Chapter 8
Rob stood inside the house, looking out the sliding glass door and watched Trevor throw Teghan then Annabelle into the pool fully clothed before Trevor dove in after them. Rob almost smiled until he realized he was probably going to have to buy new cell phones. Again. He frowned. Damn kids. Well they weren’t going to have it handed to them this time. He’d make them earn them.
He slid open the door and stepped out onto the patio. His eyes scanned the yard and rested momentarily on the waterfall he’d installed for Teghan. It’d been done in an attempt to curtail her growing obsession with the damn things. He’d hoped by having one in her own backyard, she’d stop nagging him to take her all over the world to see them. Unfortunately, it hadn’t worked out the way he’d planned. If anything, it only served to intensify her interest.
A shriek from the other end of the pool had Rob looking away from the waterfall, his brief reverie broken. Trevor was wrestling around with Annabelle. Now that was a relationship he’d like to see—Trevor and Annabelle. He liked Annabelle a lot and he was sure Teghan wouldn’t mind if her best friend became her sister-in-law. He’d have to see what he could to do make that happen.
“Hey, Mr. Jacobs,” Alex said.
“Alex, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Rob?” he said looking at him. Alex’s fat lip and bruised face made Rob wince. “Hope the other guy looks worse.”
“About the same,” Alex said. “You remember my roommate?” He nodded at Donnie.
Rob squinted in the sunlight and looked back and forth between Donnie and Alex, taking note of Donnie’s cut and swollen cheekbone. “You boys get it all worked out?”
“Not really,” Alex said, glancing at Teghan.
Rob noticed Donnie do the same. Hmmm, so they were fighting over his daughter. Interesting. “So, Donnie, where are you from?”
“Pennsylvania,” Donnie said.
“Where in Pennsylvania?”
“Just outside of Philly.”
“A big city?” Rob asked.
“No.” Donnie shook his head. “A small town. I’m sure you’ve never heard of it.”
“Try me.” Rob crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Donnie, waiting for him to answer. He didn’t, so Rob asked a different question. “You’re a long way from home, aren’t you?”
Donnie shrugged. “I guess. I’ve always wanted to see California.”
“Why?” The more Rob talked to Donnie, the more he disliked him. There was something vaguely familiar about Donnie. Something that had Rob on edge. He didn’t like this kid. Everything about Donnie screamed thug—from his wild dark hair to his shifty green eyes. Hell, Donnie hadn’t looked at him once since they’d been talking. It was rude and disrespectful.
“Because it’s the exact opposite of where I grew up. It’s a nice change,” Donnie said.
Rob eyed him suspiciously. What the hell did that mean? “And you grew up where, exactly?”
“Pennsylvania.”
“Right.” Rob shoved his hand in his pockets and fumed about Donnie’s vagueness. This kid was hiding something. But what? And why? He was going to make it a point to find out first thing tomorrow. “What’re you studying at CIT?”
“I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I’m leaning towards computer animation.”
“What kinds of jobs are available with that type of degree?”
Donnie shrugged. “I don’t know. I could do animation for movies or television.”
So that was the real reason he’d come to California. Why hadn’t he just said so? “Hayden Falls is no Hollywood, boy.” He wondered if Teghan knew Donnie’s real intentions for being here. He’d raised her to be smart enough to know better than to get involved with a man who wanted to draw cartoons for a living. His daughter deserved to marry a lawyer or a doctor. Hell, even a politician would be an improvement over Donnie.
“I know that. I’m also considering computer programming or networking.”
Rob nodded. “What about your parents? What do they do?”
“My mother is an ER nurse.”
Now that was the most respectable thing about this kid. “That’s not an easy job. What hospital does she work at?”
“She recently switched hospitals so that she could be closer to home,” Donnie said.
Rob was getting increasingly annoyed with Donnie’s answers, or lack thereof. “And your father?”
“My father is a rotten son of a bitch who left me and my mom years ago,” Donnie snapped.
Rob bit back a smile. He’d hit a nerve. “It would serve you well to watch your mouth while you’re in my home.”
“Sorry, sir.”
“Please, call me Mr. Jacobs,” Rob said. He was going to have fun giving Donnie a hard time. “Why did he leave?”
“Because he’s a coward,” Donnie said. “Excuse me.” He walked away.
Rob watched him walk to the opposite end of the pool, squat and say something to Teghan. She frowned then nodded. Donnie got up, walked over to Alex, said something, and then left. Mission accomplished. Donnie was no good for his daughter. He was doing her a favor, being a responsible parent and protecting her. One day, she’d thank him.
***
Rob’s office was in the heart of the Hayden Falls business district, which to him wasn’t that big of a feat considering the entire town was divided along two main highways: White Water Highway and Coastal Ridge Drive.
