Addison couldn’t help but feeling like the third wheel even though she’d invited him over. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air.
“Well, I don’t want to hold you up any longer than necessary, Mr. Gibbs,” Addison said, pointing to a chair at the table.
“Please, call me Harrison,” he said with a warm smile as he took a seat. “Are you going to join us, Adele?”
She smiled. It was a smile Addison had never seen on her mother before. Was that a flirtatious smile she just saw?
“Sure. If Addison doesn’t mind…”
“I don’t mind,” Addison said, feeling more like she was chaperoning two high school kids than sitting with a private investigator.
“Now, Addison, you told me a little about your husband, but what I need to know is all the places you know he traveled during the time period he was with Tiffani. The earlier the better.”
“Well, I don’t know if he was where he said he was…”
“Come up with a list of places that you know he likes to frequent. Restaurants, coffee houses, offices, parks, vacation spots, and so forth. I have lots of contacts in Atlanta who can help me comb over surveillance video to see if we can catch anything untoward that will help your case. Given what you’ve told me thus far, I bet we can catch him in enough of a compromising situation to get the leverage you need.” He took a sip of his tea and winked at Adele. What was that?
“Really? So there’s hope?” Addison asked.
“There’s always hope,” he said with a smile. “Trust me. Guys like him think they’re above the law, so he probably got sloppy somewhere along the way. He thought he had you snowed, so I doubt he was very careful.”
“He did have me snowed.”
“No. You were a caring, devoted wife who trusted her husband. You did nothing wrong.”
“Actually, I did do something wrong.”
“Well, maybe not the best decision ever made, but you reacted to something very upsetting, Addison,” Adele interjected.
They sat and talked for another twenty minutes or so, and Addison really liked Harrison Gibbs. He seemed kind and cordial and laid back. And Adele seemed interested. Very interested.
“Listen, I’ve got to run an errand, but it was so nice meeting you, Harrison. I can’t wait to see what you find. Mom, you’ll see him out?” she asked, smiling slyly behind Harrison’s head.
“Of course, dear,” Adele said pursing her lips and trying not to smile back.
***
Addison walked with purpose as she headed toward the ferry. Maybe she would get some money out of her divorce settlement after all. At least she had some renewed hope because Harrison Gibbs seemed to think there may be evidence somewhere. And she hoped with everything she had that he’d find it.
Thoughts of the Mallory house danced through her head, and she made sure to spot the for sale sign still sitting in the yard as she passed it on the way to the ferry. She had to tell Clay the good news. He was becoming her best friend in town, and he understood her dream of owning a B&B.
“Hey!” she called as she walked down the dock. He was typing up the ferry and smiled as he waved at her. He looked especially hot today with his gray Henley shirt and form hugging jeans.
“Hey yourself! What are you doing down here so late in the day?”
“I have some good news. Well, actually I just have news, but I wanted to share it with someone.”
“And you picked me? I feel so honored,” he said grinning with his hand over his heart. “What’s up?”
“Well, I met with a private investigator today and he thinks he might be able to get enough dirt on Jim to get him to back down a little. If that happens, I might get enough money to open my B&B!” she said smiling, being careful to keep her sweater tightly pulled over her belly.
“That’s great, Addison!” he said walking over and hugging her tightly. Could he feel
“Well, I don’t want to hold you up any longer than necessary, Mr. Gibbs,” Addison said, pointing to a chair at the table.
“Please, call me Harrison,” he said with a warm smile as he took a seat. “Are you going to join us, Adele?”
She smiled. It was a smile Addison had never seen on her mother before. Was that a flirtatious smile she just saw?
“Sure. If Addison doesn’t mind…”
“I don’t mind,” Addison said, feeling more like she was chaperoning two high school kids than sitting with a private investigator.
“Now, Addison, you told me a little about your husband, but what I need to know is all the places you know he traveled during the time period he was with Tiffani. The earlier the better.”
“Well, I don’t know if he was where he said he was…”
“Come up with a list of places that you know he likes to frequent. Restaurants, coffee houses, offices, parks, vacation spots, and so forth. I have lots of contacts in Atlanta who can help me comb over surveillance video to see if we can catch anything untoward that will help your case. Given what you’ve told me thus far, I bet we can catch him in enough of a compromising situation to get the leverage you need.” He took a sip of his tea and winked at Adele. What was that?
“Really? So there’s hope?” Addison asked.
“There’s always hope,” he said with a smile. “Trust me. Guys like him think they’re above the law, so he probably got sloppy somewhere along the way. He thought he had you snowed, so I doubt he was very careful.”
“He did have me snowed.”
“No. You were a caring, devoted wife who trusted her husband. You did nothing wrong.”
“Actually, I did do something wrong.”
“Well, maybe not the best decision ever made, but you reacted to something very upsetting, Addison,” Adele interjected.
They sat and talked for another twenty minutes or so, and Addison really liked Harrison Gibbs. He seemed kind and cordial and laid back. And Adele seemed interested. Very interested.
“Listen, I’ve got to run an errand, but it was so nice meeting you, Harrison. I can’t wait to see what you find. Mom, you’ll see him out?” she asked, smiling slyly behind Harrison’s head.
“Of course, dear,” Adele said pursing her lips and trying not to smile back.
***
Addison walked with purpose as she headed toward the ferry. Maybe she would get some money out of her divorce settlement after all. At least she had some renewed hope because Harrison Gibbs seemed to think there may be evidence somewhere. And she hoped with everything she had that he’d find it.
Thoughts of the Mallory house danced through her head, and she made sure to spot the for sale sign still sitting in the yard as she passed it on the way to the ferry. She had to tell Clay the good news. He was becoming her best friend in town, and he understood her dream of owning a B&B.
“Hey!” she called as she walked down the dock. He was typing up the ferry and smiled as he waved at her. He looked especially hot today with his gray Henley shirt and form hugging jeans.
“Hey yourself! What are you doing down here so late in the day?”
“I have some good news. Well, actually I just have news, but I wanted to share it with someone.”
“And you picked me? I feel so honored,” he said grinning with his hand over his heart. “What’s up?”
“Well, I met with a private investigator today and he thinks he might be able to get enough dirt on Jim to get him to back down a little. If that happens, I might get enough money to open my B&B!” she said smiling, being careful to keep her sweater tightly pulled over her belly.
“That’s great, Addison!” he said walking over and hugging her tightly. Could he feel
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