Four Days Famous: A Mylas Grey Mystery (Mylas Grey Mysteries Book 4) Read online

  Even though my instincts were correct, I was still surprised the motive behind Lockett’s invitation was for me to have a meeting with Senator Allen.

  Despite that, I was eager to hear what the senator had to say.

  I was also curious.

  Very curious.

  Chapter 2

  Lockett gave me a big grin as I walked in, so I figured he knew I was surprised to see the senator sitting there.

  After we greeted each other, Lockett offered me some coffee, but since neither one of them was drinking anything, I declined.

  As I sat down on Nathan’s leather sofa across from the senator, he said, “Hi, Mylas. How are things going? Nathan was just telling me you purchased an office building on L Street near the St. Regis Hotel. That’s some nice real estate there.”

  “It’s a good location, easy to find, and there’s parking next to the building. Those were the selling points my realtor kept repeating when she was showing me the place.”

  He smiled. “I understand it has four floors. That’s a good size.”

  “Yes, it’s a multi-story building. I only need two floors right now, so I plan to lease out the other two. Since I prefer to choose my tenants very carefully, I won’t be advertising for renters.”

  The senator cleared his throat. “Well, Mylas, I’ll say it again. I’m really sorry to see you go. I’m sure Charlie will do an adequate job for us, and I know Nathan will find him an excellent deputy, but you have a great reputation here on The Hill, and it may take Charlie some time to build that same level of trust with everyone.”

  “Charlie’s up to the task. I don’t doubt that for a minute.”

  The senator gestured over at Lockett. “Last week, I asked Nathan to let me know when you dropped in on him again. I hope you don’t mind me barging in on your visit like this.”

  “Of course not, Senator. What’s on your mind?”

  Lockett chimed in and said, “I’m a little curious about that too, Senator.”

  Now, I was more mystified than ever.

  I assumed Lockett knew why the senator wanted to see me. The fact that he didn’t made me wonder if it was a personal matter.

  The senator uncrossed his legs and leaned forward in his chair. “I want to engage your services as a private investigator, Mylas.”

  I tried not to show my surprise. “Sure, I’m more than happy to have you as a client, Senator Allen. I’m assuming this is a personal matter since Charlie will be doing your judiciary investigations for you.”

  “Well, yes and no. Yes, I have confidence Charlie and the R & I Group can take care of the investigations regarding my official Senate duties, but no, I don’t really have a personal matter I need you to look into right now.”

  The senator, who was known for his ability to catch people off guard with his enigmatic statements, gave me a smile.

  I said, “Am I missing something, Senator? Why do you want to engage my services if there’s nothing for me to investigate?”

  He sat back in his chair. “I’m thinking about the future, Mylas. We can work out whatever financial arrangements you require, but I’d like to be able to call on you whenever the need arises, and if such a situation occurs, I want my case to be your number one priority. For that privilege, I’m willing to pay you a monthly retainer fee.”

  Although it wasn’t that unusual to have a private investigator on retainer—lawyers and large corporations did it all the time—it seemed strange for Senator Allen to make this request, especially since he had the R & I Group on his payroll.

  During my time with him, I’d done several personal investigations for him, including finding his daughter, Lizzie, when she went missing from her campus apartment in Columbia, plus looking into the activities of his wife’s cousin. In those instances, he’d never hesitated to use his in-house investigative team for his personal needs.

  My curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to ask him why he didn’t want to use them now. “Like I said, Senator, I’m happy to have you as a client, but do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”

  “Not at all, but I’m pretty sure I know what you want to ask me—if I have something personal I want investigated, why wouldn’t I use Charlie and the resources of the R & I Group. Is that it?”

  “That’s it.”

  The senator looked a little embarrassed. “I thought that might be obvious to you.”

  “It’s obvious to me, Senator,” Lockett said, “so I would definitely advise you to use an outside investigator from this point forward.”

  When Lockett said “outside investigator,” I finally got it.

  “Since it’s a personal matter,” I said, “my guess is that you don’t want Charlie involved in any kind of personal investigation because his father is one of your major campaign donors, and Charlie might feel obligated to tell him, especially if it could affect your reelection.”

  “Precisely,” the senator said. “So do we have an agreement? Will Mylas Grey Investigations be available to me?”

  I nodded. “I’ll have the papers ready for you to sign in a couple of days. Shall I have them faxed over here to Nathan’s office?”

  “Yes,” the senator said, getting to his feet, “and we’ll communicate through Nathan whenever I need to engage your services. Remember, Mylas, I’m expecting you to handle my cases personally. I don’t want you handing them off to one of your associates.”

  I stood up and offered him my hand. “You have my word on it, Senator.”

  After we shook hands, Lockett walked him over to the door.

  Once the senator left, Lockett turned to me and said, “I’m sorry, Mylas. I had no idea why the senator wanted to see you. He refused to tell me anything about it.”

  I smiled as we resumed our seats.

  “That’s not a problem, Nathan. I have a paying client now. Why would I be upset about that?”

  “Did you get the feeling the senator was anticipating needing your services soon? Like in the very near future?”