White Water Highway was the main road that provided access to the amenities including the Hayden Falls Hotel, Romero’s Italian Restaurant, and various other eateries. It was also where the town’s two swankiest night clubs raged on late into the night. His nephew-in-law’s club, The Orchid Lounge was the newest addition to the landscape. It was also the largest. He couldn’t fault him though—Rob respected a man who understood that bigger was always better. Besides his law firm, The Hayden Falls Tribune, the local television station, and the county courthouse were just a few of the other professional businesses that called Coastal Ridge Drive home.
He climbed out of his Lincoln Navigator, pushed the electronic lock button, and headed toward his office. He smiled every time he read the road signs. Every street name was pastoral in nature despite the fact that there was only one farm within the town limits. His building housed nine floors of office space and towered above its neighbors.
Rob nodded at the door man and security guard before taking the elevator to his office on the top floor. The elevator doors opened directly in front of his secretary’s desk. “Good morning, Lisa.”
“Good morning, Mr. Jacobs.” She smiled at him.
“Get Jim Darden on the phone for me, please.” He walked past her desk and into his office. He threw his jacket and briefcase on the conference table in the corner of the room and took a seat in his oversized leather executive chair. When Lisa’s voice came over the intercom to announce the call, he picked up the phone. “Hello, Jim.”
“What’s up, buddy? What can I do for ya today?” Jim said.
“I need you to run a background check on someone for me.”
“A new employee?”
“No, some kid my daughter brought home yesterday. His name is Donnie Marks. It could be short for Donald. I’m not sure,” Rob said. “He’s a freshman at CIT.”
Jim chuckled. “You had to expect she’d bring home a new boyfriend sooner or later.”
“He’s not a boyfriend, yet. And if I have my way, he won’t become one.”
“You sound a little antagonistic.”
“My gut’s telling me that something isn’t right about this kid. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s as if I’ve seen him before, and I’m sure it wasn’t a pleasant experience.”
“Where’s he from?”
“A small town just outside of Philly.”
“Pennsylvania?”
“Yeah.” There was silence on the line. “I know what you’re thinking, Jim. You’re wrong,” Rob said.
“For your sake, I hope you’re right,” Jim said.
“I’m always right.”
“Is that all you have for me? Just a name?”
“He wasn’t very forthcoming with his answers yesterday. I did manage to find out that his mother is an ER nurse and his father walked out on them.”
“That’s not much to go on, Rob.”
“I know, I know. He doesn’t own a car and he doesn’t dress very well. I’m guessing he’s poor.”
“Are you suggesting I start my search in the ghetto?”
Rob chuckled. “He’s not quite ghetto, but I’d definitely start in some of the lower class neighborhoods. He seems to have quite the temper too. Wouldn’t be surprised if he has a record.”
“I’ll figure it out. How soon do you need this?” Jim asked.
“Yesterday.”
Jim laughed. “How about by the end of the week?”
“Tomorrow?”
“It’s going to take some time, Rob. I’ve got nothing to go on here.”
Rob sighed. “I know. Okay, we’ll do lunch on Friday then. My treat. How’re you doing on that other thing I asked you to do?”
“Good. I found one male and one female. The guy has already met Teghan and is excited by the opportunity.”
“I bet he is,” Rob grumbled.
“He should be calling you sometime today.”
“Okay. Thanks again, Jim.” Rob hung up the phone. A few minutes later, Rob got the call that Jim said was coming. “Rob Jacobs,” he said.
“Uh,” he cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m an intern for Jim Darden.”
Rob leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the corner of his desk. “Have you met the other intern that’ll be working with you this semester?”
“Yes, sir,” he said. “I met her this morning.”
“Good. I assume Jim explained the sensitive nature of this assignment?”
“Yes. Don’t worry, sir. I’ll make sure your daughter doesn’t find out. Jim…uh, Mr. Darden explained that you had further instructions for us.”
Rob dropped his feet to the floor and sat up straight. Something in this kid’s voice reminded him of someone. He shook his head and tried to concentrate. “You are to watch her. Nothing else. You hear me?”
“I understand,” he said. He paused. “What exactly am I supposed to be watching for?”
Did Jim tell them nothing? “I want to know if she’s getting involved with anyone.”
“Yes, sir.”
Rob gave quick instructions on how to get in touch and then hung up. God help him if Teghan or Rachel caught wind that he was paying people to spy on Teghan. They’d never forgive him. But Jim had planted a seed of doubt—a seed that, if true, would destroy Rob and his family. It wasn’t a chance he was willing to take. Having Teghan followed was the lesser of two evils.
“If Jim is wrong, I’ll end it,” Rob muttered to himself. Until then, he had no choice but to trust Jim’s judgment in the “interns” he’d hired.