Free Double Doublecross by James Saunders Page B

goes on around here for celebration?”
    â€œUsually I get invited to Stan and Helen’s place for a dinner and drinks. Helen really puts herself out with her wonderful cooking. Stan’s a very lucky man in that department. Sometimes Pat and Jake join us. I guess you’ll be invited with me, so leave the day open.”
    â€œIt sounds great. My Christmas is usually pretty dull and I like your friends. When you’re single, holidays are a bit of a drag.”
    â€œGood. It’s settled then. I’ll let Stan and Helen know this afternoon. Now, I’d better get back to the office before Stan sends out a search party. I’ll see you about six,” Rick said jocularly. ‘Things are looking up,’ he thought.
    â€œOkay, I’ll see you later,” Sara said.
    Rick climbed into the Lincoln and started to drive back to the office. His thoughts switched to the fact Sara had said she was loafing around all morning, and had
not
mentioned her trip to the mall. The fragrance of the cologne was not mixed with female perfume. Was she lying once again? In fact, she was not wearing perfume herself, so where had the whiff of cologne come from?
    These thoughts were puzzling him, and he was thinking about them when he arrived at the office. Pushing open the office door, the first person he saw was Pat at her desk but no sign of Stan. He took off his jacket and sat in a visitor’s chair next to Pat James.
    â€œWhere’s Stan? Out with a client?”
    Pat looked up, “He won’t be long, Rick. As you can see, things are a bit slow. You know, I saw Sara the other day driving out of a parking lot with a guy with fair hair. Was he a buddy of yours?” she ventured, knowing Jake would have disapproved of her inquiry. Pat was curious but posed the question in an offhanded manner so as not to sound inquisitive.
    â€œShe’s never mentioned it. Probably one of her acting friends or an agent,” Rick said quietly.
    He went to his office, sat down and thought about Pat’s observation. He remembered the time he thought he saw Sara in a car with a fair complexioned man. Was there any connection to Pat’s observation? There was always something bothering him about Sara. She had lied to him about theapartment lease, the false trip to the mall—and what about the cologne smell?
    He made a decision to discretely question her about it that evening. It was possible she had a perfectly good explanation for him, but for now, Rick had other things to think about.
    Money was in short supply and the Christmas holiday was looming on the horizon. Somehow he had to buy gifts for Stan, Helen, Pat and Jake James and, of course, Sara. Sara was the real problem. The others were easy to please. Rick came to the conclusion that a fine piece of jewelry would fit the bill—maybe a broach, but nothing too expensive. He inwardly made the decision to visit the local mall during his lunch break the next day.
    He looked around the office, noticing Pat getting ready to go home and Stan finishing off some paperwork. It was now getting dark, and a drizzle was settling in, covering everything with a damp cloak of moisture. He slipped on his coat, grabbed his umbrella and told Stan he was leaving.
    Getting into his car, he had an uneasy feeling about questioning Sara about the incident regarding Pat James’ observation. Would she take offence thinking he was prying into her private life? Would her explanation clarify the situation? He decided he was going through with it just to appease his curiosity.
    The freeway was congested as usual, and he decided to take the surface roads home. They were slower but at least he would be moving. Turning into his street, he was at last free of the traffic. The street was almost empty except for a few parked cars and a tall lonely figure walking quickly through the hazy drizzle. ‘Not a good night for a stroll,’ thought Rick. Not many people walked in