The following is another excerpt from my work in progress, The Throuple Private Eye—Business is Booming, a Jen McDowell Series. This is the second draft. I’m at 50k words now. If you want to catch up, order the novella The Throuple Private Eye—Hate Crimes, on Amazon ($2.99). The link is https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084LTTHGN. Enjoy.
CHAPTER 14
Jen monitored Jimmy’s moment on her computer with the tracking software. A pattern was clear; Jimmy spent the weekdays with his family and weekends with his fiancé. He always went to work on weekdays and drove around Atlanta showing potential buyers houses. On Fridays he would switch to the BMW and go to the luxury apartments to stay through the weekend. Of coursed now he was married to Chang Ying. On Monday mornings he would switch to the Honda on the way to work and then go home to his family that night. Using similar names like Richards and Richardson made it easier to keep things straight.
By Thursday, Jen was ready to pay visit to Mrs. Richardson. First, she made sure Jimmy was busy with a buyer and wouldn’t drop in at home. This time Jen was prepared. She wore her blades and brought some fliers she had made. Now that she knew where Jimmy lived, she could park closer. She arrived at Jimmy’s front door and knocked. A pretty, Caucasian woman about Jimmy’s age answered the door with two kids in tow.
“Hello,” Jen said. “My name is Mary Smith and I live a couple blocks down the street. I wonder if you have seen my cat.” Jen held out a flier with the picture of a cat that she had downloaded from the internet. “She ran way and hasn’t come home. I’m post these fliers and knocking on doors hoping that someone has seen her.”
The woman took the flier and looked at it. “I’m afraid not. There aren’t many cats in the neighborhood.” She started to close the door.
Jen stopped her. “I wonder if I could get a glass of water, please. I’ve been walking around all morning and I forgot to bring water.”
The woman opened the door wider and motioned for Jen to come in. “Please sit down and I’ll get you some water. I think I have a bottle I can give you.”
A few minutes later, the woman came back with a bottle of water and handed it to Jen. “Thanks,” Jen said, “Mrs…”
“Lourie,” the woman said. My name is Lourie Richardson.”
“Is your husband home? Perhaps he’s seen my cat.”
“No, he’s at work. He’s in real estate. I doubt he’d notice a cat around here. He works every day.”
“Every day?” Jen asked.
“Yes,” Lourie answered. “He shows buyers around during the week and on weekend he teaches a real estate class in Savannah.”
“Savannah?” Jen asked.
“Yes,” Lourie replied. “In order to become real estate agents, people must complete a 75 hours course online. Then they must pass an exam before they can apply for a license. Jimmy drives to Savannah every weekend to teach a review before people take the exam. His company pays for a hotel, so Jimmy stays in Savannah for the weekend.”
Clever, Jen thought. She thanked Lourie for the water and left. She knew Jimmy would go to the apartment where his fiancé lives after work on Friday. She decided to follow him and find out where his fiancé lives. She waited until 4 pm and drove over to the apartment building. She hid near the garage and waited for someone to enter. When they did, she snuck inside and found a spot not covered by security cameras and waited. She monitored Jimmy’s movements on her laptop. When he arrived, he parked in his designated parking spot and walked over to the elevator. When he entered the elevator and the doors closed, Jen rushed over to the elevator. The signal at the top indicated that Jimmy exited at the eleventh floor. That’s all she could do for now, so she went home.
On Monday, Jen knew Jimmy would head to work and then go home that night to Lourie. She thought it would be a good time to pay a visit with Jimmy’s fiancé. She got there early when she knew people would be leaving the building for work. That made it easy to sneak inside the garage. She took the elevator to the eleventh floor. Once there, she saw what she was looking for--a housekeeper. “Excuse me,” Jen interrupted her work. I’m looking for a woman that I was supposed to meet here. I know she lives on this floor, but I forgot her apartment number. Perhaps you know her. She’s Chinese. Sorry, but I don’t know her name.”
