A Flight of Fantasy (Sarah Woods Mystery 12) Read Free Page A

still pines for you. Maybe you should call him.”
    “And say what? He made his decision to move to California before he even discussed it with me. Anyway, I told him it was the right decision. I thought we ended things on good terms.”
    Carter let out a rough sigh. “Hey, I’m glad you didn’t go with him, but I guess I feel somewhat responsible for your breakup.”
    “My life is here. Even if I did go to California, it probably wouldn’t have lasted.”
    He lifted my hand and softly kissed the back of my fingers. “It’s late. Why don’t you get a good night’s sleep and I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
    “Sure.”
    In the darkness of night, the bright October moon was the only light guiding me up the stairs to my apartment. As usual, Carter waited to make sure I was safely inside before he drove off.
     

Chapter 3
    Sunday, October 18th
     
    The next morning I took a long shower, then got dressed in jeans, a button down blouse and my black boots. Since the weather forecast was to be cold and misty, I grabbed my rain jacket and umbrella. Carter was waiting curbside when I exited my apartment at 9:00 am sharp.
    “I got in touch with the photographer,” Carter said. “He’s agreed to meet us in twenty minutes.”
    “Did you ask him if he has the photos from last Thursday night?”
    “He has - two hundred and sixty-five to be exact.”
    “Great,” I said. “There’s a good chance we’ll find one of them with Wayne and Rita. Did you get a hold of the security company?”
    “I called but wasn’t able to talk to a human. I’m thinking we’ll stop by the headquarters in person after we see the photographer.”
     
    Jonas Eckert’s office was located near the downtown area of Oxford. His studio was basically a large open space with a desk and a computer. On one end, a lighting station was set up with props; big stuffed teddy bears and other toys. I imagined he had to subsidize his income by catering to adoring parents wanting precious photos of their munchkins.
    Jonas was tall and lanky, with a thin ponytail running down his back. He had a big nose and bushy eyebrows and reminded me of a caricature of himself. His clown-like features along with a wide smile and cheerful disposition, I could see him being a big hit with the young kiddos.
    After he graciously invited us to take a seat by his desk, he seemed genuinely interested in what we were after concerning his photographs. “So you’re looking for a woman, huh?”
    “Yes,” Carter said. “Her first name is Rita. She has shoulder length, dark hair and was wearing a red dress. About five-six or five-seven and very trim.”
    Jonas raised an eyebrow. “I think I remember this woman. Yep, she was a knockout for sure. She left with a guy who seemed a little below her pay grade, if you know what I mean. Why are you interested in her?”
    “She went home with our client that night after the event,” Carter replied. “He lost her name and number and wants us to find her.”
    Jonas gave us a look, he obviously didn’t believe our story. “Poor sucker. Those high-end prostitutes can be a bit snarky. They’ll rob you blind if you give ’em a chance.”
    “Why do you think she’s a prostitute?” Carter asked.
    “A hot woman like her with a schmuck like that? No offense to your client, but did he really think she’d be interested in a guy like him unless she had a good reason?”
    Carter shrugged. “Can you check to see if you have any photos of her?”
    “I’m sure I have.” He typed away on the keyboard and a moment later a slow smile spread across his face. “Here. She’s sitting with that guy at the bar.”
    Jonas turned the computer monitor around so we could see it. Rita’s hand rested on Wayne’s leg as she leaned in toward him, as if whispering something seductive. Wayne had his eyes firmly fixated on her chest. It was a nice profile picture of Rita, but it would be better to have her full face showing. “Is this the only one