Without Any Warning (A Samantha Jamison Mystery Volume 2) (6 page)

Chapter 16

The Man In The Gray Suit

It sure didn’t look flannel to me. Looked more like expensive tailored wool. I tried to focus my binoculars to get a sharper image. My neck was in a cramp already, turned at an uncomfortable angle, as I sat at my desk window staring next door. The man in the suit was gazing out at the ocean with his hands in his pants pockets.

If he would turn just a little,
I thought,
I might get a better idea of what he looked like. Suddenly, he pivoted in my direction.

Caught red-handed!
I quickly shoved the binoculars aside, busying myself, looking down at my
riveting
notes. Self-conscious, I could feel my face flaming shades of red. I tried to glance sideways without moving my head.

My breath caught. “Oh!” He was now laughing and still facing in my direction. If he thought I was going to look back that way again, he was obviously mistaken!

Minutes ticked by, as I reread the same passage several more times until it blurred before my eyes. I stayed like that, glued to my laptop and notes, not veering one iota towards my neighbor on the other deck, and was dying a slow humiliating death!

The doorbell rang downstairs. Grateful, I turned away in the opposite direction and swiveled out of my chair. It rang again. “Coming,” I called out, as I loped down the stairs. I whipped open the door.

“…Oh! …well ... …uh…” It was the mystery man from next door! I felt like a complete fool, standing there, not knowing quite what to say. My words and facial expression reflected multi phases of embarrassment, which was nothing compared to my mental hesitation.

He smiled. “I thought I should introduce myself,” he offered, “…seeing you were so interested.”

I swear not one word came to mind. I was frozen solid to the spot where I stood, gaping up at him. His sudden appearance left me feeling off balance.

He smirked. “Let me start then. I’m David. I’m your new neighbor. Well, I guess you already knew that, didn’t you?” He stood there smiling at me, completely relaxed.

I was in a state of uncertainty and still at a loss for a reply, even after hearing his name. I averted my eyes a second, trying to mask my discomfort at having been caught with my binoculars visibly trained on him.

He stood there waiting patiently, apparently expecting some kind of response. “Is something the matter?” he asked, looking somewhat confused by my strange reaction to his introduction.

“…No, I mean...yes. …I’m fine. …What did you say your name was again?” I asked, still upset about being caught off guard.

He held out his hand. “David,” he said in a timbre I felt sounded oddly familiar.

Who did he remind me of?

I reached over and shook it and then looked down and swiped my palm against my jeans, like I had just touched a ghost. “You remind me of someone.” The deep voice was bugging me! He was handsome, but a little older than I had originally thought, with a touch of gray past his prominent cheek line.

“Is that good or bad?” He asked, looking intrigued, casually leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

“I’m not sure yet. I just met you,” I lightly tossed back in his direction. “Are you here for very long?”

“After meeting you, I’m sorely tempted to extend my stay, but since I’m unpredictable, I really can’t say, as I tend to get restless being in one place for too long. That is unless something snags my interest.”

“You sure we’ve never met before?” I asked uncertainly, as I checked him out, ignoring his last words.

He glanced up and down at me. “I’m sure I would have remembered meeting someone like you, honey.”

I inhaled sharply.
Of course!
Spoken just as boldly as a complicated player from my recent past!
Highlands!
Clay!

“Would you like to come in?” I asked, remembering my manners, and like once before, more than intrigued by this brash behavior.
Would I never learn?

The clock in the foyer chimed. David glanced down at his watch. “Hey, I’m sorry, but I have to cut this short,” he said. “I’ve got an appointment and I’m late. Maybe next time.”

“Suit yourself,” I replied offhandedly, glad the whole humiliating incident was mercifully drawing to a close.

 
“It was nice to meet you, Sam.”

 
“Same here, David,” I replied.

I slowly, but firmly shut the front door and then locked it. I was just about to walk back upstairs, but stopped and turned back to stare blankly at the entrance.

I had never once mentioned my name. Interesting.

Chapter 17

I Can’t Believe This. Can You?

I slowly climbed the staircase back to my room. I sat down heavily on the chair at my desk, thinking. He acted like Clay, my former friend/love interest/and adversary, but said he was David. He was cocky like him, but older. His timbre was similar to Clay’s, but not quite. He was alike in many ways, but then not really. Although presumptuous, Clay wouldn’t call me honey. David had.

