I didn’t hesitate to snap a photo of that.

  Granted, it wasn’t a deep kiss, but their lips did press together. There was a chance that it was a friendly greeting, but it wasn’t likely. Connor didn’t give Nancy a quick kiss at the restaurant.

  Before I came to any definitive conclusions, I would need more information. I couldn’t return to Amy with just this.

  After their quick kiss, Connor invited the woman inside his house. Once the woman entered his foyer, Connor closed his front door.

  ***

  This was where the dirty part of my job came into play. If I just sat in my car and waited for more things to happen out in the open, I could miss out on the juiciest details. In order to find out the truth about Connor and this blond woman, I had to get creative.

  I got out of my car and crept up to Connor’s house. Thankfully, I had the cover of night on my side. Otherwise, it would have been a very risky move for me to sneak around like this out in the open.

  Since it was dark out, and I was wearing all black clothes, I was able to avoid drawing attention to myself. When I reached the front of Connor’s house, I kneeled down in front of his living room window. His blinds were shut about halfway.

  I had my camera by my side as well as my phone. To not give myself away, I put my phone on vibrate. The good thing about my phone was that it had a built-in microphone. I began to record the conversation that I overheard.

  Although, to be honest, Connor and the blond woman weren’t exactly having a very stimulating conversation. They were mostly making small talk as they both drank a glass of wine.

  Even though things started off slow, they ended up heating up rather quickly. Once they had both finished their wine, Connor took the woman’s hand.

  “Betsy, what do you say we head back to the bedroom?” Connor asked.

  “I’d love to,” Betsy replied.

  Connor and Betsy then disappeared down the hallway.

  ***

  Not wanting to miss out, I moved around to the side of Connor’s house. I ended up kneeling down right below Connor’s bedroom window.

  Just like in the living room, his blinds were only half closed. That was great news for me. It meant that I could take a bunch of relatively unobstructed photos. In addition, I also continued to record audio on my phone.

  And let me tell you, I ended up getting some definitive evidence that confirmed all of Amy’s worst fears. I will spare you the graphic details, but suffice it to say, by the end of the evening, there was no longer any doubt about whether Connor was cheating on his fiancé. He absolutely was. I had the photos and audio to prove it.

  Chapter Nine

  The next day, I called Amy into my office. She looked really jittery as she took a seat across from my desk.

  “Thank you for coming in,” I said.

  “Of course,” Amy replied. “Although, I didn’t expect to hear back from you so soon.”

  “That was a pretty unexpected twist for me too. But what can I say? I already have an update for you.”

  “You really do work fast.”

  “Trust me. These quick results have nothing to do with me and everything to do with Connor.”

  “Speaking of which, I’m surprised that you called me all the way in here. I just figured you’d tell me everything over the phone.”

  “Amy, this isn’t the kind of thing that is suited for a phone conversation.”

  “How come? Is it bad news?”

  “There really isn’t an easy way to reveal this to you.” I handed her a large folder. “So, just open this up and see for yourself.”

  Amy opened the folder. Inside were a number of photographs that I had taken the night before.

  I expected her jaw to drop as she flipped through them. After all, a number of them were really graphic. Not to mention, each and every one of them featured an image of her fiancé in some compromising positions with another woman.

  Rather than recoiling and tossing the folder aside or completely freaking out, Amy just kind of sat there quietly.

  Even though she didn’t say a word, I could tell that her emotions were raging inside of her.

  I gave her some time to process what she had just seen. She could take as long as she needed. After all, this was devastating news.

  Finally, she closed the folder and placed it back on my desk.

  She still didn’t open her mouth to reply, however.

  At that point, I decided to break the silence.

  “I know that isn’t what you wanted to see. It wasn’t very pleasant for me to see either,” I said.

  “I can imagine,” Amy replied.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “You don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault.”

  “No, but I’m still very sorry.”

  “You’re not the only one. Even though I had my suspicions about Connor, I thought there was a chance that I was just being paranoid. I guess I wasn’t.”

  “What a terrible time to be right.”

  She winced. “What a terrible time, in general.”

  “So, what are you going to do now?” I asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to give him a piece of my mind,” Amy said. “Then I’m going to break things off with him.”

  “Talk about a lousy afternoon that you have ahead of you.”

  “I have a feeling that I might have a number of bad days ahead of me. But there’s no avoiding that.”

  “At the moment, no. Talk about a mess.”

  “I’ll say. It’s crazy to think that my entire life just changed in the span of twenty-four hours.”

  “Do you regret coming to me?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  My eyebrows rose. “Really?”

  “At least now I know the truth. Even though it is heartbreaking. It’s better than building a life with him that was built on a lie.”

  “That’s a fair point.”

  “What I regret is giving my heart to someone who would betray me this way. What a scumbag Connor is.”

  “I can’t disagree with that.”

  “I’m going to let him have it.”

