1 Chapter 1

Yeesh, nice place for a tryst, thought Kaylee as she watched her target enter the side door of a run-down building. At least have the decency to spring for a cheap motel.

Sometimes Kaylee hated the P.I. business. This was the third cheating spouse case in a row, and Kaylee was getting a bit disheartened with the state of relationships in the electronic age. More and more men were using social media or instant dating apps to cheat on their wives or girlfriends, and it made Kaylee wonder if she would be able to trust any guy she ever fell in love with. Still, these men's inability to remain faithful to their wives was quite lucrative, so she kept taking the cases.

This case wasn't any different. Mrs. Lauren Knight contacted her a week ago complaining how her husband, Jonathan, was going out on random evenings and not returning until late in the morning. It was pretty obvious he was doing something he wanted kept secret, but Mrs. Knight needed proof of his infidelity in order to secure the alimony she felt she was due.

Kaylee watched Jonathan for a few days, but he pretty much just stayed at his office all day and went home after work. He'd gone out for lunch a few times, but typically took take-out back to his office or ate alone. Earlier today, though, Mrs. Knight let her know that Jonathan had called saying he was working late again. Sure enough, however, when five o'clock rolled around, Jonathan left the office and drove to the seedy part of town, nearly the direct opposite of the well-to-do subdivision he lived in. Surely, if he did indeed have a mistress, this was where they were meeting.

She snapped a few photos of Jonathan entering the building, but saw no sign of another woman. Obviously, the mistress had arrived earlier, or this was where she lived. Like it or not, Kaylee couldn't close the case without anything incriminating, so she needed to go in for a closer look.

It was beginning to get dark, and there wasn't much traffic on this street at this time of day. Grabbing her camera, Kaylee slipped out of her car, locked the door, and darted across the street toward the door.

This side of the building didn't have any windows, so Kaylee sneaked around back looking for one that was lit from the inside. Behind the building was a narrow alley with a dead-end, but there were indeed windows back here. Unfortunately, they were nearly seven feet off the ground, so she was going to have to climb on top one of the dumpsters in order to be able to see anything.

Kaylee frowned as she looked down at her outfit. Ugh, I did not dress right for this. She had slipped on a turtleneck, knee-length skirt, and boots, figuring she could get into nearly any establishment dressed in such a conservative, yet attractive fashion. If she'd known she was going to be climbing around on trash, she'd have worn jeans and tennis shoes.

With any luck, Jonathan and his mistress would be in plain view, and she could snap a few pictures and get out of there quickly. Fortunately, the dumpster had a metal lid, so she laid her camera on top and then backed up against it, putting her hands on the lid. She hopped, pushing down with her arms, and slid her butt over the edge.

Sliding her legs up behind her, she rolled onto all fours and stood up. The lid seemed firm enough to walk on, so she picked up her camera and crept toward the window.

What she saw inside surprised her. Instead of seeing Jonathan in the embrace of a trashy blonde, he was talking with two other well-dressed men who seemed to be having a serious discussion with him about something she couldn't hear through the glass. Finally, they handed Jonathan a briefcase and shook hands.

"Well, at least he isn't a cheater," muttered Kaylee as she snapped several photos of the transaction. She wasn't sure if this would make Mrs. Knight happy or not, as the woman seemed eager for a valid excuse for divorcing him. That wasn't her problem, though. Marriage counseling fell outside of her list of services.

As the men continued to talk, Kaylee crept back to the edge of the dumpster and descended back to the alley. She slipped her camera strap over her head and shoulder when her thoughts were interrupted by a gruff voice.

"Looking for something, sweetheart?"

Kaylee jumped and spun around. The voice's owner was a large man, at least six-foot-four, who was built like a professional fighter. He had close-cropped hair and wore a tight black tank top and blue jeans. Physically, the five-foot-five brunette knew she was no match for the brute, despite her own athletic build.

"I think I took a wrong turn," she bluffed, hoping the man would fall for the ditzy girl act. "The GPS on my phone must have gotten confused. Do you know where Mac's Pub is?"

"It's two blocks down Twenty-Third, across from the Korean grocery," the man grunted.

Kaylee relaxed, figuring her act had paid off.

"Not sure why you'd start climbing on dumpsters once you entered the alley, though," he replied.

Crap.

"Oh, you know us dumb girls," Kaylee replied, measuring the distance between the man and the alley entrance. If she timed it right, she might be able to dart around him and get to her car.

"I do, which is why I think you're lying," said the man as he advanced toward her.

Kaylee recognized his intentions, and she bolted toward the alley exit. With alarming speed, the man intercepted her path and delivered a vicious backhand that knocked her to the ground. Her head rang from the blow, and she tried shaking it to regain her bearings.

Before she had a chance to collect her wits, the man grabbed her and pulled her arms painfully behind her back. Pinning her wrists together with one hand, he reached under her waist with the other and pulled her to her feet. He moved his hand from her waist over her mouth and ordered her to keep quiet unless she wanted hit a second time.

Kaylee nodded, knowing a second blow could very likely knock her out completely.

The man grabbed her shoulder and began leading her back toward the door Jonathan had entered earlier.