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I looked up at the night sky, knowing going inside was a terrible idea, since if I did, I wouldn’t want to leave. “I should get going. We have an early start tomorrow.” Over dinner, I’d convinced her to fly to California the next day.
“Right.”
The other reason I wouldn’t take her up on her offer to go inside was because I wanted to contact Doc and see what K19 could find out about Hailey Watson.
Why would someone who earned her kind of money, about to marry a man worth billions, care about a piece of property off the South Shore of Long Island? Something wasn’t adding up.
“This is an interesting development,” Pen said, glancing at her phone. “My dad sent another text. It seems Hailey isn’t as anxious for us to meet as he is.” Her eyes met mine. “Is it me, or does something seem off?”
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
“What should we do?”
“We should still make the trip. After we were finished in LA, I was going to suggest we head up to Montecito to meet with Doc and Merrigan and discuss our plan. Maybe if we head up there first, it’ll give you time to talk your dad into getting together anyway.”
She sighed. “Montecito is so close to Cambria.”
The town was two hours north of where we’d be and was where Quinn and her husband, Mercer, lived full-time, and where Ava and her husband, Razor, had a vacation home. I also remembered hearing Aine and her husband, Striker, may have bought a place there too.
“If you’d like, we could head up there before we return to LA. I’d like to visit as well, especially since I understand Tara and Knox are there now, too. As you know, I haven’t seen her yet.”
“The agents asked me to schedule a meeting to inform Ava, Aine, and Quinn about the forgeries, but I’m uncomfortable waiting that long. Who knows when I’d be able to get everyone to New York, and I already feel bad enough that it’ll be five days tomorrow since I’ve known.”
“Then, we’ll make a point of it. Now, let’s get you inside,” I said when it started to sprinkle. I’d heard rumbles of thunder; the last sounded closer than the first.
I walked her up the steps to the front door and waited while she punched in her code to turn off the alarm.
“Should we meet at JFK in the morning? Would that be easier?” Pen asked.
I wrapped my arm around her waist. “A car will be waiting outside tomorrow morning at six, and I’ll be in it.”
She smiled. “Thank you, Brand, for everything.”
“My pleasure,” I said, leaning in to kiss her. Unlike earlier, I limited this one to a brush of my lips. If it were anything more, I’d lose my resolve to return to my hotel. I’d dropped my bags off when I checked in. Having to stop there tomorrow to pick them up would complicate our plans.
“You’d better go before the weather gets worse,” she said when we heard another clap of thunder.
After reiterating I’d see her in the morning, I quickly made my way west, to Park Avenue, where I knew there’d be plenty of taxis I could hail. Hail. That’s how Pen’s father referred to his soon-to-be-eighth wife. Maybe. Like Pen said, something seemed off.
Rather than wait, I placed a call to Doc as soon as I was inside the cab.
“Hey, Brand. How did it go with Penelope?”
“Slow at first, but she warmed up quickly. She said she wanted to think it over, but I predict she’ll go along with it.”
I told him she and I were catching a flight to LA the next day and filled him in on the conversation Pen had had with her father.
“I agree that what you told me about Harold’s girlfriend doesn’t add up. I’ll do some digging and let you know tomorrow if I find anything. I remember Quinn talking about the place on the island. From what she’s said, it would be a tragedy if someone tore it down or even rehabbed it.”
“I’d appreciate it very much if you’d take a look. Oh, and just so you know, I haven’t told Penelope about the second part of the plan since it doesn’t involve her.”
“Roger that, Brand.”
I thanked him again and said I’d be in touch after we landed. Knowing Doc, if there was anything to dig up on Hailey Watson, he would unearth it by then.
I slept fitfully, more because I’d periodically wake up, expecting to be in a prison cell rather than a swanky hotel room. I was also nervous about oversleeping and waking up too late for Pen and me to catch the flight.
At four, I decided to stop trying to sleep any longer, showered, and packed up the remainder of the clothes and toiletries I’d purchased yesterday when I got to the city.