  “Good. Let it all out.”

  “Trust me. He is about to get an earful.” Amy got up from her chair. She pulled out her wallet. “How much do I owe you?”

  I grabbed an envelope from inside my desk and handed it to her.

  “Here’s an invoice,” I said.

  Amy took the envelope and placed it in her purse.

  “Anyway, I wish you the best of luck going forward. I hope you’re able to find someone who is worthy of your love.”

  “Maybe at some point in the future that will happen,” Amy said. “Right now, I just want to unload on Connor.”

  “I understand,” I said. “At the same time, be sure to take care of yourself.”

  Chapter Ten

  Once Amy left my office, I got up from my desk and decided to stretch my legs. I headed over to the reception area. My coworker, Lisa, knew that my conversation with Amy would be emotional. Lisa had been in my position plenty of times over the years. Despite all of our combined experience in the investigative world, discussions with heartbroken clients never got easier to stomach.

  That was why Lisa approached me and looked at me with sympathy in her eyes.

  “That was a tough one, huh?” Lisa said.

  I let out a groan. “It was definitely a rough conversation.”

  “It seemed like she handled the news pretty well. I didn’t hear her throwing any furniture around.”

  “She actually remained pretty calm, relatively speaking. I have a feeling that she was saving most of her energy for when she confronts Connor.”

  “What a fireworks show that might be.”

  “That’s one way of putting it.”

  “I’ll say this. I would definitely not want to be Connor right now.”

  “No way. He’s in some serious trouble.”

  “Trouble of his own making,” I said. “I feel so sorry for Amy. A few days ago, she was busy planning her wedding. And now she’s going to have to find a way to pick up the pieces of her broken life.”

  “Yeah. What a poor woman,” Lisa said.

  The conversation fell silent for a moment.

  Lisa decided to change the subject. “It really makes you wish that your next case would be a heartwarming one, doesn’t it? Like reuniting long-lost family members.”

  “Honestly, I don’t even want to think about what my next case might be. I just want to take a break,” I said.

  “A cookie break?”

  I chuckled. “Look at you, jumping to crazy conclusions.”

  “Are you going to tell me I’m wrong? Because it turns out that I know you pretty well.”

  I held up my hand. “Actually, I’m not getting a craving for cookies at the moment.”

  Lisa put her hands on her hips. “Is that so?”

  “I’m in the mood for a full-on chocolate binge. Truffles had better watch out.”

  “I guess so. You look like you’re not messing around.”

  “I never mess around when it comes to treats.”

  “Do you mind if I join you?” Lisa asked. “I’m having a craving of my own.”

  “Let’s go raid the bakery,” I said.

  Just as Lisa and I began to walk toward the exit, my phone rang.

  Instinctively, I grabbed my phone to check who was calling. There was always a slight chance that the call was an emergency.

  As I looked at the caller identification screen, I saw Scott Webster’s number listed.

  I had been so busy that I had forgotten about the message that I’d left on his voice mail.

  I was fascinated to hear what he had to say.

  I stepped aside to take the call.

  Chapter Eleven

  When I answered the phone, Scott and I started to make a little bit of small talk. From there, he asked if I could meet him at Majestic Cove Bakery. Talk about some interesting timing. I was just about to head over there.

  I told Scott that I would be over there shortly.

  When I arrived at the bakery, Scott was seated at a table. There was a donut in front of him.

  Scott looked a little different than the last time I had seen him. He was still a tall man with a round face. He still had short brown hair and hazel eyes. He was also still in great shape.

  The biggest difference was the look on his face. Like me, he was in his late thirties. Unlike me, he looked incredibly weary. He used to have this spark to him. I didn’t see it when I glanced at him that afternoon.

  When Scott spotted me, he gave me a smile.

  “You sure made it here in a hurry. Is that because you were excited to see me?” Scott asked.

  “Scott, you know how small of a town this is. Traffic doesn’t really exist here,” I replied.

  “You’ve got me there.”

  I leaned in and gave him a hug. “I’m also really happy to see you.”

  “It’s good to see you too.”

  “On the way over here, I was actually wondering why it took you so long to call me back.”

  “It has only been about twenty-four hours.”

  “I know, but you used to answer messages almost right after you got them.”

  “What can I say? I’ve been busy.”

  “Too busy to let me know that you were even coming back into town, apparently,” I said. “I mean, I had to hear the news from Kristina.”

  “How did Kristina know?”

  “One of her customers spotted you the other day and passed the news on to Kristina.”

  “This town sure loves to gossip, doesn’t it?”

  “Of course, it does. That’s never going to change.”

  “I guess not.”

  “I actually had a number of people gossip to me that you were back. There’s a lot of buzz surrounding your return to town. Not to mention, a fair amount of mystery.”

  “I wish you were kidding, but I know you’re not.”

  “You know how small town life is.”

