We make the arrangements before I’m dialing a number I’ve desperately avoided calling, the ring tone reverberating through my nerves telling me I’m invading her privacy.
“Nate, what’s up? Thought you were off work for the week?”
“This isn’t about work, Holland.” I blow out a breath. “I need you to find out where someone lives.”
“Not for work?”
“No. And I need you to be discreet.”
There’s a long pause before his gravelly voice says, “Alright, but only because it’s you and I know you’re not a creep.”
I chuckle. “Gee, thanks.”
“Nate!” Maya shouts from down the hallway.
“Be there in a sec,” I reply, holding my hand over the phone before returning to the conversation with Holland. “It’s Amelia, she moved and I know she’s having problems so I want to help.”
“Your girlfriend?” My stomach drops because I don’t even know if that’s what she is anymore. “How do you not know where your girlfriend lives?”
I sigh, not having the patience to explain everything to him, so I give him a half truth. “We had a fight before she moved, nothing serious but I’m worried about her.”
“You do realize that stalking is illegal,” he jokes.
I laugh. “And you do realize part of your job is to stalk.”
“I’m a private investigator, not a stalker. But I’ll do it. What do you know?”
“Her last name is Rivers and I know she still lives in my town, but look on the north side. She said she was moving there.” I think of anything else I could tell him. “Oh, and to narrow it down look for somewhere that was empty until last Saturday.”
“Got it, I’ll be in touch.”
“Thanks, Holland. I owe you.”
I hang up and go to change into my board shorts, walking into the pool room and seeing Maya hanging over the side of the pool with her cell in her hands.
“What took you so long?”
I dive in and swim up beside her. “Had to make a quick call.”
She wraps her cell in a towel and slides it away from the edge of the pool. “Girlfriend?”
“Something like that,” I murmur before changing the subject. “Race?”
“You’re on, old man!” she shouts, pushing off the side and getting a head start.
After a few races, I concede, leaning against the side of the pool.
“What’s up with you today? You’re no fun.” She swims up beside me.
“I’ve just raced you a few times like a big kid, I’m a barrel of fun.” I run my fingers through my hair, dispelling the water droplets from it.
She turns around and kicks her legs while still holding onto the side. “If you say so.”
I’ll dig my mind out of the gutter and try and get Amelia out of my head until Thursday, but it’s proving difficult.
“Erm, Nate?” I turn my head toward Maya who has somehow got out of the pool without me noticing and is sitting on the side.
“Yeah.”