  “Yes. What’s that about?”

  “I have no idea, and I decided not to ask.”

  “I’m sure we’ll know soon enough.”

  * * * * * *

  Before the subject of possible tenants for my new office building came up, Lockett and I talked about personal stuff—personal stuff like my relationship with Whitney Engel, a relationship that began when I was in Columbia last year looking for Senator Allen’s daughter.

  Whitney, a professional photographer as well as an artist, helped me decipher some doodles Lizzie left behind when she went missing.

  As Whitney and I worked together to unravel the mystery of Lizzie’s disappearance, it wasn’t long before I realized I was falling in love with her, and when I was in Columbia for the Thanksgiving holidays, I shared my feelings with her.

  Although I couldn’t imagine my future without Whitney, we hadn’t talked about getting married yet. As I told Lockett, the subject of marriage was on the back burner until I could convince her to move to Washington.

  “Have you asked Whitney about coming to visit you again?” Lockett asked. “I know she didn’t have the best experience the last time she was here, but I’m sure you could convince her those were unusual circumstances.”

  When Whitney came to see me last November, I was in the middle of running an investigation for another senator as a personal favor for Senator Allen. Even though the assignment was only supposed to take two days, it had taken a lot longer, and unfortunately, Whitney got caught up in the aftermath, which put her life in danger.

  In the end, it was a harrowing experience for her, and I wasn’t totally convinced she was over it yet.

  “Believe me, Nathan, I’ve done everything I could possibly do to assure Whitney I’ll keep her out of harm’s way the next time she’s here. Right now, she’s planning to come and visit me as soon as I finish setting up my agency, which I hope will be fairly soon.”

  “You said she was a little intimidated by the whole Washington atmosphere, so maybe she’ll feel better about your lifestyle now that you’re no longer working for the senator.”

  “I hope so. Whitney considers herself a small-town girl, so she was pretty blown away by the Capitol Hill scene.”

  “I know you’re counting on your clients coming from the contacts you’ve made here, so you won’t exactly be free of it.”

  “No, but that’s the main reason I decided to call my agency Mylas Grey Investigations. I figured people would remember my name.”

  While I was talking, Lockett got up and walked over to his credenza where there was a small coffeemaker. “Are you sure you won’t have a cup of coffee? I’m about to have one myself.”

  I nodded. “As long as you’re having one, I’ll take a cup.”

  After Lockett inserted one of the coffee pods inside his machine, I said, “Have I mentioned I’m also changing the name of my building from the Lancaster Center to the Greystone Center?”

  “No, I hadn’t heard that. The Greystone Center has a nice ring to it, especially since it also describes the exterior of your building.”

  “You’ve seen the building?”

  “Yes, I drove by it a couple of days ago.” He walked over and handed me a cup of black coffee. “It looked like a sign company was already removing the letters on the front.”

  “The administrative assistant I hired is a real go-getter. She’s handling those details for me while I’ve been out doing other things.”

  While Lockett was busy fixing himself a cup of coffee, I was debating whether I should mention I was trying to recruit Nina to come to work for me. I was reluctant to say anything until I had a commitment from her, but on the other hand, I was afraid if I didn’t, he might think I was trying to keep it a secret from him.
br />   And, maybe I was.

  If Nina left the R & I Group, it would be Lockett’s responsibility to find a replacement for her, and I knew that wouldn’t be easy.

  I couldn’t blame him if he got ticked off at me about it.

  As he came over and sat down on the couch, I decided I had to tell him I was planning to make one last try at getting Nina to quit her job and come to work for me at MGI.

  However, before I could say anything, he said, “Since you dropped by to pick my brain about some possible tenants for your office building—or I guess I should call it the Greystone Center now—I’m sure you’ll be interested to hear about the conversation I had with Griffin Daley before you got here.”

  “Are you talking about the pollster, Griffin Daley?”

  “The same. You know Senator Allen has been using his polling service, Daley Consultants, for several years now.”

  I nodded. “I saw Daley being interviewed on one of the news channels the other night. His track record for getting the numbers right has earned him an excellent reputation. I thought he did a good job in the interview. Good publicity for him, that’s for sure.”

  Lockett took a sip of his coffee. “He said he’s getting new clients every day, and just before I got off the phone with him, he mentioned he was thinking about relocating. He wants to expand his services and hire more people.”

  I smiled. “Let me guess. You think I should go talk to Griffin Daley about relocating to the Greystone Center.”

  “No, I already did that, and he sounded interested, especially when I told him where the property was located. When I mentioned you were coming by the office this afternoon, he asked me to find out if you’ve already signed a tenant, and if not, to give him a call.”

  “Well, thanks, Nathan. His polling service is exactly the sort of organization I had in mind when I bought the place. Having him in the Greystone Center could turn out to be good for both of us.”

  “Why don’t I give him a call now?” Lockett said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “He told me he planned to be in the office all day.”

  “Sure, but I’d prefer to talk to him in person before agreeing to anything. You know me, Nathan. I need to look a person in the eye before I make up my mind about them.”

