Chapter 17

CHAPTER

SEVENTEEN

Tori pushed down a shudder of nerves as she stepped into the country club with Kai. Just as before, Gage would remain in the SUV as lookout.

Investigating wasn't normally her type of thing. She liked to help people.

Yet in another way, she supposed she was helping someone right now. Just not in the way she normally did.

If something had happened to Landon because of her, she wanted to know.

Kai had already said he'd take the lead, and she was more than happy to let him do that. In fact, he looked as if he were in his element as he transformed into the kind of guy who graced country clubs.

Apparently, putting on facades had been part of their training with Project Elevate.

They strode toward the reception desk. A man with light-brown hair stood there, looking fresh out of college in his white polo shirt and with his easy smile.

"How can I help you? You here to play a round? Maybe enjoy the tennis courts or swimming pool?"

Kai leaned against the counter. "Actually, we have a question, and we're hoping you can help us."

Tori's mind raced as she wondered how Kai would approach this. Would he stick with the truth? Or would he come up with a cover story?

She couldn't think on her feet this quickly to concoct a story.

"What can I do for you?" the man asked.

"A friend of ours plays golf here, and he met up with a man named Alfie," Kai started. "We're trying to figure out who this guy is so we can invite him to our friend's surprise party. Unfortunately, we don't have a last name. But since his first name, Alfie, is pretty unique, we're hoping that you might remember him."

The man let out a "hmm" before shrugging. "I've only been working here a couple of weeks so I'm not going to be a big help."

"Oh, man." Kai clucked his tongue and shook his head. "That's too bad. Is there anyone else who might be able to help?"

The guy thought about it before his eyes lit, and he snapped his fingers. "You should talk to Daniel. By the time people leave the golf course, everyone thinks of him as their best friend. He has one of those personalities."

"Where can we find this Daniel guy?" Kai asked.

"He's a beverage cart attendant, so you'll see him on the greens."

"Any chance we could go look for him?" Kai lowered his voice and shrugged as if the request was innocuous. "We're not members, but we won't cause a scene."

The man hesitated.

Kai slid a couple of twenties across the desk.

The man glanced around before taking the cash and pocketing it. "Sure, go right ahead. Just don't be too long. I really don't want to lose this job."

"Thank you."

Tori and Kai headed toward the back of the building. When she stepped outside, she took in the scenery a moment. The rolling green hills, the sand traps, the skillfully designed ponds.

She'd never played golf so being in a place like this was totally unfamiliar to her. Kai, on the other hand, looked comfortable as they strode past a line of golf carts and several players about to set out.

"So how are we going to find this Daniel guy?" she murmured as they paused on the greens.

"Actually, we might be in luck today." He nodded at something in the distance. "Maybe that's our guy right there."

She followed his gaze and saw a man driving toward them in a golf cart stocked with beverages. Based on his broad smile and the way he waved at everyone as he passed, he could very well be Daniel.

"Let's give it a shot," Kai said.

Tori drew in a slow breath and prayed for the best.

Kai plastered on his best smile as he approached the cart. He pulled out his wallet and grabbed a ten-dollar bill. "I'd love some water. Two, please."

"Absolutely." The man took his money, grabbed the water from the cooler, and handed the bottles to Kai. Then he began to get change.

"Don't worry about it," Kai said. "It's all yours."

Another smile stretched across the man's face. "Thanks, man. Appreciate that."

"Hey, listen," Kai started. "Is your name Daniel, by chance?"

His smile faded some. "I am."

"Maybe you can help us. We're looking for a man named Alfie. We want to invite him to a surprise party for our friend, but we're having trouble finding him. Do you know him by chance?"

"Alfie? Yeah, man. I remember him. He used to play down here with that doctor guy."

"Dr. Jean-Pierre," Tori added with a hopeful smile. "That's who the party's for."

Word of the doctor's death shouldn't have spread yet so this story should be believable.

"Well, I couldn't tell you much about him. Don't know his last name." Daniel waved at someone else before turning back to them. "But strangely enough, I did see him at my uncle's apartment complex the other day."

"Is that right?" Kai tried to keep his voice casual. "Do you mind if I ask which apartment complex? Maybe we could track him down there. I know it's unlikely, but it's worth a shot."

Daniel's smile faded as a touch of caution filled his gaze. "I generally don't tell people where patrons here at the golf course live." He shrugged. "It's a privacy issue, you know?"

"Makes perfect sense," Kai said. "We don't want to ask you to do something that goes against your conscience. We just want to give this guy an invitation. I suppose we could write it out on some paper, and if you see this guy here at the golf course before Friday, maybe you could give it to him?"

Daniel seemed to consider that option also but frowned. "I'd like to say I could do that, but knowing me I'd probably forget."

Kai took a step back. "I just thought it was worth a try. Didn't mean to bother you."

He took Tori's arm and began to lead her away, hoping his bluff would pay off.

They took one step. Then another. And another . . .

"Hey, wait," Daniel called.

Kai suppressed a smile as he turned back toward the man. "Yes?"

"My uncle lives in the New Bridge apartments on East Street. I saw Alfie going into one of the apartments in the same building as my uncle. Building 4C. Second floor. But that's all I know. If anybody asks, you didn't hear this from me."

"Absolutely." Kai gave him a thumbs up. "We'll save you a piece of birthday cake and have either Dr. Jean-Pierre or Alfie bring it to you sometime."

"I'll hold you to that." He raised his hand in a finger pistol.

Kai thanked the man again, but before he walked away he had one more question. "Could you describe this guy?"

"Average height and build. Maybe he has an Indian background—the country, not Native Americans. Dark thick hair with a touch of curl. He's the kind of guy who gets attention when he walks into a room—not because he's handsome but because he has a big personality."

Kai thanked Daniel one more time before walking back toward the exit.

"I can't believe he told you all that information," Tori murmured.

"I can't either. Someone up above must be looking out for us."

"Certainly sounds like it," she agreed.

Was she a believer? Kai wondered.

And if so, why did that idea excite him so much?

He wasn't sure. But the more he got to know this woman, the more he liked her.

That could be a very dangerous thing.