AKA Lexi Frost (Lexi Frost Series) (13 page)

There was silence for a moment after she hung up the phone
, then muffled sobs into a pillow. He heard it too often at home. It was part of the reason he moved in with Teri. Kenny waffled for a moment, cursing Nicholas for going home. He should be here to deal with this. Nicholas was Teri’s friend, Kenny was . . . well, he was a friend, but it was different. They weren’t equals, she was an adult. He didn’t know what to do.

“
Scram, Kenny. I’ll take it from here.”

Kenny looked up. Nicholas stood over him with an iced mocha with whipped cream and sprinkles in his hand.

“Sorry I’m late, there was a line. I was supposed to be getting something fortified, but decided this would be better. Figured it’d either be for comfort or celebration.”

“
Comfort,” Kenny replied, standing up.

“
Damn. Well, don’t say anything yet. And thanks for the heads up. I didn’t find anything I wasn’t supposed to.”

“
Just so you know, Blaine Lovett’s an asshole. I wanted him to be lying.”

“
Yeah, we knew that part,” Nicholas nodded. Kenny edged around him and fled downstairs.

Tim DeLaney was Paul’s man through and through. He worked in Paul’s first store before he sold it. When Paul started a new business, Tim asked to come aboard. He had no particular expertise and only reasonable grades in high school, but he worked hard and caught Paul’s attention. Paul brought him on and started him on business classes at the community college. By now, Tim had a Master’s Degree in Business and was fluent in Spanish, French, and German. He was working on Mandarin, but it was giving him some trouble.

He was content as Paul
’s personal assistant, and those close to Paul didn’t look down on him for the title. Tim was confident and capable of making decisions on Paul’s behalf. No one questioned him.

Tim kept an apartment a few floors down from Paul
’s. Not from any desire to be in the stylish building or associate with its powerful inhabitants, it was just easier to do his job if he lived closer to Paul. They usually rode to work and had lunch together, although Tim didn’t feel slighted if Paul chose solitude or Kayley for company. He was there when Paul needed him and absent when he didn’t, so it wasn’t awkward when Paul called him after hanging up with Teri. Tim kept a notepad and pen by every phone, so he quickly jotted down some key points as he listened to Paul’s story.

“
I’ll find out how she found out. Someone told her, then maybe we’ll have an idea why.”

“
She said it wasn’t Sara, but who else?”

“
Sara’s family or friends. Although I can’t see any of them contacting Teri out of the blue or even knowing how. Not many people know about her. When you’ve been seen with her, it’s been as Lexi Frost, not Teri Giles.”

“
Except in New York, but I agree. Teri told the kids. The boys had mixed reactions. I don’t want anyone approaching her kids though.”

“
Of course not. It would get back to Teri and she’d blame you. I’m going to start on the other end. You pay the phone bills and credit cards for Sara and the kids, I’ll start there. If they traveled to or called Seattle, it should be pretty obvious.”

“
One more thing, if you would, Tim,” Paul’s hesitation got Tim’s attention.

“
Yes?”

“
Flynn Peterson.”

“
You think he’s involved?”

“
No, I don’t,” Paul’s answer was immediate. His involvement wasn’t a concern, but something had Flynn on Paul’s mind.

“
What about him then?” Tim pressed.

“
I’m afraid I’ve given him an opening.”

“
And you’d like to know your opponent. I didn’t take the time to look into him before because you and Teri seemed to be off to a decent start. I’ll have a full workup before he hears opportunity knocking. Now, are you at home or the office?”

“
Still at the office. There’s a car waiting.”

“
Then go home and get some sleep. There’s nothing else you can do tonight anyway besides pray she comes to her senses and gives you a chance to explain.”

“
I’m afraid I lost her trust when I didn’t come forward on my own, Tim.”

“
Then start planning flowers and apologetic gestures and I’ll take it from here to make sure nothing else happens.”

“
Thank you.”

Tim hung up with Paul and called Paul
’s driver. He told him Paul would be down shortly and asked him to wait once he dropped off Paul. Without hesitation, Tim got up and dressed quickly. Like Paul, Tim had a shower and spare suits in his office downtown. Paul didn’t have many emergencies come up, but both of them could live at the office if they needed to.