“Oh,” said the housekeeper. “You must mean Ms. Li. She’s the only Chinese person in the building. She lives in apartment 14.”
CHAPTER 14
Jen monitored Jimmy’s moment on her computer with the tracking software. A pattern was clear; Jimmy spent the weekdays with his family and weekends with his fiancé. He always went to work on weekdays and drove around Atlanta showing potential buyers houses. On Fridays he would switch to the BMW and go to the luxury apartments to stay through the weekend. Of coursed now he was married to Chang Ying. On Monday mornings he would switch to the Honda on the way to work and then go home to his family that night. Using similar names like Richards and Richardson made it easier to keep things straight.
By Thursday, Jen was ready to pay visit to Mrs. Richardson. First, she made sure Jimmy was busy with a buyer and wouldn’t drop in at home. This time Jen was prepared. She wore her blades and brought some fliers she had made. Now that she knew where Jimmy lived, she could park closer. She arrived at Jimmy’s front door and knocked. A pretty, Caucasian woman about Jimmy’s age answered the door with two kids in tow.
“Hello,” Jen said. “My name is Mary Smith and I live a couple blocks down the street. I wonder if you have seen my cat.” Jen held out a flier with the picture of a cat that she had downloaded from the internet. “She ran way and hasn’t come home. I’m post these fliers and knocking on doors hoping that someone has seen her.”
The woman took the flier and looked at it. “I’m afraid not. There aren’t many cats in the neighborhood.” She started to close the door.
Jen stopped her. “I wonder if I could get a glass of water, please. I’ve been walking around all morning and I forgot to bring water.”
The woman opened the door wider and motioned for Jen to come in. “Please sit down and I’ll get you some water. I think I have a bottle I can give you.”
A few minutes later, the woman came back with a bottle of water and handed it to Jen. “Thanks,” Jen said, “Mrs…”
“Lourie,” the woman said. My name is Lourie Richardson.”
“Is your husband home? Perhaps he’s seen my cat.”
“No, he’s at work. He’s in real estate. I doubt he’d notice a cat around here. He works every day.”
“Every day?” Jen asked.
“Yes,” Lourie answered. “He shows buyers around during the week and on weekend he teaches a real estate class in Savannah.”
“Savannah?” Jen asked.
“Yes,” Lourie replied. “In order to become real estate agents, people must complete a 75 hours course online. Then they must pass an exam before they can apply for a license. Jimmy drives to Savannah every weekend to teach a review before people take the exam. His company pays for a hotel, so Jimmy stays in Savannah for the weekend.”
Clever, Jen thought. She thanked Lourie for the water and left. She knew Jimmy would go to the apartment where his fiancé lives after work on Friday. She decided to follow him and find out where his fiancé lives. She waited until 4 pm and drove over to the apartment building. She hid near the garage and waited for someone to enter. When they did, she snuck inside and found a spot not covered by security cameras and waited. She monitored Jimmy’s movements on her laptop. When he arrived, he parked in his designated parking spot and walked over to the elevator. When he entered the elevator and the doors closed, Jen rushed over to the elevator. The signal at the top indicated that Jimmy exited at the eleventh floor. That’s all she could do for now, so she went home.
On Monday, Jen knew Jimmy would head to work and then go home that night to Lourie. She thought it would be a good time to pay a visit with Jimmy’s fiancé. She got there early when she knew people would be leaving the building for work. That made it easy to sneak inside the garage. She took the elevator to the eleventh floor. Once there, she saw what she was looking for--a housekeeper. “Excuse me,” Jen interrupted her work. I’m looking for a woman that I was supposed to meet here. I know she lives on this floor, but I forgot her apartment number. Perhaps you know her. She’s Chinese. Sorry, but I don’t know her name.”
“Oh,” said the housekeeper. “You must mean Ms. Li. She’s the only Chinese person in the building. She lives in apartment 14.”
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