  “I’m aware of that,” he said, tapping in some numbers on his phone, “so as soon as I get in touch with him, the two of you can make arrangements for an in-person visit.”

  While we waited for Daley to pick up, I thought about how my day had been going so far.

  Since I’d consented to sign a retainer agreement with Senator Allen, I had my first client, and if things worked out with Daley, I’d have my first tenant.

  By the end of the day, if my carefully plotted scheme succeeded with Nina, I’d have my very first research analyst.

  My gut told me I was being a little too optimistic.

  * * * * * *

  After Daley answered his phone, Lockett immediately told him I was sitting across from him and ready to talk about our mutual interests.

  When Lockett nodded at me, I said, “Mr. Daley, this is Mylas Grey. I don’t believe we’ve ever met, but I’m certainly familiar with Daley Consultants. You’re the polling firm everyone’s talking about these days.”

  Daley let out a short laugh. “Success breeds success. One appearance on a news show, and my phone’s been ringing off the hook ever since. Now, I need to hire more people and get a bigger place.”

  “I’d say that was a good problem to have.”

  “That’s what my son, Jared, keeps telling me.”

  “Jared sounds like a smart man.”

  Daley cleared his throat. “I understand you’re looking for a tenant to share an office building with you.”

  “That’s right. It’s a four-story structure at the corner of L Street and 15th. It used to be called the Lancaster Center, but for advertising purposes, I’ve renamed it the Greystone Center. I’m having some remodeling done in the lobby, but previously it was used by an insurance company, so it’s practically move-in ready.”

  “That’s good news. I wouldn’t want something I had to remodel.”

  “If you’re interested, I’ll be glad to come by your office and discuss it with you at your convenience.”

  “I’m definitely interested. Could you come by around seven o’clock this evening? I know that’s late, but I’m expecting a phone call at five-thirty, and I’m not sure how long it will take.”

  “I’ll be more than happy to do that.”

  “Since our building closes at five, I’ll leave your name with our security guard. He’ll let you in and give you directions to my office. I’m sorry, Mylas, but I have to run. There’s someone at my door. Nathan can tell you where we’re located.”

  “I’ll see you at seven.”

  Just before he hung up, I heard him say, “Hi, honey. What did you bring me?”

  * * * * * *

  After I got off the phone with Daley, I thanked Lockett for putting me in touch with him, and then I asked if he’d mind giving me some personal information about the man.

  “Our relationship is strictly professional,” he said, “so I don’t know that much about Griffin, but I’ll be glad to tell you what I do know.”

  He looked up at the ceiling a moment. “Uh . . . I’m guessing Griffin is in his early 60s. I know he’s divorced, and he has a son named Jared who’s a famous plastic surgeon here in D.C. I believe there’s also a daughter who lives somewhere in Pennsylvania.”

  “Do you know if he has a girlfriend?”

  He chuckled. “No, I don’t. Why?”

  “There was someone at his door he addressed as ‘honey’.”

  “I don’t think Griffin would call any of his employees honey, and I’m sure he wouldn’t address his clients that way.”

  “I was just curious.”

  He nodded. “And that’s why you’re a good investigator, Mylas.”

  “Well, my dad was a good teacher, plus I love doing it. Whether that translates into a successful business, only time will tell.”

  “I’m sure you’ll succeed in the investigative business. Your father taught you well, and I hope you know I’m praying for your success.”

  “Yes, Nathan, I believe that,” I paused a second, “but when I tell you what I’m about to do, you may stop praying for me.”

  He looked puzzled. “What are you about to do?”

  “Talk to Nina about coming to work for me.”

  He smiled as he shook his head. “I doubt if she’ll be interested.”

  “I know it’s a long-shot, but I have to try. Are you okay with that?”

  He shrugged. “Well, Mylas, I’ve prayed for your success, so if Nina’s a part of that, I’d be foolish to be upset about it.”

  “Thanks, Nathan. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

  “Please do. In fact, give me a call after you’ve had your meeting with Griffin tonight and let me know about both of your meetings.”

  I had a feeling he was a lot more interested in the meeting I was about to have with Nina than the one I was about to have with Griffin.

  So was I.

  Chapter 3

  Before I went to see Nina, I spent a few minutes in the lobby exchanging gossip with Senator Allen’s receptionist, Jenna Meyers, who informed me Charlie Hayes was out of the office today.

  Although I hadn’t planned to see Charlie, I thanked her for the information, and then I headed down to Nina’s office where I tapped on her door a couple of times.

  When I heard her say, “Come in,” I stuck my head around the door and said, “I’m back.”

  She shook her head. “No, you’re not. You just came in the office to talk to Nathan. I heard that straight from the office gossip herself.”

  “So Jenna told you?”

  Nina smiled. “That’s right. If you haven’t noticed, even though you’ve been gone for two weeks, nothing’s changed. Life goes on.”

  “Well, Nina, I can’t say that about my life these days. Things are changing all the time.”

  “In a good way, I hope.”

  “Oh, yeah, it’s all good. The remodeling on my lobby is almost done, and both Leslie and I have our offices fully furnished, plus the signage on the outside of my building was installed yesterday.”