Once dressed
, he called the phone company for Paul’s Phoenix estate where Sara lived with Olivia and Chad. The customer service agent insisted they didn’t have access to the call records. Her supervisor insisted he didn’t have any way to retrieve the information, short of a subpoena, until the billing cycle closed. Tim didn’t want to deal with this. He had him change the billing cycle. It would still take two days to get the records, but at least he knew the longest he would have to wait.

He left the apartment to find the car and driver waiting. As he rode to the office
, Tim focused completely on handling the problem. The goal, of course, was to help Paul win Teri back. Condemnation for her refusal to let Paul explain didn’t cross Tim’s mind, and he wouldn’t have dwelt on it even if it had. It simply didn’t matter and it would just distract him from what needed to be done. Whoever told Teri would have to be dealt with. Paul supported his family, and asked very little in return. Sabotaging his relationships endangered their fragile truce.

The car pulled up to the front lobby of the office building. Sometime during the short trip a light rain started to fall
, but Tim ignored it and told the driver not to wait for him. Paul’s company contracted with a service and the driver’s replacement would be waiting for Paul in the morning.

Tim briefly considered suggesting Paul take the morning off tomorrow
, but pushed it aside. If Paul needed time in the morning he would take it. Tim made a mental note to watch him for any impact that might be noticeable to anyone else. The building’s security guard met Tim at the door and let him in, nodding to the driver that it was okay to leave.

Tim walked through the lobby and rode the elevator in silence. He let h
imself into the outer office, nodded to the guard on duty there, and walked back to his office.

Almost a mirror image of Paul
’s informal office, the resemblance ended there. Where Paul’s office was a refuge, a home away from home, Tim’s revealed little about his personal life or interests. A casual observer might think Tim collected antique humidors and cigar boxes, but in fact, Tim just found these to be an acceptable way to store small items. The only things of any sentimental value were the potted cacti in the window.

Tim tossed his notepad on his desk as he strode straight for the door connecting his office to Paul
’s. Once in Paul’s office, Tim checked quickly to ensure everything was in order. He walked over to Paul’s desk and sat down.

Paul kept his desk impeccably neat as a rule
, so the disorder was an indicator of how disturbed he was. Tim didn’t need clues like this. He knew Paul well enough to know just how hard he’d fallen for Teri, and how deeply he must be feeling her rejection.

He straightened the desk
, taking careful inventory as he did so. A broken pencil went into his pocket for disposal in his trash rather than Paul’s. Paul hated to lose his temper and a reminder, even in the garbage, would be unwelcome in the morning. Several pictures were scattered across the desk and Tim gathered them up neatly. The envelope for the pictures felt thin, and Tim double checked the number. Sure enough, several were missing. He took the time to compare the pictures to the negatives and made a list of what to reprint.

With the desk tidy
, pictures in the drawer, and the room in order, Tim returned to his office. Setting the list of reprints and negatives on his desk, Tim detoured to the mini-bar. He made himself a pineapple spritzer, pulled a box of baked wheat crackers out of a cabinet, and returned to his desk.

Snacking as he went
, Tim logged into his computer and the cell phone account for the company. He pulled up Sara’s call log first, looking for any calls to Seattle. It was hard not to be judgmental; Paul’s wife was a bitch. Tim didn’t delude himself into thinking Paul was perfect, only that Sara was much further from it. He was so surprised that there weren’t any calls that he checked again, but it was no use. Not seriously letting Sara off the hook, Tim checked the records for Olivia and Chad’s cell phones with the same outcome.

Blaine
’s phone records were more interesting. He received a call from Spokane, Washington the day before yesterday. It was on the other side of the state, but still suspicious. Tim made note of the number and looked to see if there had been previous calls to or from that number in the past month, then two. There hadn’t. He tried to perform a reverse search on the number, but it yielded no results. There were no outbound calls to Washington at all. Reluctantly Tim accepted a temporary delay in his quest to find who sabotaged Paul’s relationship.

Glancing at the time
, Tim set himself to work compiling information on Flynn Peterson. He put on their latest CD while he reviewed the information with a critical eye.

