Death of a Waterfall (The Hayden Falls Saga) (10 page)

"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. He wondered why they were both here together if they'd been beating on each other. "You boys get it all worked out?"

"Not really," Alex said, glancing at Teghan.

Rob noticed Donnie do the same. Hmmm, they were fighting over his daughter, huh? 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?"

"I guess." Donnie shrugged. "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. Rob had dealt with a lot of low lives early in his career, and he could spot one a mile away. There were no doubts in his mind that Donnie was one of them.

"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 hands 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 toward 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. He normally didn't have trouble getting answers from people. In fact, he was known for his hard ass, take-no-prisoners approach when questioning witnesses in the courtroom. "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. People like Donnie would crack under the pressure and eventually fade away. He'd seen it numerous times before. "Why did he leave?"

"Because he's a coward," Donnie said. "Excuse me."

Rob watched him walk to the opposite end of the pool, squat and say something to Teghan. She frowned then nodded. Donnie got up, went over to Alex, said something, and then left. Rob smiled. 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 nightclubs raged on late into the night. The Orchid Lounge was the newest addition to the landscape. Although construction wasn't finished, Rob knew the place was going to be large. He couldn't fault the owner 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 doorman 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 tapped his pen on the edge of the desk. "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 drives a piece of crap 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. Jim never did pull any punches. It was one of the reasons Rob liked him so much. "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 meet for lunch on Friday then. My treat."

"Good. I was going to call you today anyway. I've got a new business venture you might be interested in. It's right up your alley."

Rob tossed his pen onto the desk and leaned back in his chair. He had his hands in a lot of different businesses and loved it when new opportunities presented themselves. "Go on."

"It's a firm that goes by the name Midnight Rebels, Inc. They're a group of ex-military and government types. They specialize in covert ops, surveillance, investigations. They're the best at what they do."

"And where would I fit into all of this?"

Jim laughed. "Well, they're not officially working for any branch of government so they need some supplemental funding."

"What do I get out of it?" Rob propped his feet on the corner of his desk and looked around his office, contemplating whether or not he should splurge for a makeover. He decided it could wait a while longer.

"A warm fuzzy feeling for doing something good and worthwhile."

Rob flung his head back and laughed. That was the best thing he'd heard in days. "I've fired people for saying dumb shit like that."

Jim laughed on the other end of the line. "In all honesty, Rob, I think they could be of help in your current situation. I've only got so many connections. Besides, it could be really beneficial to have an organization like this in your pocket."

Rob grunted. "Yeah, you're probably right. Can you set something up?"

"I can bring the info on Friday."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Jim."

"No problem."

Rob hung up the phone. God help him if Teghan or Rachel caught wind that he was checking up on Donnie. They'd never forgive him. But Rob had a strong feeling about Donnie, and 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. Maybe he should have Teghan followed, just to keep tabs on her, make sure she wasn't getting into trouble. No, that wasn't a good idea. She hadn't taken to his idea to have a bodyguard accompany her to London last year. It had almost cost them their relationship. That was a bridge better off not crossed again.

Chapter Nine

Teghan and Annabelle sat at a table in the corner of Dining Hall One. All the hot food looked wretched, so Teghan had settled for a bottle of water, a banana, and a cup of vanilla yogurt. She peeled the lid off her yogurt and her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and checked the display. It was a text message from Donnie. Teghan rolled her eyes as her heart rate increased. He'd been texting her since he left so abruptly last night. She'd read every one of them, but hadn't responded. Yet. She wasn't sure what she should say to him. Teghan flipped open her phone and read the message.
*Sorry if I pissed u off. Not sure what I did. Can we please talk?*
Teghan's finger hesitated over the reply button. She hadn't slept worth crap last night and really wanted to talk to him, but she couldn't get past his behavior at her parent's house yesterday. What kind of guy shows up, speaks to her father, and then storms off? The whole thing was just so strange.

"Who is it?" Annabelle asked.

"Donnie," Teghan said.

"Again?"

"Yeah." Teghan sighed. "He wants to talk."

"I bet." Annabelle smiled. "You haven't shut up about him since you met him."

"What's your point?"

"Just talk to him." Annabelle picked apart her sandwich and made a face. "I haven't had turkey this rubbery since my dad attempted to cook Thanksgiving dinner two years ago."

Teghan laughed. "I'm glad he finally just gave up and took my mom's offer to have you guys over for the holidays."

"Me too." Annabelle sipped her iced tea.

"Why should I talk to him?" Teghan asked. "Since I met him, he's done nothing but cause problems for me."

"Donnie wasn't the cause of your problems, Teghan." Teghan gave Annabelle a dirty look. It was obvious she didn't see it because Annabelle continued to talk. "It's not Donnie's fault he was thrown into the middle of a bad episode of Jerry Springer."

Teghan laughed. "That's a little over the top, don't ya think? Besides, what was with him yesterday?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, first of all, I can't believe he showed up after everything that happened the night before. I thought for sure he'd go back to CIT. But no. He shows up at my house. He and Alex barely spoke to each other. And then, after talking to my dad, he just left without much of a goodbye. It's just so weird."

"Talking to your dad is probably what scared him off." Annabelle laughed.

Teghan groaned. "You're probably right. God, I hope not. Could you imagine if Donnie and my dad didn't get along? It'd be a nightmare. I'd really have to stay away from him then."

"Oh please," Annabelle huffed. "Staying away from him is the last thing you want to do, and we both know it so quit acting like you do."