to worry that she thought anything untoward about my reaction because she seemed preoccupied with the garment bag.

  "It's so nice to bump into you. Are you here for a wedding dress?" she asked.

  "That's right. Finally made a choice and my mom generously bought it for me. Is that a wedding dress?" I pointed to the bag.

  "Oh, how lovely of your mom," smiled Julia. Then she shook her head. "No, this is my dress for the engagement party. Bryce thought I should get the hem altered to make it the right length."

  "Here's your purchase," said Cherry, handing me the box. "I just love your choice."

  "Thank you!"

  The door bell jangled again and a tall man with a crop of dark hair stepped in and looked around. His face split into a gleaming white smile when he saw Julia. "Honey, did you drop off the dress?" he asked.

  "Just doing it now," she said, smiling happily at him before she turned and draped the bag over the counter, unzipping it to reveal a flash of deep rosy pink. She turned back and said, "Lexi, this is my fiancé, Bryce. Bryce, this is the woman I told you I ran into at the gym. She's a friend of Jas and also a friend of the owner of Lily's Bar. Oh, and this is Lily. I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," she said when Lily moved.

  "Hi," said Lily, grinning as she maneuvered Poppy in her arms. "I'm so happy to host your engagement party," she told Bryce.

  "I recognize you! I've seen you at the bar. We can't thank you enough, especially after that disaster at the other place; it looked like we'd have to cancel. Am I a lucky guy to get to take this woman out or what?" he asked, flashing a smile at everyone in the salon. My mother beamed at him, Lily frowned a little but nodded. I took the moment to study him. Tall, in good shape beneath the tan chinos and white shirt, two buttons open casually at the neck. His watch was expensive, like his shoes, and his teeth had been given the Hollywood whiter-than-white treatment. His smile was big and his eyes dazzling. I could see why Julia fell for him: he was a terrific looking man. "Honey," he continued, his attention back on Julia, "I'm going to wait outside. We're on a parking meter so don't take forever. And remember, just two inches will make the dress perfect." He winked at us, then slipped out again.

  Julia handed the dress over, repeated the alterations, paid and turned back to us. "Lily, I'll call you later to confirm the plans and then I guess we'll see you at the party?"

  "Sounds perfect," agreed Lily.

  "Bye, everyone!" Julia waved, smiling as she left the salon.

  "Lucky girl," muttered my mom. "Did you see the way he looked at her? Like she was the only woman in the room. Oh, to be looked at like that!"

  "Dad looks at you like that," I said.

  "He looks at the Sunday roast like that," said Mom but she smiled. She was wrong. Well, partially. My dad did gaze at food with nothing but unbridled love in his eyes; but after more than four decades of marriage to my mom, it was clear he still loved her. That love was part of what made me and my siblings who we were.

  We said our goodbyes to the sales assistants and stepped outside into the warmth of the sun. Victoria clapped her hands and reached for the sky as she bounced in my mom's arms. Poppy snuggled against Lily's shoulder and closed her eyes.

  "I'm going to take this one to the car," said Mom. She kissed my cheek. "Call me later."

  "Thanks again, Mom. I really appreciate you and Dad buying my dress."

  "I know that guy," said Lily as my mom walked away.

  "Who?" I asked,

  "Julia's fiancé. Bryce. He comes into the bar occasionally with his buddies."

  "Oh?"

  "Well, obviously he's cute so he stands out."

  I laughed. "What are your impressions of him?"

  "He's great! Really nice guy. Friendly, chatty. Always the first one at the bar with his wallet out, getting the drinks in. The bar staff all love him, of course. He tips well and makes sure to ask everyone how they're doing and even remembers stuff they said; he never fails to ask them about it the next time he comes in. Oh, he got into it once with a guy who was harassing Ruby and told him to get lost or he'd make him get lost!"

  "Really?"

  "Yeah! I wasn't there but she told me the next day that he really stood up for her when that jerk tried to cop a feel. He was just sitting at the bar having a drink and he called out that guy. She said he got angry real quick and was right back to his usual self a few minutes later. I'm glad I can help them out with the party. I heard him talking about his new girlfriend occasionally so it's nice to put a face to her name too. I didn't realize the two were together when you introduced us at the gym."

  "Does he talk about Julia regularly?" I asked.

  "Yes, much to the heartbreak of every woman in my bar. He's always talking her up and telling everyone how wonderful she makes him feel and how she totally gets him. I think he's had issues with women in the past."

  "How do you mean?"

  "I think his ex was a hard case. Always on him about something. Playing games. Wanted money. The one before that was the same."

  "Hmm."

  "Hey, you're thinking about investigating Julia. Is it anything that will affect Bryce? I really hope not. He seems so happy and I would hate to think Julia is another crazy case. Bryce is a really great guy."

  He did seem to be great from what Lily reported, but then why was Jas so sure he wasn't treating Julia well? And why was I worried that her hunch was right?

  Chapter Seven

  I spent the rest of the afternoon parked at my desk. Two files flanked either side of my laptop. One was the file Jas gave me to think about. The other was the file I just created for the missing tank. I still wasn't sure what to think about Julia and Bryce but I did note Lily's observations. I slid them into the file along with a memo to talk to Ruby about her impressions of Bryce to see if they matched Lily's.

  Until I could speak to Ruby, I searched online for tanks. For most people, that would be an odd thing to search for on the internet, but for me, it didn't even make it into the top ten.

  A few minutes later, I had a good idea of what a state-of-the-art military tank looked like and a reasonable idea of its size. What I had no idea about was where a person could hide one. Wherever it was, it would surely stand out.