Flynn accumulated ex-wives and girlfriends like a collector. It appeared to be due to drugs
, alcohol, and infidelity; and it left a sour taste in Tim’s mouth. This was the man Paul was worried about losing Teri to? He wasn’t personally familiar with the woman, but he was under the impression she was intelligent. That women were sometimes attracted to bad boys wasn’t a concept he seriously considered.

Despite his doubts about the danger Flynn Peterson actually posed
, Tim dutifully compiled first a fact sheet, then a detailed biography. He paid particular attention to Flynn’s shortcomings and the current state of his third marriage. That he was still married was a small blessing, but Tim vowed to make sure the information was current and his third wife hadn’t filed yet. From recent photos, Flynn was probably cheating on her, so she had every reason to.

The document on Flynn finished printing
, but it was still too early to call the investigator he wanted to use for this situation. Tim set an alarm on his phone and reclined on his sofa for a quick nap. He was uneasy though. It was too easy to find information about Flynn and it worried him how easy it might be for someone to find the same information about Paul. He routinely checked to make sure someone sitting at the Internet for a few hours wouldn’t be able to find anything, but information was becoming more and more accessible. Tim decided to have the investigator look into that as well. After all, he didn’t want surprises from Flynn next if Paul couldn’t pull things back together with Teri quickly.

It was as if Lexi had dropped off the face of the earth
, Flynn thought. He made inquiries, but he couldn’t find anyone who knew her socially. He was beginning to wonder if she even had a life outside of work. Flynn just wanted to see her again, alone and off the record. He had an investigator start watching Paul Lovett a couple of weeks ago out of desperation, but without success. Paul stayed in New York and Lexi wasn’t anywhere near him.

His wife noticed. Wendy no doubt thought he was having a
nother affair. In a way he was. He’d like to. He should just file for divorce himself and get it over with. Flynn sat in his music room, dug his phone out of his pocket, and called Drew.

“
Tell me what time it is in Sydney. It’s too early for me to check,” Drew answered blearily. Flynn checked the time and flushed with embarrassment as he did the math. Flynn was in New York, but Drew was in Sydney and it wasn’t quite four in the morning there.

“
It’s four. Sorry. I forgot you were visiting your mum,” Flynn apologized. “But since you’re up now . . .”

“
Hold on,” Drew groaned. Flynn heard some faint swearing as Drew stumbled out of the bedroom. “All right, we can talk. Go.”

“
Will you see if I’m mental?”

“
You are. Problem solved.”

“
Yeah, right. Listen, it’s the Lexi thing.”

“
Of course it is. Has Wendy caught on to your obsession yet?”

“
I think she suspects I’m having an affair.”

“
Close enough. She gonna leave you?”

“
No sign of it. Actually I was thinking of just calling it and filing first this time. I mean, let’s be realistic, it’s been over for a while now anyway.”

“
Has it? She seems pretty determined to make it work, Flynn. She forgives you over and over.”

“
On the affairs, I suppose. Except when you and I hook up. Ever since Dee spoke to her, I get the cold shoulder when I’ve been around you. Even when it’s only as coworkers.”

“
Yes, my wife brings out the worst in your wives, doesn’t she? Sorry about that.”

“
Thanks. Water under the bridge now. So am I nuts to just call it?”

“
Wendy would say so. She’d say just quit the business, retire, and live out your life in the style and luxury you deserve. She’d no doubt skim over your affairs, me being the obvious exception. So I’ll take this opportunity to tell you to bloody well knock it off.”

“
I know, I know.”

“
Have you considered therapy? Not marital, just you?”

“
Not a problem.”

“
You’ve licked the coke, weed, cigarettes, and alcohol. Now it’s time to admit you might have a new problem.”

“
Knock it off, Drew. Everything was fine for years. It’s only been the past year and half or so and you know it.”

“
So what changed? Why isn’t it working with Wendy anymore? You’d better think that over before you throw it all away and try to move on. You might not have someone waiting for you after it’s said and done.”

“
I know.”

“
And it’s better to be alone?”

“
Than this? Yes.”

“
Tell me,” Drew ordered.

“
Not now.”

“
She’s home?”