  He nodded. “I sure do.”

  “Speaking of mysteries, would you mind clearing up a few for me?”

  “Sure.”

  “Are you only back in town for a few days? Or are you planning on staying a while?”

  “I’m back in town for good.”

  As an investigator, it usually took a lot to surprise me, but Scott’s statement made my jaw drop.

  “Are you serious?” I replied.

  He nodded. “I just transferred to the Majestic Cove Police Department. I’m their new lead detective.”

  “Wow. I never thought I’d hear those words coming out of your mouth.”

  That was especially true given the circumstances surrounding Scott’s departure from town a few years ago.

  “I’m sure you didn’t,” he replied.

  “Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to hear it,” I said. “It’ll be really nice having you back in town full-time. I’ve really missed seeing you these last few years.”

  “I’ve missed having you in my life too. I also regret not staying in touch better.”

  “Hey, we’ve both been really busy, right?”

  He nodded. “And a lot has happened.”

  “It sounds like we have a lot of catching up to do.”

  “We certainly do. I can’t wait to do it.”

  In a wild twist of timing, just as Scott finished speaking, he got a call on his police radio.

  “Sorry. I have to take this,” he said.

  “Of course,” I replied.

  Scott stepped away from the table to take the call in private.

  While I waited for him to return, I thought about the bombshell that had just been dropped. Scott was back in town—for good. That was incredible.

  A few seconds later, Scott walked back over to the table.

  “I hate to run out on you like this, but I have to go. I’m needed. It’s important police business.”

  “I understand. We’ll finish this conversation later,” I said.

  He gave me another smile. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Scott then grabbed his donut and exited the bakery.

  As Scott dashed over, my head drifted into the clouds. What a stunning turn of events. Right then, I had no idea what the future had in store for me, but I was excited to find out.

  The End.

  Pretzels, Problems, and Peril

  Chapter One

  So much for a quiet night of relaxing in front of the TV. A few minutes ago, I had taken a seat on my couch, ready to eat the soft pretzel that I had just finishing warming up in the oven.

  It had been a stressful week for me and I wanted a little bit of a treat. I love salted pretzels. I was also a big fan of the cheesy dipping sauce that came with soft pretzels.

  After I plopped down on the couch, I turned on the TV, fully expecting to watch some baking show, or a reality competition program. Something that was entertaining, but not too mentally taxing. As a private investigator, I dealt with enough stress during the day. Some days, when I returned home from work, I felt like my brain was completely fried. That was why I craved light-hearted entertainment in the evening.

  Unfortunately, when I turned on the television that evening, there was some breaking news. It wasn’t some national news story either, or a story that had no effect on my life. This was a local story. Filled with the kinds of details that I couldn’t ignore.

  To start, the news reporter was stationed across the street from a mid-century modern home that I recognized. That home was owned by Connor Taggart. Right then, my focus wasn’t so much on the house, but rather the yellow police tape that was blocking off his front yard. The tape wasn’t the only striking image I saw.

  There was also a police car visible onscreen. Not to mention a coroner’s van. What a terrible scene.

  Brooke Gladstone, the TV reporter, walked over to one of the law enforcement officers to try and get an interview.

  She went straight to Detective Scott Webster. Scott was an old friend of mine. Despite knowing him for most of my life, I had never seen him on TV before. Talk about some terrible circumstances for his first television appearance.

  It had actually been quite a strange few days for him. He had just moved back to Majestic Cove after living in San Francisco for a number of years. He was trying to settle into a routine. Then this happened.

  Scott probably expected his first few days on the job to go a little differently. After all, Majestic Cove was a relatively small town. There were only about twenty-five thousand full-time residents. It was also generally known as a safe place. At least, in comparison to a big city like San Francisco. Yet, there Scott was, at a crime scene.

  “Detective, can I get a statement from you?” Brooke asked.

  “There isn’t much I can tell you right now,” Scott said. “My plan is to hold a press conference tomorrow when I have more details.”

  “I understand. I just have a few quick questions for you.”

  Scott folded his arms and took a deep breath. “All right. What do you want to know?”

  “Is it true that a homicide took place here?”

  “That is the current theory.”

  “Can you share the name of the victim?”

  Scott shook his head. “Not at this time.”

  “Do you have a suspect in custody?”

  “Not currently,” Scott replied. “Anyway, I have an investigation to conduct. Please excuse me.”

  ***

  Brooke continued with her news report, but I was in too much shock to pay close attention to what she was saying.

  I stood in front of my TV with my mouth hanging open. I just couldn’t believe what was happening.

  The detective had tried to keep his answers as general as possible, but I could read between the lines. A murder had taken place at Connor’s house. Most likely, the victim was Connor. Currently, there were no suspects in custody. That meant the killer was roaming the streets. It was a terrifying situation. No wonder Scott didn’t want to give specifics. Details could lead to people panicking.