Was I reading more into it than I should, or was I somehow missing someone or something that initially had potential, but wasn’t meant to be? I was inundated with unresolved issues that I still didn’t think I was ready to deal with yet. So I mentally moved on.

Of all the people who could have rented the house next to mine, it had to be
another attractive man?
My fate factor was being psychologically challenged with what was happening lately with all these random circumstances that now included a mounting list of new and old acquaintances.

I had a Harley girl who ran a cleaning business with a cleaning crew that came once a week, a possible dual personality individual as my leasing agent, a next door neighbor who I felt reminded me of another man who had danger written all over him, a real estate agent that obviously knew them all, a potential mugger on the beach, a burglar who almost got smashed with a statue, a girlfriend who was staying with me and hiding a hotel key behind a painting, and an anonymous compulsive drunken gambler who liked to high roll it with my credit card!

Did I miss anybody?

The doorbell rang. I sighed.

Now what?

I sat there like stone. I didn’t feel like getting up. It rang once more. I took a calming breath and slowly made my way to the stairwell. It rang insistently again. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” I snapped, sprinting down the stairwell. I firmly gripped the handle and swung the door open.

“…Oh …my …God!” I said, stunned.

“Very funny, Sam! What kind of greeting was that? Especially after all we’ve been through too!”

Shocked, I silently tacked onto that list an elderly, cantankerous, seventy-something woman.

“…Martha?”

“Well, it ain’t Angelina Jolie! That’s for sure! Now, get on out there and help bring my bags in. That cabby just dumped them by the curb. Well, I never! Can you imagine being so rude?” She shoved her way in after a quick hug from me.

Wait a minute! Who was watching my cat, Sneakers?

I suddenly had another disturbing thought, as panic set in. “Hey, who is watching my store back in Highlands?”

She waved off my concern with a shake of her head. “Don’t worry about a thing. It’s all taken care of! The shop is in good hands, including that feline of yours. I’ll explain later once I get myself all settled.”

“But Martha…”

 
“You know what your problem is? You’re a worrier! Relax! Trust me. I’ve got it covered.” She turned in place. “Hey, these are nice digs you got here! Look at all those statues! Boy, did you rent a slick place here or what? Just don’t stand there, get a move on! Then you can show me my room and the rest of the place. I’m plum worn out! My arthritis is kicking up. That long bus ride was a real killer.”

 
I passed on pushing Martha further for the moment and eventually heaved in her luggage, overwhelmed by all
six
huge
suitcases. I was staggered by their size. “Exactly how long are you planning to stay?
Are you sure you have enough clothes?” I asked sarcastically.

 
“Is it always this cold here?” Martha asked, ignoring my question and rubbing her hands together.

“Martha, it’s March,” I patiently explained. “It’s usually cold out at this time of year here.”

 
“But I came for the sun and beach!” she protested. “I wanted to work on a tan!”

 
“But this is New Jersey!” I answered, gritting my teeth in a sort of smile.

“Don’t you think I don’t know that?” retorted Martha. “I’m not senile. …Well, not yet anyway. Good thing I thought to bring my heavy coat, mittens and knit hat.”

“They’ll come in handy, I’m sure.” I said, as I started slowly lugging her bags up the stairs. “Follow me.” I tried once again to pin her down. “…Exactly how long are you here for?”

“Depends,” Martha replied. “But let’s not worry about that now. We have a lot of catching up to do first. Now, tell me which room is mine?” she asked cheerfully, as she followed me down the hall.

She stopped to look through one doorway. “Well, isn’t this a pretty room! I love the colors in this one!”

“That’s Mona’s room,” I said, finally reduced to dragging her bags along the hardwood floor. “Keep going, yours is at the end of the hall.”

She stopped dead in her tracks. “…Who …is …Mona? You have company? Well, why didn’t you say something in the first place?”

“She’s an old girlfriend from way back. College. Long story.”

My insecurities abruptly resurfaced. I’d thought I’d gotten over them through the hellish excitement of finding out the truth about how my husband had died the previous year, but now I wasn’t sure. Sometimes Martha made me feel like a weak idiot, pushing me on purpose, so I’d speak up. I was determined to stand my ground this time.

