04 - Shock and Awesome (14 page)

 
   
"So... it was prearranged? Thanks for telling me." Thanks oodles. If there was anything I hated, it was being kept in the dark. Especially when it came to Maddox, work, dating, Solomon, oh, everything really. I was nosy and it was one of my best qualities.

 
   
"It was a last minute decision," Solomon told me, looking entirely nonplussed.

 
   
"Huh." I snorted. Clearly, I wasn't party to the last minute decision, even if I were lead investigator, so I'd better up my game and make sure I didn't get left out again. There was no time for hurt feelings. I looked great and I had a thief to catch! Shame I was unlikely to close the deal before dinner with my family later. Shame. They would have been thrilled. "So, what's next?"

 
   
"Like I said, the suspect pool is down to three. You have a date with suspect number two for lunch."

 
   
"Lunch? On a first date?"

 
   
"It was the agency's idea. They thought it would be..." Solomon paused.

 
   
"What? Nice? Relaxed? Pleasant?" I prompted.

 
   
"Safer," decided Solomon.

 
   
Charming.

 
   
"Apparently, Lord Justin
Camberwell
likes dresses so... do your thing. Don't look hot, look..."

 
   
"Safe?" I huffed.

 
   
"Sweet."

 
   
"I can do sweet. It's my third best look."

 
   
"Dare I ask what your first two are?"

 
   
I smiled. "Since you ask.
Smokin
' hot and hot." That earned a smile out of Solomon, and for a moment, we just looked at each other. I thought Solomon might say something, something about us; then he turned away, the moment vanished, and I realized I was officially dismissed as his attention turned to the open file on his desk.

 
   
"Want me to wire up?" I asked, rising from my chair.

 
   
"Yes. I'll be in range," he told me, passing me a sheet of paper without looking up. "Details here. Don't be late."

 
   
"Am I ever? Don't answer that."

 
   
My cell phone rang as I returned to my desk, with my sister-in-law's name flashing on the screen. "Hey, Alice. How's life?" I asked, happy to hear from her. Luck had given me two great sisters-in-law, one not-so-great ex-sister-in-law, one future-sister-in-law-slash-BFF, and that was notwithstanding my brothers-in-law. Oh heck, this family was getting complicated. I wondered if we were close to being the biggest family in Montgomery yet, and if there was a prize.

 
   
"I heard you set a guy on fire," she gushed. Alice was a nurse at Montgomery General, so it wasn't exactly surprising that she knew. It would be just my luck that she was working ER last night and caught David as a patient. Not that she confirmed it, nor did I ask. "What did he do?" she wanted to know.

 
   
"Nothing! We were on a date."

 
   
"Huh. No wonder you're single. Hey, did he try to feel you up?"

 
   
"No!"

 
   
"I couldn't think of any other reason why you'd set him on fire."

 
   
"Ugh! Is this why you called?"

 
   
"Nope. Your mom was just here and she said to remind you about dinner later. The whole family is going."

 
   
"I'll be there. She sent a text this morning. Who taught her how to text? I thought we all agreed that would be a bad idea. What's for dinner?"

 
   
"Don't know, but your mom suggested flambé for dessert," said Alice, laughing as she hung up.

 
   
"Ha-ha," I said, pulling a face at the screen.

 
   
"Hey,
Lexi
..." said Lucas, behind me. I whipped around in my chair to face his uncharacteristically tidy desk, situated right behind mine. His desk, however, was twice the size and had an array of monitors. A large box sat on the floor beside it, serving as a reminder that our resident geek and cyber expert was moving to the floor upstairs, where Solomon was expanding the agency. Every time I thought about it, I felt put out that I wasn't in the know. I wondered if Fletcher, Flaherty, and Delgado felt the same, or if they did know. I couldn't ask them without showing I knew nothing. Damn it.

 
   
"Yes," I said, pre-empting him, "yes, I was on a date as part of a case and a man's hair caught on fire, but it was an accident. An accident!" My voice ended on an hysterical note and my lower jaw quivered. Though that could have been caused by sugar withdrawal, thanks to my current healthy eating phase, last night's pizza excluded.

 
   
"I only wanted to know if you wanted a coffee because I'm going to get one, but... really?" Lucas peered at me, and whispered, "On fire?"

 
   
I made a strangled noise and turned away. A moment later, I looked over my shoulder and said in my meekest voice, "Yes, please. Two sugars."

