and worry lines across his forehead. “Please sit down, Mr. Wittier. Would you like some coffee?”
“Your secretary already offered, but it isn’t necessary.” He turned to watch Lexie leave, only facing Nick again when the door was closed. He looked disappointed to see her go. Nick didn’t blame him.
He sat at his desk again. “On the phone you indicated you wanted to see me because of concerns about your wife?”
Wittier nodded. “Yes. I believe she’s being unfaithful.”
“What makes you believe this?”
The frown lines deepened. “Ellen is a very beautiful woman, some years younger than myself. Lately I’ve had a sense that she’s restless and bored. In my experience that is a sure sign a woman is considering an affair.”
Nick found this an odd choice of words. “Considering, or involved?”
“By now I’m sure she’s involved. It’s a familiar pattern.” Wittier crossed his legs and leaned toward Nick. “I’ve seen it in my first wife and in the wives of my two business partners. Women reach a certain age and become dissatisfied with their lives. An affair seems to be the answer.”
The theory was new to Nick but maybe Wittier was on to something. Maybe the problem in Nick’s own marriage hadn’t been him or his job at all. Maybe his wife merely had reached “a certain age.” “And you want me to verify if your suspicions are true?”
“Yes.” Wittier straightened. “I want to find out now and divorce before too much damage is done to my reputation.”
“Of course.” Nick took out a notebook and pen, prepared to write down the particulars. He loathed these kind of cases, but accepted they were the bread and butter of the P.I. business. “You say your wife’s name is Ellen?”
“Yes. I’ve brought her picture, and a copy of her engagement calendar for the next month, as well as my own schedule.” Wittier took these items from his briefcase.
The man’s preparedness surprised Nick. “Have you had your wife followed before?”
“My first wife. As I told you, this is a familiar pattern to me.”
Wittier’s coldness repelled Nick but he didn’t have to like people to take their money. Sometimes the dislike even made it easier. “I’ll need a deposit. I work on a per diem for this sort of thing, plus any unusual expenses, such as travel. I’ll provide an itemized accounting to you. If your suspicions are true, it shouldn’t take more than a few days to confirm them.”
“I’m familiar with how this works and I’m prepared to write you a check today.”
Wittier didn’t flinch at the fee Nick quoted, which made him wonder if he should have asked for more. He took the deposit the executive paid and put it in the drawer, then promised to get to work right away.
When Wittier was gone, Lexie came into his office. “You don’t look very happy,” she said. “Did he not hire you?”
Nick leaned back in the chair and frowned at the drawer where he’d slipped the check. “He hired me. To find evidence that his wife is cheating on him.”
She wrinkled her nose. “What has she done to make him think she’s cheating?”
“She’s ‘restless’ and apparently behaving exactly the way his first wife did when she was cheating on him.” Not much to go on, but then, Wittier knew his wife better than Nick. If Wittier thought she was up to something, she probably was.
“That doesn’t sound like much evidence to me,” Lexie said.
“Which is why he hired me. He needs concrete proof so he can divorce her and, I suspect, avoid paying through the nose for the privilege.”
“How lovely.”
He shrugged. “It pays the bills. Yours and mine.”
She looked thoughtful. “I guess so. Is it okay if I go to lunch now?”
“Sure. Where are you going?”
“I’m meeting a friend at Jose O’Shea’s.” She smiled at him, a look that never failed to make him feel a little less weighted down. “Want me to bring you something?”
“That’s okay, but thanks.” What kind of “friend” was she meeting? A boyfriend? For a second, he had the absurd idea to follow her to see, but immediately dismissed it. What did it matter to him if she was seeing one man or ten?
“Okay. See you in an hour.”
He watched her leave, breathing in the lingering scent of her floral perfume. He’d thought he might drive somewhere and buy a burger or a sandwich, but now that Lexie was gone off to meet her mysterious luncheon companion, he found he’d lost his appetite.
CANDACE WAS WAITING at a booth when Lexie rushed in. “Sorry I’m late,” she said. “We had a client and I had to wait for him to leave.”
“A client. Sounds like business is picking up.”
“Nick’s new in town.” She slid into the booth and helped herself to a fresh tortilla chip from the basket in the middle of the table. “Things will get better. Besides, when things are slow I can study.”
“How are the Spanish lessons coming?”
She shook her head. “Not so well. I don’t seem to have much of a knack for languages.”
“Hang in there. You’ll pick it up eventually.”
She nodded. “I will. I’m determined to speak the language by the time I go to Spain.”
“And when will that be?”
“This fall, maybe? I think I can have the money saved by then.”
“That’s amazing to me, considering the pittance this detective is paying you.”
“It’s not that bad. And I still have some insurance money left from the accident.”
The waitress came to take their orders, then the conversation resumed. “Speaking of work,” Candace said, “guess who they hired to take your place?”
“Who?”
“A man. His name’s Charles Lewis and he’s gorgeous and single.”
“Then I’m sure he was immediately the most popular person in the office. Is he straight?”
“Apparently so. I should introduce him to you.” She crunched a chip. “He might be the perfect candidate for the first affair on your list.”
Lexie shook her head. “I’ve already found the man I want.”
Candace leaned toward her, expression eager. “Who?”
“My new boss, Nick Delaney.” Lexie tried to keep the triumph out of her voice, but failed. The look on Candace’s face was worth all the pain of
