Page 155 of A Quick Buck

“All right.” Alistair touched Noah’s nose. “Best guess. Who was it?”

“The lawyer?”

“Ah, no, nice try.” Alistair smirked.

“What?” Noah groaned. “No way!”

“Sometimes the obvious answer is not the correct one.”

“I’m so calling bullshit.” Noah fumbled for the remote, but the coffee table was still askew, and he couldn’t reach it.

Alistair stuck out his foot, pulling the table closer.

“Thank you.” Noah grabbed the remote to restart the movie.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re watching this crap again, and I’m gonna figure it out this time!”

“And so we shall.”

Alistair excused himself only briefly to clean up the mess from their tryst, and he returned with fresh drinks and a tray loaded with sandwiches and chips courtesy of Frida. He’d already seen the movie, so he didn’t mind missing part of it. Noah was right back to watching each scene intently, determined to figure it out this time. When they made it to the end for the second time, Noah had his answer.

The obvious one was wrong, which meant it was the inventor’s daughter. She was the only one who had no alibi, and the bit with the lawyer was a complete setup.

Alistair rewarded his correct deduction with a kiss, and Noah jumped up on the sofa to pump his fists in the air to celebrate his victory.

Sure, it was only a movie, but it felt good to at least solve the mystery. Maybe it was because the real mystery plaguing him remained so elusive, but Noah didn’t let that forlorn thought bother him. He jumped on the sofa until Alistair threatened to spank him.

The rest of the day bordered on boring. The volunteers were practically everywhere Alistair and Noah went, and Crybaby and Junior followed them like little puppies. He wouldn’t have been surprised if one of them was in the bathroom when he went to take a shower to get ready for dinner. Seeing them all reminded Noah that he couldn’t escape the reality of his earlier forlorn thought, but he tried to enjoy the time with Alistair anyway.

They chatted about the movie, and Noah was very keen to watch similar mysteries so he could try to solve them. Even over dinner, mystery films remained the hot topic of discussion, and Noah didn’t care that all the ones Alistair suggested would probably be in black and white.

When Noah opted to sleep in his own room again later that night, Alistair obliged. They had just gotten changed and settled into bed when there was a sudden, firm knock on the door.

Alistair silently motioned for Noah to stay put while he answered it.

“Hey, Mr. Star.” It was Mace. “We got a problem.”

“I don’t like problems, Mace.”

Neither did Noah. He sat up, frowning while his stomach dropped.

“We need you,” Mace said worriedly. “Right now, sir.”

Alistair glanced outside. “Junior, do not leave this door unattended. Not for anything. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Mr. Star,” Noah heard Junior confirm.

Alistair came back to the bed, leaning over to kiss Noah’s lips.

Noah didn’t want kisses. He wanted answers. “What’s going on?”

“I will explain everything. But now I need to go.”

Noah made a face, and he watched Alistair zip toward the door. He had the worst feeling now, and he was nauseated. “Well, hey!” he called out after him. “You better come back.”

Alistair paused at the doorway and smiled. “I will.”