his eyes, and looked at her. “What was it you wanted to ask?”
She looked at Darrak. She couldn’t talk. Her throat felt thick.
“I’m looking for somebody,” Darrak said. “An old… friend. She’s in the area, but I have no idea how to find her.”
“I’d love to help you out, sport, but I don’t think I can.”
“I know you were in the FBI.” Eden pushed the words out. “And it might be easy for you to locate somebody. A missing person case. My—my brother … he has his heart set on finding this woman. He doesn’t take disappointment very well, especially when he’s… um… off his medication. He might have a tantrum.”
Darrak nodded gravely. “It’s very likely, actually.”
Andy frowned at her. “Did I tell you I was with the Bureau?”
“Not in so many words. But I’d have to be blind not to notice your Distinguished Service Award.” She nodded at the framed document on the wall next to his Hawaiian beach fa ntasy.
He followed her gaze. “I got that a long time ago.”
“So can you help Darrak?” Help me , she added internally.
Andy’s bottom lip wobbled. “I can’t even help myself.”
“Andy, please—”
He held up a hand. “I’m sorry, Eden. Really, I am. But it’s over. This whole façade of a business. I gave it my best shot.”
“There’s got to be a way,” Eden said again and hated the tone of desperation in the words. She knew she sounded like a broken record, but at the moment stubbornness seemed to be the life preserver she was clinging onto as her life sank to the bottom of the proverbial ocean.
He sighed. “The only way I’d even consider staying open is if somebody walks through that door right now willing to pay big bucks for us to take on a new case.”
He pointed at the door just as it opened and a woman entered the office.
“Excuse me,” she asked. “There’s no sign on the door, but I got your address from the phone book. Is this Triple-A Investigations?”
“It is.”
She exhaled with relief, and Eden couldn’t help but notice her eyes were brimming with tears. “I desperately need your help. And money’s no object.”
NINE
Eden exchanged a quick glance with Andy .
The universe at work. Totally.
Andy’s chair scraped against the floor as he quickly got to his feet. He silently stared at the woman for a few moments longer than was comfortable.
She cleared her throat. “Perhaps I’ve come at a bad time.” “No,” Eden said immediately as she began backing up toward the door. “Come in. Please. Andy would be happy to see you right away, wouldn’t you, Andy?”
He was still pointing at the door. His hand dropped slackly to his side. “Well, of course. That timing just freaked me the hell out, is all.”
The woman gave Andy a strange look and instead came toward Eden. She was a tall, willowy, sunny blonde and she wore an expensive Chanel suit. “I’ve never done this before, so I’m not sure how to begin.”
Andy jostled in his desk drawer for a pad of paper. “Please, come sit over here, Miss—?”
“It’s Mrs. Fay Morgan.” She glanced over her shoulder and then back at Eden. “And if you don’t mind, I want to speak to you. Only to you.”
“Me?” Eden pointed to her chest.
“Yes.”
“But, I’m not really…” She twisted a finger in her hair. “I mean, Andy’s the one you need to talk to. He’s got experience up the wazoo when it comes to investigating whatever you want. To be completely truthful, I just help out around here at the moment.”
She shook her head. “I don’t care. I’ll only deal with you.”
Eden opened her mouth to urge her to talk to Andy, when he spoke up.
“That’s just fine. Eden, please take down Mrs. Morgan’s case details. I’ll go next door and get us all some fresh coffee. I haven’t had a chance to make any yet this morning being that I was locked out of the office.”
Before Eden could say anything, Andy pushed open the front door and went
She looked at Darrak. She couldn’t talk. Her throat felt thick.
“I’m looking for somebody,” Darrak said. “An old… friend. She’s in the area, but I have no idea how to find her.”
“I’d love to help you out, sport, but I don’t think I can.”
“I know you were in the FBI.” Eden pushed the words out. “And it might be easy for you to locate somebody. A missing person case. My—my brother … he has his heart set on finding this woman. He doesn’t take disappointment very well, especially when he’s… um… off his medication. He might have a tantrum.”
Darrak nodded gravely. “It’s very likely, actually.”
Andy frowned at her. “Did I tell you I was with the Bureau?”
“Not in so many words. But I’d have to be blind not to notice your Distinguished Service Award.” She nodded at the framed document on the wall next to his Hawaiian beach fa ntasy.
He followed her gaze. “I got that a long time ago.”
“So can you help Darrak?” Help me , she added internally.
Andy’s bottom lip wobbled. “I can’t even help myself.”
“Andy, please—”
He held up a hand. “I’m sorry, Eden. Really, I am. But it’s over. This whole façade of a business. I gave it my best shot.”
“There’s got to be a way,” Eden said again and hated the tone of desperation in the words. She knew she sounded like a broken record, but at the moment stubbornness seemed to be the life preserver she was clinging onto as her life sank to the bottom of the proverbial ocean.
He sighed. “The only way I’d even consider staying open is if somebody walks through that door right now willing to pay big bucks for us to take on a new case.”
He pointed at the door just as it opened and a woman entered the office.
“Excuse me,” she asked. “There’s no sign on the door, but I got your address from the phone book. Is this Triple-A Investigations?”
“It is.”
She exhaled with relief, and Eden couldn’t help but notice her eyes were brimming with tears. “I desperately need your help. And money’s no object.”
NINE
Eden exchanged a quick glance with Andy .
The universe at work. Totally.
Andy’s chair scraped against the floor as he quickly got to his feet. He silently stared at the woman for a few moments longer than was comfortable.
She cleared her throat. “Perhaps I’ve come at a bad time.” “No,” Eden said immediately as she began backing up toward the door. “Come in. Please. Andy would be happy to see you right away, wouldn’t you, Andy?”
He was still pointing at the door. His hand dropped slackly to his side. “Well, of course. That timing just freaked me the hell out, is all.”
The woman gave Andy a strange look and instead came toward Eden. She was a tall, willowy, sunny blonde and she wore an expensive Chanel suit. “I’ve never done this before, so I’m not sure how to begin.”
Andy jostled in his desk drawer for a pad of paper. “Please, come sit over here, Miss—?”
“It’s Mrs. Fay Morgan.” She glanced over her shoulder and then back at Eden. “And if you don’t mind, I want to speak to you. Only to you.”
“Me?” Eden pointed to her chest.
“Yes.”
“But, I’m not really…” She twisted a finger in her hair. “I mean, Andy’s the one you need to talk to. He’s got experience up the wazoo when it comes to investigating whatever you want. To be completely truthful, I just help out around here at the moment.”
She shook her head. “I don’t care. I’ll only deal with you.”
Eden opened her mouth to urge her to talk to Andy, when he spoke up.
“That’s just fine. Eden, please take down Mrs. Morgan’s case details. I’ll go next door and get us all some fresh coffee. I haven’t had a chance to make any yet this morning being that I was locked out of the office.”
Before Eden could say anything, Andy pushed open the front door and went
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