SecondSightDating (18 page)

Chapter Fifteen

The next morning Serena’s head still buzzed with the
relentless sound of barking dogs.
She poured herself a cup of coffee, hoping
massive doses of caffeine would wake up her sleepy mind.
She’d need a clear
head to tackle the day before her.

Michael had come back around eleven and woke her for their
next discussion.
He’d been lenient on her, listening to Serena ramble on about
her latest dating fiasco without passing a quick judgmental comment.
He told
her that even though she’d verified his employment and no police record
appeared on the county’s listing, it was time for her to let him step in and do
some background checking of his own.

He also insisted he be her next date when Dan met Miss “X”.
He was fully prepared to take on the role of private investigator and tail her
troublesome client if needed.

Serena had resigned herself to accept any decision Michael
offered.
She’d done all she could think of doing and was still no closer to unraveling
the mystery surrounding Dan’s true motives.
Resorting to putting her brother’s
expertise to use loomed ahead as the only viable solution in finding out if Dan
was a fraud.
Her heart skipped one tiny beat and she knew the outcome of Mike’s
investigation might not be to her liking.

She’d set up Dan’s final matchmaking date for the next
evening.
No doubt existed in her mind as to whether or not Justine, his Miss
“X”, would agree to meet him.
The woman had pestered her for a month about
finding a match.
Trouble was, no male client Serena had tried to fix her up
with had shown any interest in meeting the slightly offbeat, eccentric lady.

Yep.
Justine would jump at the chance for an introduction to
Dan, sight unseen, as soon as she understood there was a match ready and eager
to meet her.

Sight.
Strange word for Serena to use.
It used to flow
freely in her conversations, a staple part of her identity, a word in the name
of her business.
It now seemed unclear, awkward, not something descriptive
about her.
“Sight” now tumbled off her lips like an unfamiliar entity.
Her
sight was being tested and she was failing miserably on all levels.

Maybe her gift was fading.

There goes the business.

Serena shuffled over to her coffeemaker and poured a
steaming cup of coffee.
Stress made her jumpy, nervous about her future and
work.
She could be losing it all, sight, job and confidence in doing anything
right.
How could she trust her own judgment about whatever came up?

She didn’t trust Dan and now couldn’t depend on
herself.
Michael might find something sinister about her unusual client, or he
could determine nothing was wrong with him.
That would leave her…where?

Questioning her gift, the very basis for her business, could
lead to an unhappy ending.
Why was this happening?
Was Dan the catalyst to her
sudden change in fortune?
Fate, something she respected and swore no power
over, now ran her life and all she could do was go along for the ride in
whatever direction it took her.

She slammed her half-empty cup down on the counter.
Damn.
A
powerless feeling invaded every inch of her body, something she hadn’t been
accustomed to.
She hated allowing fate to control her destiny, but vowed not to
go down without at least putting up a fight.
And take a possible two-faced man
named Dan with her if he proved to be a fraud.

Energy level revived and geared for battle, Serena marched
into her bedroom to dress and plan for the day.
She had some serious mind games
to arrange for Dan.
Maybe playing up to his charm would get him to reveal a darker
side.
Putting temptation in his path, namely, more of her files or made-up
information about clients, could show his true colors.

She could doctor records as well as anyone else, if needed.
She’d allow him to sneak peeks at files written to tempt him, make him display
his real motives in coming to Second Sight Dating.
Dan would find files for a
woman or two of his dreams, complete with all his interests and wealthy enough
to fascinate any gigolo looking for money.

Let’s see how well you do with temptation, Dan Reese.

* * * * *

As expected, Justine, Miss “X”, gushed over the opportunity
to meet Dan.
Serena out and out lied about Dan’s enthusiasm in drama and
theatre arts, something he’d listed in his profile as having only a faint
interest in.
His next date’s life revolved around theatrical work and although
assigned only minor speaking parts in ten productions, she’d busied herself
with backstage work.

Justine’s current job—that of waitress/actress/stage
helper—kept her tied up almost every night at work.
She’d suggested the
foursome meet at her current job’s location, a dining hall where her dinner
theatre group performed.
Food, entertainment, blue-and-purple-streaked-haired
Justine would be present.
What more could Dan ask for?

Serena agreed to Justine’s suggestion, planning to pay Dan’s
way if he balked at the unusual meeting place.
She snorted.
At least no
four-legged pets would be involved this time.

She placed a call to Dan, eager for his reaction.

“Dan, your next date would like to meet at a dinner theatre
show.
The whole thing shouldn’t last longer than three hours.
We’ll get time to
talk, eat and be entertained.
It’s not a musical so maybe it won’t get too
loud.
I think it’s a mystery of some kind.”

Dan’s hesitation in replying pinched a few raw nerves in
Serena’s body, causing her to tap her foot as a way to expel any anxiety
building inside her.
How could he not agree?
What would she do if he didn’t?

A calming sensation relaxed her as he gave his blessing for
the next date encounter.
He added how he hoped only human diners would be
around this time and gave a quick laugh over the phone.
An attempt at humor?