 
   
An hour, one coffee, and one filed report that didn't tell Solomon anything he didn't already know, later, and I was out of there. As I jogged down the steps to the underground garage, I wondered what it would be like to meet a real live English lord. Would I have to call him “Lord”? I could see that getting old really fast. I was pretty certain I didn't have to curtsy, but the rules around that one confused me. Plus, this country was a republic so... in his face! I thought about my experiences of Englishmen and aristocracy, while realizing that all my knowledge came from
Downton
Abbey
, which probably didn’t help.

 
   
Arriving at the parking garage, I ignored my VW and headed straight for the Ferrari. After all, it was there to give a good impression — one that said “wealthy, please steal from me” — and there was a good chance Lord
Camberwell
might see me arrive at the restaurant, so my little car would just not cut it. Plus, the Ferrari was awesome to drive.

 
   
I slipped behind the wheel and took a moment to smell the delicious leather interior, while stroking the wheel. "My baby," I cooed at it. "Mommy loves you so much already." With a throaty purr, the engine fired up and I reversed on a curve, throwing it into drive and accelerating towards the exit.

 
   
There was no need to head to the Chilton house — that would only become a necessity if I were being picked up or returned "home," or if I invited someone back. There was no way I would invite a stranger and potential thief "home" for "coffee" until I was sure they were going to try something more exciting and illegal than putting the moves on me. Instead, I headed to my real home, parking the Ferrari in my usual spot next to Lily's Mini.

 
   
After unlocking the communal front door, I found it only opened a fraction of the way so I had to suck it in, bump it, and edge through sideways, only to be confronted with a stack of packing boxes. An attractive man made his way down the stairs, another box in hand, which he stacked on top of the rest.

 
   
"Hi," I said, sizing up the stranger and wondering who he was. Were most movers this cute? "Who are you?"

 
   
He gave me an equally puzzled look. "Jake. I live upstairs."

 
   
"Upstairs, upstairs?" I pointed upstairs, just to clarify. Also: where? The apartment above me had been empty since the last tenant left ages ago.

 
   
"Yup. Third floor."

 
   
"Huh." Perhaps it hadn't been so empty. Strange. I never heard a thing. "Have you lived here long?" I checked his feet. Big feet.

 
   
"Two months. You?"

 
   
Huge feet. Wow. Dainty walker. "Years."

 
   
"Well, great to meet you. I'm moving out, so I guess this is goodbye."

 
   
"I assumed so. I'd throw you a party, but that would be weird."

 
   
"See ya," said Jake, my new and now ex-neighbor. I waited until I heard him reach the top of the stairs before knocking on Lily's door.

 
   
"Did you know we had an upstairs neighbor?" I asked.

 
   
"Sure. Jake. He's such a nice guy."

 
   
"He's lived here two months and you never once mentioned him! I thought the apartment upstairs was empty."

 
   
"I never mentioned him? Odd. Anyway, he's moving out today. Such a shame. He's single, you know."

 
   
"I'm only dating thieves currently."

 
   
"Perhaps he could steal your heart?" Lily quipped, crossing her hands over hers.

 
   
"It's the only thing I have of value."

 
   
"You're home early. Want to talk while I pack? Jake had some spare boxes so I'm getting started. I need to send things to Goodwill too. Do you think
Jord
needs any of his stuff?"

 
   
"No can do and he probably doesn't need anything if it's taking up your closet space," I justified. "I've got to get ready for a date with suspect number two of the top secret case I'm not telling you anything about." I checked upstairs in case the light-footed Jake sneaked down and was listening. He wasn't. "He's a lord," I added.

 
   
"A real one? Not like a guy just named Lord. Like Earl isn't really an earl."

 
   
"A real one," I confirmed. "From England. We're having lunch at Alessandro's."

 
   
"Nice. Try not to do anything horrible to him."

 
   
"Can't guarantee it. I'll let you know after." I gave Lily a wave and hightailed it upstairs, narrowly missing getting squashed by Jake lugging another box downstairs when I paused to stick the key in the lock. Inside, I shed my jeans and blouse and rummaged through Serena's clothes, finally selecting a very pretty, pale green shift in a boxy shape. I added my trusty, black, pointy-toed pumps and grabbed a cute Marc Jacobs bag.

 
   
Turning to check my reflection in the mirror, I couldn't help dropping into a curtsy. Was this the kind of thing a future lady would wear? It was neat, demure... definitely safe. Sweet, even, but not sugary-sweet. Sophisticated. And if Lord Justin knew his labels, he'd clearly know he was looking at an expensive little outfit. Shame I couldn't flash a few jewels, but it was lunch. I added an antique sapphire ring, which I inherited from a great aunt, and went to land myself a gentleman thief.