“Martha, now please stop with the small talk! Exactly who’s watching my store?” I demanded. “I’m not moving another inch until you tell me.”

She didn’t miss a beat. “Why, Jack of course, including Sneakers too!” she replied, trying to move me along.

Dread started inching up my spine. I could barely get the words out. “…Jack is a building contractor …and I might add …very busy! Can you please tell me …why he would be watching …my store?”

She stared down at the floor. “…Well …he had to be there anyway …to rebuild after that…fire.”

I closed my eyes and sighed, “I can’t believe this!”

Can you?

Chapter 18

Patience And Pinot Grigio

“Like I was saying, it all happened so fast,” Martha explained to Mona and me. We were sitting in the living room. Every now and again I glanced at the deck adjacent to mine, but my neighbor did not appear. “She just about wore my patience plum clean out. Why, that customer moved like lightning. When I turned my back, she lit that candle so she could see how it looked in the store setting. I told her, ‘No way!’ beforehand, when she first asked me. Do you think she listened? Of course not! When I hollered, she jumped a mile high, knocking it over. Of course, that’s when the rug caught fire, which the sofa was on, which was next to those drapes you liked so much…”

Martha stopped to sip her wine, and then continued on. “…All I have to say is thank the Lord for 911! …Now, about that wall damage…”

I was already on my second glass of wine, getting a mild buzz and feeling a little fuzzy. It seemed to help.

Mona was laughing hysterically, while trying to drink her wine without spilling any. She turned to look at me. “She’s a real stitch. Where did you ever find her?”

I turned to Mona. “From a friend! Can you believe it?” I let some more wine continue to do its magic.

“Were all your friends in Highlands like her?” Mona asked, laughing and wiping the tears from her eyes.

 
“Yes, one actually chased me for miles in the dark,” I said, sipping some more wine.

“Sam,” Mona choked. “You should write a book about all of them.”

“I did. It’s called,
The Puzzle
.” I refilled our glasses, mentally calculating the mounting monetary damages. “So much for investing my book profits,” I lamented sadly.

“Don’t you two get bored here?” Martha suddenly asked. “What do you do here for entertainment?”

Mona and I looked at each other.

“Me?” I replied, ticking off on my fingers. “Let’s see now, there’s running on the beach in the dark, baseball, art preservation. You know, I’m sort of partial toward vases.”

 
“I’ve grown attached to the boardwalk,” Mona said. “Remember that old song by the Drifters?”

After more mindless banter, I held up my hand to shush them both for a moment. “I just want to lay down some ground rules here at the house so there is no confusion. Since it appears I’m no longer residing here alone for the near future, we have to make sure personal space is respected. I need my quiet time in the morning to write. As far as minor daily chores, we can split that up amongst the three of us. You two okay with that so far?”

“Sure,” they both said, nodding their approval.

Mona piped up. “Hey, don’t forget to tell Martha about taking morning showers on Tuesdays.”

So I told her about the Crystal Cleaners crew story. And then I proceeded to tell her about the statue incident in the wee hours of the morning. Mona poured us more wine. Then I told Martha about the beach incident. Lastly, I told them both about the David episode, purposely omitting whom he reminded me of. I didn’t know how to explain that one.

“You actually got caught using your binoculars?” laughed Mona, trying not to spill her drink on the sofa.

“Unfortunately, yes,” I admitted, squirming in my seat.

“I don’t know about this,” said Martha. “With all the crazy stuff going on in the neighborhood, you two better be more careful. Sam, did you ever buy that gun you were thinking of getting?”

Mona abruptly turned to me and stared, doubtful. “Sam, you were actually going to get a …gun?”

“I was seriously thinking about it at the time.” I replied, smiling confidently.

Mona started laughing. “Somehow, I just can’t picture you brandishing anything Sam.”

“I agree,” added Martha, who also started laughing. “Have you ever noticed she’s sort of accident prone?”

Those two started discussing me, and telling stories about me as though I wasn’t even in the room. I patiently sat there, laughing with them, while they spun their yarns, as I poured us more Pinot Grigio.