Beth worked the kinks out of her neck and checked her watch. More than three hours had passed, and yet she was still on the outskirts of nowhere. Alice had remembered her husband talking about Spare the Children and its mission to stop human trafficking, while providing food, clothes, and medical care to the thousands of orphans around the globe. But if the charity had fallen from grace, her husband hadn’t shared that information with her. Furthermore, Alice had never heard of D.K. Financials. Nor had she come across any correspondence from them while going through Paul’s papers.
Natalie also had little to contribute. She promised to check every drawer in the pastor’s desk, but any mail that appeared to be financial in nature would have been given to Ralph Buckley. Because he kept his files at home, only a search warrant could access them. And no judge on earth would give one of those to a PI. Beth’s attempt to locate other churches affiliated with D.K. Financials was also an abysmal failure. It was time to admit defeat. It was also time to make amends with her partner.
Beth found Michael where she’d left him—bent over his computer in the back cubicle. “Hey, partner. I’m here to beg forgiveness for my chronic and compulsive rudeness.”
Michael glanced over his shoulder. “Sounds like a new-age disease that requires years of expensive therapy.”
“Either that or a strawberry banana split with extra whipped cream.”
His smile was slow in coming but worth the wait. “I’m betting you hit a wall with your Google search, so you’ve come to offer an olive branch.”
“You know me well.”
Michael pulled off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Actually, I don’t know you at all. You put up roadblocks at every corner.”
“In that case I’ll grant you three questions. Ask me anything and I will give you honest answers.”
He leaned back in his chair. “Do you really prefer strawberry ice cream with bananas to hot fudge with toasted almonds?”
“Most definitely. That was your first question.” Beth wiggled two fingers.
“What do you really think of my Charger SRT 392?”
She stared at the ceiling. “At first I thought it was extravagant and not worth the high cost of fuel, insurance, and possible speeding tickets. Then I changed my mind. Life is short, so why not drive something you like? Me, I’m saving twenty bucks a month for a Dooney and Bourke purse—a real one, not a knockoff.” Beth lifted a third finger. “One to go, buster, so make it count.”
“What did I do to annoy you? We got along fine in Denver. Now there’s a wall around you a mile high.”
“Why, because I didn’t want pancakes first thing this morning? Am I not allowed to be in a bad mood? Why would this have anything to do with you?”
Michael crossed his arms. “You just asked three questions before giving me my final straight answer.”
“Some questions are tougher than others,” she said after a tense few moments. “Why are you pushing this?”
“Because I spent the last two years with my head in the sand. Everyone around me saw the breakup coming. Everyone but me.”
Beth waved her hands through the air like an irate basketball referee. “You and I are work partners. This is nothing like you and what’s-her-name.”
“Rachel. Her name is Rachel. And I know that. But even my friends never clued me in that I was a fool.”
“You can’t be sure. Maybe your friends didn’t want to make trouble based on speculation.”
Michael shrugged. “Regardless, I want people in my life who’ll let me know when I have broccoli in my teeth, or my jokes aren’t funny, or that I’m not giving them enough space. Otherwise, I might as well get a dog from the pound.”
“First the car, now a dog? You’re putting roots down in Natchez.”
“Maybe, we’ll see. Or maybe I’ll move to Hollywood and become a rock star. Talk, Kirby. Is my know-it-all personality getting on your nerves?”
“Nope. A true know-it-all wouldn’t ask that. It’s something stupid my mother said.” Beth averted her gaze, hoping the answer was written on the ceiling. “I had fun in Denver too and came home with the idea we could be good friends. We have the same sense of humor.”
“So what did Rita say to change that? I thought she liked me.”
“She does like you, but she thinks it’s impossible for men and women to be just friends.” Beth let a few moments spin out. “One of them will develop feelings the other doesn’t share.”
“Sounds like she bases her conclusion on your relationship with Chief McNeil.”
Beth didn’t like where this was headed, but she couldn’t turn back now. “Maybe, and judging by my past history, she could be right. I read too much into the chief’s attention.”
“He probably didn’t try very hard to discourage you.”
“Whatever,” she said, rolling her eyes. “How do we know I won’t develop a mad crush on you?”
Michael threw his head back and laughed. “That would have already happened by now. I know you don’t fall asleep thinking about me.”
“I dream solely about all-you-can-eat dessert buffets.”
“As for me, I enjoy your company and have nothing but respect for you.”
“Sounds like how I’d describe my Aunt Colette.”
“I describe you like a partner and hopefully a lifetime friend, even if I end up in Hollywood.”
“That’s the best offer I’ve had in a long time.” Beth felt herself relax.
“We create our own future. You and I don’t have to fall into any pigeonhole your mom or anyone else creates. Let’s just be honest with each other. Then we won’t go too far off track.”
“I gave a few pointers in the gym and on the firing range, and you teach me a new paradigm about relationships. Who knew you had this inside you?”
“Sometimes I surprise even myself.” Michael turned his attention back to his computer.
Beth pushed papers aside to perch on his desk. “One more thing…could you help me find the names of other churches that might have been defrauded? None of my search engines turned up even an irate blogger.”
Michael reached for a piece of paper in the printer tray. “One step ahead of you. These are clients who contributed to Elliott Rayburn’s charity from Mississippi and the adjacent states.”
Beth grabbed the sheet to peruse. “How on earth did you get this? Did you hack into their database? Is that legal?”
“Probably not, but we won’t be submitting these names in any court of law. If those on the right side of the law don’t use the same tactics as criminals, we don’t stand a chance against cybercrime. This is a new world. The days of Pretty Boy Floyd sticking up a bank in Oklahoma are over. All it takes now is a geek with a poorly developed ethical code and high-speed Internet.”
“Ah, you paid attention in PI school. The Fourth and Fifth Amendments protect citizens from the government, but not from one another. Private police, if not deputized, are just citizens and can legally do things public police cannot.” Beth pushed up to stand. “Thanks. I’ll start checking these right now. In return I’ll buy you a sundae after work.”
“Any kind I want?”
“Yep, and price is no object.”
“Let’s go now and have ice cream for a late lunch. You can check into those churches later.” Michael rose to his feet.
“What about your Iron Man competition? Aren’t you on a protein and plain vegetable diet?”
“I’m so far ahead of the competition I can afford one high-fat meal.” He flexed a bicep. “Wrap your hand around that if there’s any doubt.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” But as she stepped past him, she punched him squarely in the solar plexus. “Wow, hard as a rock. You have been taking the workouts seriously. Good thing I’m still a better shot.” Beth grabbed her purse on her way down the hall.
Gentlemanly as ever, Michael opened the door for her. “Soon none of the females will be able to kick sand in my face.”
Beth doubted any could now and knew for a fact this one didn’t want to. A friend like Michael Preston was worth a barrelful of boyfriends any day.