Engagements To Keep
By TT
Disclaimer: The characters of the Stephanie Plum series belong to Janet Evanovich and are used here without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
Challenge: 100_Prompts - Table 100B
Characters: Stephanie, OMC
Feedback: Email TT at ttsmiscellany@yahoo.com
Engagements To Keep
by TT
Stephanie grabbed her files and exited the office as quickly as she could. She might hate Joyce Barnhart, but today she couldn’t help but be just the tiniest bit thankful for – though completely disgusted and sickened by – her and Vinnie’s weird sexual proclivities, especially because the sounds they were making distracted Connie and Lula before they could begin asking her the questions she knew they had.
She loved her friends, but after what happened yesterday, she just wasn’t sure she could face their inquisition, everything was still too fresh, too raw. Stephanie couldn’t even make sense of it herself, let alone figure out what to tell others.
Slipping her car into the traffic flow, she guided the vehicle back to her apartment house.
A soft chuff of laughter escaped as she greedily took a spot near the door to the building. It was unusual for her to be so lucky, but, apparently, many of the seniors were out today, so she had a chance at a good spot.
Taking the elevator up to her apartment, she checked on Rex only to find the grape missing from his food dish and his furry little hind quarters sticking out of his soup can. Her eyes narrowed and she wondered if he was getting just a little too chubby for his own good.
Pushing that thought aside, she grabbed a bottle of water, settled at the table and opened her computer. She knew Connie would have done the preliminary work, but she wanted to be sure to get all the data she could.
Flipping open the first folder, she nearly choked on her sip of water. Her first skip was Edward Love, AKA “Buddy”. Of course, from the mug shot and description he looked absolutely nothing like Eddie Murphy in the movie.
Reading further, Stephanie first felt surprise and then dread as she realized Edward was related to Annie Hart. The last thing she needed was yet another unmentionable. She reached up and rubbed her forehead, feeling the first tendrils of a headache beginning.
Still, he was worth enough to pay her rent this month, so she would go after him.
Setting the folder aside, she began her research.
Ninety minutes later, Stephanie checked her bag and locked her apartment door behind her. She was off to get two other skips and would end her day with “Buddy”. Hopefully he wouldn’t be nearly as difficult as Annie had been.
Glancing at her watch, Stephanie blinked in surprise when she noticed the time. Deciding not to brave lunch with her mother – after all, she knew perfectly well that the phone would be ringing off the hook about last night – she steered through the nearest drive-through and ordered a quick lunch.
Flipping open the file folder on her last skip, she once more read through the information on Edward Love. He skipped on a charge of assault. Fortunately, his assault proved to be nothing like the kind that Ranger tracked. According to his statement, he had been trying to get the attention of someone when he had tripped over a small dog and crashed into a lady doing her shopping. The fact he was coming out of Victoria’s Secret at the time seemed to convince both the dog’s owner and the lady he crashed into that Mr. Love was a pervert trying to harm them. Thus, they both filed assault charges.
Most likely the case would be thrown out, but for that to happen, Mr. Love needed to be there. Too bad for him he missed his court date. Stephanie, however, felt no guilt about bringing him in for the bounty.
Tossing her empty food bag in the nearest trash bin, she headed over to Edward Love’s house.
Stephanie climbed the few steps to the front door and rang the bell. A voice bellowed out “I’m on the phone, come in and sit down!”
Surprised, Stephanie shrugged it off and did as instructed. Her spidey-sense was quiet as could be, so she felt there was no danger.
Stepping inside, she noticed the house was clean and the furniture comfortable. It was nice and looked as if someone took very good care of it.
She moved a little further into the room and settled on the comfortable couch.
Once she had taken in her surroundings, her eyes fell on the coffee table in front of her.
There were books and papers scattered all over the top of it. Doing her best to overcome her inquisitive nature, Stephanie managed to resist looking at the papers for a full thirty seconds before she leaned forward and began looking at them.
The font used on most of the papers on top proved difficult to read, so she just kept looking.
Glancing around the room, she satisfied herself that she was alone before scooting over on the couch to read the large book on the table.
It seemed to hold a list of names in two columns and both names were followed by a date and location.
Curious, she shifted a paper or two off of the top of the page and read: Cupid Enterprises – Engagement Book. Each column bore a label: Recipient, Proposer, Date, Location, Outcome.
Glancing at the dates, she noticed all of them seemed to be eight months in the future.
Her curiosity overwhelming her, she pushed the other papers off of the ledger and began skimming down the list of recipient names. She gasped as near the bottom of the page she found her own name.
Before she could take in any other information, however, a cry of dismay sounded from behind her. She turned around and found a small, overweight, balding man racing forward. He moved more quickly than Stephanie would have ever suspected, ran around the end of the couch and slammed the book shut.
“You are not supposed to read other people’s papers, young lady,” he scolded, despite the fact his file listed him as only two years her senior.
Stephanie knew he was right, but ignored his accusation. She wanted to know why her name was in that book. “Why am I listed in there? What is that book? Why are there dates and locations in there? What do they mean?”
The man ignored her questions, spun on his heel, walked to the desk across the way and opened the bottom drawer. He muttered for a few minutes before the sound of a safe opening sounded.
Stephanie quickly got up and walked toward him, only to see him put the book in the safe, close the door and then shut the drawer. “I want to know why I’m in your appointment book,” she demanded. “What does ‘recipient’ mean? Who is listed after me? What is going to happen to me?”
Mr. Love carded his fingers through his thinning hair and stated, “It’s an engagement book, not an appointment book. Nothing harmful is going to happen to you on the day in there. I can not tell you what the other name is or the location. Now, Annie told me you’d probably be coming after me when I missed my court date, so let’s go.”
Stephanie glared at the man but knew she had no reason to argue, it didn’t appear that he was doing anything illegal. With a shrug, she followed him to the door and waited while he locked up behind himself.
At least it was easy money.
Later that night as she drifted between wakefulness and sleep, Stephanie’s mind finally seemed to put the pieces of the mystery together. She sat up and gasped at the realization.
The ‘Engagement Book” she had seen had to really be an Engagement Book, as in a listing of people and when they would become engaged.
Her name had been in there on a page about eight months in the future. “Oh, my,” she murmured to herself. “That means…” Her tired mind tried to absorb the information, but her body was too tired to let her. Sinking back into her bed, her eyes drifted shut and she could feel sleep pulling her swiftly into its dark embrace. “But who?” she whispered as consciousness fled.
End
Email TT at ttsmiscellany@yahoo.com