“
Yup.”

Drew sighed.
“I’m flying out of Sydney soon. I’ll meet you in L.A. We need to tweak that movie soundtrack and we can talk about it there. Dee’s staying here so I’ll be sans wife. I assume you will be too so they’re both going to kill us later.”

“
I’m on thin ice already, but you’re not. Are you sure?”

“
Can’t be helped. She’ll get over it. It’s always a little chilly with her later, you know?”

“
I do. I’m sorry,” Flynn whispered. “Thanks, Drew.”

“
Yeah, well, you’ve always been there for me. Listen, I’m going back to sleep, okay?”

“
Yeah, sorry again.”

“
It’s fine. Hold tight, I’ll see you soon. I love you.”

“
I love you too.”

Flynn was ready to hang up when Drew
’s tentative voice stopped him. “Flynn?”

“
Yeah?” Flynn answered, instantly tuned-in to Drew’s apprehension.

“
Will Lexi understand? I’ll try to keep Dee away, but we can’t count on her not giving Lexi the low-down on our history. You mentioned you had a feeling about her, that she was different. Will she understand about us?”

“
I hope so.”

“
All right. See ya.”

Flynn heard the click and silence. He trusted Drew to set him straight
, regardless of what he wanted to do. Drew was on Wendy’s side, which is where Flynn needed him. The first few years with Wendy were great. The last couple were his fault, he guessed. He was straying and he wished he knew why. He loved her. They didn’t have kids of their own, maybe it would have helped if they did. She had a teenage daughter, he had two. His girls lived with Trisha in London most of the time. Wendy’s daughter, Mindy, lived with them.

It
’d be hard on Mindy if he left, Flynn thought. Her father paid little attention to her and, although she didn’t call Flynn “dad,” she thought of him like one. Hell, when he was at home he spent more time with Mindy than Wendy did. Mindy didn’t share her mother’s passion for horses, so she preferred to listen to Flynn pluck out tunes on a guitar to the never ending ramble about shows and breeding.

“
Flynn?” It was Mindy. Flynn closed his laptop and motioned her in.

“
What’s up?” He turned as she sat on the sofa next to him. She fingered the guitar leaning up against the end table.

“
I heard you talking to Drew.”

Flynn braced himself and nodded.

“Are you leaving Mom?”

“
Min, this isn’t -”

“
Isn’t something you should be discussing with me. Okay, disclaimer aside and off the record. Are you?”

Flynn hesitated.
“Things have been . . .”

“
Tense. Yeah, I got that. Mom seems upset and you’ve been sleeping around. You didn’t used to.”

“
Yeah, I noticed that too.”

“
It’s funny, I kinda get the impression that’s not what Mom’s mad about.”

“
No, it’s not really. It’s a symptom, not the problem.”

Mindy nodded
. Flynn knew it wasn’t over. He looked out of the open door, relieved there was no sign of Wendy.

“
Flynn? Do you still love her?”

“
Yes. That’s not always enough.”

“
You love someone else too.”

Flynn paused. Had she seen him on the Internet? Would it matter? It was just blogs and chat rooms
, no pictures of Lexi were posted anywhere. “What makes you think that?” He asked, hoping he hadn’t paused too long.

“
You just seem like you’ve been thinking about something a lot lately. I think it’s someone else.”

Mindy watched him for a reaction. Hoping for a denial
, he supposed. He couldn’t really tell his stepdaughter that he was considering throwing away his marriage over an obsession with a woman he’d met briefly twice, might never see again, and in all probability couldn’t have anyway; it was madness. If he didn’t understand it, he certainly couldn’t ask Mindy or Wendy to.

“
I think that’s just a symptom too. Thinking about what I can’t have. I’m meeting up with Drew in L.A. It’ll make your mom pretty mad, but with any luck, he’ll sort me out.”

“
Mom used to like Drew, but she doesn’t anymore.”

“
No, she doesn’t. Her attitude toward Drew doesn’t change the friendship we’ve shared for a long time. He’ll take her side. He already has. Sadly he’s got a better chance of talking sense into me than she does right now.”

“
That’s not right,” Mindy frowned. Flynn reached out and pinched her chin.