  Solomon's idea about looking into where it was last seen and working from there was a good idea. If I could find out how it was stolen, I could possibly ascertain a number of things. One, how it was stolen. Surely no one could simply drive a tank out of Fort Charles without being noticed? Two, there might be a camera image of the thieves and the possibility someone would recognize them. Three, it might be someone who was playing an elaborate hoax on my buddies who, no doubt, must have done something to deserve it.

  I grabbed my phone and called. "Did you find it?" asked Captain Harris, his voice hushed.

  "No," I said, "did it turn up?"

  "Did it turn up?" he repeated in a skeptical tone. "No, it didn't! That's why you need to find it."

  "Where did you last see it?"

  "Parked in the hangar. Before you ask, I've checked every day and it's still not there."

  "When did you last see it?"

  "Three days ago."

  "Okay. Morning? Afternoon? Evening?"

  "Evening, around eight pm. I was making my final checks before I met the guys in the bar."

  "The bar in Fort Charles?"

  "Yeah. You know it?"

  "I do." Solomon and I once worked a case there and we pretended to be married for our cover. It was funny that now we really were going to be married. No more pretend rings, this time, we'd be exchanging real ones. I still had the fake wedding ring. For some reason, I never wanted to get rid of it. I wondered if Solomon still had his. "Who were you there with?" I asked before I became too distracted.

  "What? You think I had something to do with it?"

  "I have to ask, Luke. Plus, if I know who you were with, it might rule out a few people."

  "No one on base would do this!"

  "Someone had to get on the base in the first place," I pointed out. "It's sensible to assume someone on the inside helped. So, who were you with?"

  "Let's see. Kafsky was there before me. We sat together at the bar, then Willacy and DuPont came in. The four of us hung out until ten and then we turned in. Separately, before you ask, so I can't account for anyone after that time and no one can account for me."

  "Okay. Did you notice anything unusual?"

  "You mean like a tank rolling past? No."

  "What about a large transport vehicle?"

  "Several vehicles left the base late that night. I was off duty and enjoying a beer. I didn't pay much attention."

  "Were any of the vehicles large enough to transport a tank?"

  "Maybe. Yes, I think so."

  "How did you get the tank to Fort Charles in the first place? I figure you didn't drive it from wherever it came from."

  "You're right, I didn't. It wouldn't do the tracks any good; plus, there would be complaints about damaging the road surfaces. Besides, no one wants to make a cross country trip in one of those things. It would take forever. It came in on a tank transporter driven by a guy called Simmons. The transporter looks like a heavy tractor and trailer unit."

  "Where's the tractor and trailer now?" I asked.

  Harris paused. "I don't know. I can go check. It should still be parked behind the hangar since it was supposed to take the tank back to its home base next week."

  "Please check and get back to me," I told him. "When did you realize the tank was missing?"

  "Eight the next morning."

  That was a twelve-hour window. Not great but at least something to work with. "Any cameras in the hangar?" I asked.

  "Yeah, there're two."

  "I need to see that feed. Can you arrange that?"

  "I guess, but it won't be easy. What am I supposed to say?"

  "I'm sure you'll come up with something. Let me know when you get access and if you can get me a copy. I can come to the base if it makes it any easier."

  "I will let you know. What will you do until then?" he asked.

  "I'll work with my team here to find out which traffic cameras are closest to the base and see if we can pick up a tank transporter somewhere near Fort Charles between eight that night and eight the next morning." Something else occurred to me. "What if it never left the base?"

  "It definitely left the base. Kafsky and I have looked everywhere."

  "You're certain?"

  "It's a tank, Lexi. Hiding a tank isn't easy."

  And yet someone had managed to do it. "Call me when you have access to the security tapes," I added and after we said our goodbyes, I hung up and went upstairs to talk to Lucas.

  Lucas was our resident tech geek although he didn't look it with his ruffled, blond surfer hair and relaxed jeans and t-shirt look. If I saw him on the street, I'd probably think he was a college dropout or a hipster in waiting, minus an enormous beard. Like me, he was the opposite of our other colleagues, most of whom I wouldn't want to bump into on a dark night; not if I didn't know them for the good guys they were. Unlike me, however, Lucas didn't go out in the field. Instead he worked behind a large bank of monitors, observing the world from the deep, dark corners of the internet.

  "Hey," he said, looking up and grinning when I dragged an office chair over to his station and plonked down on it. "I heard you lost a tank."

  "I didn't lose it," I pointed out, "and how do you know anyway?"

  "I know everything," he said, flicking his eyebrows up and down.

  "Do you know where the tank is?"

  He frowned. "I know almost everything."

  "Are you busy?"

  "For you, no. For everyone else, yes."

  "Awesome. I need to find the closest cameras to Fort Charles and access their security feeds between eight and eight three days ago."

  "Okay. What are we looking for?"

  "A tank, preferably but unlikely. A tank transporter most likely."

  "Have you ever seen a tank transporter before?"

  "Of course!" Five minutes ago on my laptop, but there was no need to tell Lucas that. It was better that he thought I knew everything too. Bluffing was one of my key life skills.

  "Let me see." Lucas turned to the keyboard and began tapping the keys, writing something unintelligible on the screen. I read it anyway like I knew what I was looking at and crossed my fingers that there wouldn't be a pop quiz in coding later. "There are six cameras in the area but none within a mile, which makes sense since I'm sure Fort Charles has their own system and probably doesn't want to be closely observed by their neighbors. There are two traffic cameras on the major routes out of Fort Charles heading towards the highway. There's a gas station on one route, two stores on a strip mall just before the Chester town limits and what looks like a farm. All have security cameras."