After reassuring him theirs would be a people-only dinner,
he’d hung up, no further conversation offered.
She hadn’t mentioned how their
dinner meeting would be a venture into the world of interactive theatre where
staff, actors and guests got involved and participated in the play.
He’d find
that out soon enough.

The combined number of people involved with the actual
acting parts would be under fifteen, but not all guests would be given a
character to play for the evening.
Luckily for Serena, she, Dan and Michael
would be there as Justine’s special invitees.
The wannabe actress promised to
take extra special care in assigning them roles in the upcoming murder mystery
dinner they’d sit through the next evening.

A cringe of uneasiness tensed her body as she tried to seek
contentment with the peculiarities enhancing the upcoming date.
Justine had
asked for guesses at their sizes and said it had something to do with “costume
props” Michael, Dan and Serena would don as part of their roles.

She prayed for minor garment additions.
Michael would go
with the flow for the evening, as would she.
How would Dan react to playing
dress-up for his acting debut role?

Acting.
Roles.
Everyone was already involved in playing a
part in her life.
She was running a business, but had taken on the role of
detective where Dan was involved.
Soon, she’d be throwing temptation in his
way, testing his honesty with falsified, made-up files.
But, she’d have to
resort to dishonesty to accomplish her plan.

Dan still made her feel like he might be telling the truth.
She just couldn’t account for his snooping around her files and that made her
uneasy.
And, the thing about his cringing when she asked him about exes in his
life made her wonder.
Had he hidden something from her?
What role was he
already playing in his attempt to gain her approval?

Then there was Michael, her policeman brother.
He was playing the role of Mr.
“Eight”…that Gino character she’d dismissed from
her files after Julia filed a complaint about him.
She’d thrust Michael’s cover
as Gino upon him and it would work to their advantage in the quest to out Dan’s
true motives.

No one was as he or she appeared.
All the players had
something to hide, some reason to hold back truthfulness and function at some
level of dishonesty.
This night of make-believe might bring out Dan’s true
nature.
She knew her brother and she had nothing to hide, but Dan could reveal
something while pretending to be someone else.

Actually, he could be deeply entrenched in doing that
already and may have been ever since he walked through her office door.

Bring on the mystery.
I’m ready.

* * * * *

“You and dogs.
Should have called me.
I’d pay to see that.”
Dan’s boss laughed and waved him into the office.
“I got your message and
wondered if you’d need a day off to recover.”

“If this woman is legit, her business savvy stinks.
How
could she come up with two mismatches and get me on some supposedly quiet date
that turns out to be a nightmare of an evening?”

“Don’t know, friend.
Any more info turn up?”

Dan shifted in his seat opposite Steve.
“Yeah.
I followed
‘Gino’ and a woman from Serena’s house to a home in Leawood.
She’s Annemarie
LaRosa…got her name from her license plate…and the house apparently belongs to
her parents.”

“And?”

“She and ‘Gino’ are real friendly, more than he was with
Serena.
Aren’t there LaRosas in Napoli’s organization?” Dan shrugged.
“Could be
a connection between Napoli, the LaRosas and Serena related to her business.”
He ran a hand across his face.
“I’ve gotta get into that house and talk to the
LaRosas somehow.
Maybe take Fitzgerald with me.
I could always use the excuse
that we’re investigating reports of thefts in the area.”

Steve gave a nod.
“Go for it.
See what you can find out.”

“One more thing.
I’m working on two files I accidentally
picked up at her office the other night.
One’s for Gino, the other’s for some
unnamed guy but he doesn’t have a number, only a letter.
Could be a slip-up on
her part.”

Morgan frowned.
“You think maybe she forgot to give him
one?”

Dan let out a loud exhale.
“Shit.
I don’t know.
He had to be
important, though.
She wrote lots of intimate stuff in his file, more than what
I’ve seen in Gino’s.”

“But you really haven’t seen many of her files on clients,
just the stuff she gives dates to view about other clients.”

“True.
I don’t know.
This Mr.
‘A’ might have been turned
over to another female from her list, someone who could act on his list of
wants.
All I know is, no number and she wrote down his laundry list of desires
and the fact she couldn’t handle him.”

Morgan joined Dan in silence for a moment before speaking.
“Dan, maybe he was a first candidate for her side venture from legitimate
matchmaking.
Gino’s doesn’t follow suit?”

“She removed him from her client list.
But maybe that means
he was switched to a second book of clients, ones doing a different type of
business.”

“Going out again tonight?”

“Yep.
Last match.”

“Maybe you need to play the interested pay-for-hire Casanova
and catch the operation red-handed.
Or, see if this date offers something for a
fee and make arrangements.
Either way, it’s time to tie this one together and
get some answers.”

Dan rose from his seat and reassured his boss of his
intentions.
“I’ll do both approaches.
One way or the other Serena Xavier and
Second Sight Dating will show their true colors and I’ll be ready to solve this
case.”

“Need any kind of backup?”

“No.
We’re going to a new dinner theatre show tonight, some
downtown group called ‘Entertainer Showcase’.
Ever hear of it?”

Steve shrugged.
“Can’t say I have.
Must be one of those
smaller, outta the mainstream groups.”