“
It’s not. But if he can put me back on track, it doesn’t matter.”

Paul had to summon all his willpower to pull himself out of bed. Losing Teri weighed on him all night and he barely slept. He repeatedly vowed he’d make this right. First he had to get her to listen, but not over the phone. Paul needed to apologize in person, at least at some point, and explain in person. That was important. He couldn’t go to Seattle without her permission, it would upset her even more. First he had to get her to listen then agree to meet him.

It was a simple plan and desperately pathetic. As all plans need to start somewhere
, his first instinct was to call Teri.

He reached for the phone and caught himself. Waking her at three in the morning wouldn
’t earn him points. He had time to go to the office and see what Tim had accomplished last night before the West Coast woke up.

Paul went through his morning routine quickly and arrived at the office early. Tim was setting a report on his desk when he walked into his office.

“Did you sleep at all?” Paul asked as he looked over Tim and his own tidy desk. He certainly didn’t leave it like that.

“
Tried, didn’t get anywhere. I’ll probably catch a nap later. The balls are in play as far as finding the leak. I can’t see Flynn Peterson being a serious challenge,” Tim said, indicating the report.

“
Assuming Teri will listen to a thing I tell her. Flynn could be the Green River Killer himself and it wouldn’t matter if she won’t listen to me.” Paul sat, picked up the picture on his desk, and stared at it tenderly.

“
Short of being a serial killer, who’s already been caught by the way, I can’t see Flynn being a threat,” Tim gave Paul a tight smile. “He’s his own worst enemy, Paul. He may have his sights set on Teri, but he’d sabotage the relationship if he ever did manage to get her. It’s his pattern of behavior and only a matter of time.”

“
Well, that’s something at least,” Paul sighed. He put the picture down. Maybe there was hope after all. If he couldn’t get Teri to talk to him before Flynn got to her, he’d be there to pick up the pieces later.

“
Paul? I got that email on the designers. Pure genius!” Tyler Wise poked his head into the office.

“
I’m glad you like it. Run with it. Get back to me when it’s done,” Paul waved him away. Tyler didn’t take the hint fast enough and Tim closed the door on him.

“
Don’t let me fire anyone today,” Paul said.

“
Not even Wise? Fine. How about you go home and don’t even talk to anyone today?”

“
I’d just stew. I’m waiting around until it’s a decent hour on the West Coast.” Paul paused. “Or should I send flowers first and call later?”

“
This really shook you up if you’re asking me when you should be asking Kayley.”

“
Kayley’s playing in Europe somewhere. I don’t want to bother her.”

“
I’ll mention it again if it looks like you need it.”

“
Of course you will, Tim,” Paul smiled. “That’s why I keep you around. Time to get some work done.”

“
Hmm, me too.” Tim returned to his own office and Paul moved to the sofa to enjoy his coffee while he read up on Flynn. By the time Paul finished the report, he was convinced Tim was probably right. He’d still prefer to make up with Teri rather than console her after Flynn finished with her.

He didn
’t question Flynn would jump on the opportunity. Teri caught his attention and he went out of his way to meet her a second time. He’d lost her, but Paul doubted Flynn would let that stop him. Flynn had resources too, it was just a matter of using them. Of course he could be overestimating Flynn’s interest. As Tim pointed out, Flynn’s affection tended to wander.

Paul thought about it as he got up. He walked over to his desk and tucked the report in a drawer under the envelope of pictures Tim cleaned up the night before. Paul deliberately ignored the contents of the envelope and closed the drawer.

The pictures were from Miami, and several of Teri included Flynn in the background. He didn’t care before, but those bothered him after the disastrous call to Teri. Flynn’s figure seemed to draw his eye every time he looked at the photos. It felt childish, but he ripped up those pictures last night, tossing the pieces a few at a time out the window on the way home. It was therapy.

He left his cozy informal office for his cold corporate killer one. Literally in this case
, there was a temperature drop as he passed through the door. It didn’t matter, he wasn’t staying, but it bothered him. Exiting to the hall, Lia Nguyen, the executive secretary he shared with Tim, turned immediately to see what he needed. Lia noticed the coffee cup in his hand and stood with a smile.