A Southern Noir: Deception by Any Other Name

Chapter 3

It was early morning when I left the house on my way to the gym. I stopped by Jack's for a sausage biscuit and coffee from the drive-thru. By the time I arrived at a good vantage point from the gym, I'd finished the biscuit. I readied my camera and prepared myself for a long wait. While I sat there, it struck me that I should join the gym instead of sitting around watching it.

The gym was in a good location for surveillance. It was in a strip mall off Highway 280 and Valleydale Road. The strip mall had a drug store, and several businesses and restaurants, so the risk of being spotted was slight.

I sat there for an hour when Mother Nature came to call. Lucky for me, the drugstore was open, so I walked inside. After visiting the men's room, I bought a bottle of aspirin and bottled water.

When I emerged from the store, I quickly surveyed the parking lot but didn't see Danny's truck. According to Mrs. Patterson, he drove a silver 2018 Dodge Ram. The truck sported a personalized license plate that said WRK OUT. Not very subtle, I thought to myself as I thought back on the conversation I'd had last night. I decided to return to my car and wait.

Two more hours passed before I got my first break. I spotted the Dodge turning into the lot from the opposite direction he should have come from if he were driving from his house. It could be something, or it could be nothing. He could have gone past the turn to get breakfast while I was inside the store. Of course, you pass a lot of places for breakfast on the way, so why drive further down Valleydale? Especially since the closest place serving breakfast on Valleydale was a Mcdonald's a couple of miles down the road.

Danny parked his truck and walked to his gym a minute or two later. The only bag I saw was a backpack he carried on his right shoulder. I snapped a couple of pictures as he walked to the gym. He gave no indication he suspected someone was watching him.

I sat casing the gym until lunchtime. Danny left for lunch around 12:15. Feeling a little hungry, I followed him, hoping he didn't want lunch from some vegetarian place. I got lucky because he only went down the street a bit to a local hamburger place. He parked his truck and walked inside. I parked a few rows down from him and then waited a few minutes before going inside myself.

The burger joint was as crowded as ever. I spotted Danny about halfway to the register, looking down at his phone. He was bigger than he looked from the car. He looked like he was carved out of solid rock. His square jaw and close-cropped hair made him look like a tough guy. As I took my place in line, I thought he could walk through a wall just as easily as he could use a door.

About ten minutes later, he got his order and turned to get napkins, condiments, and whatnot. I placed my order and waited alongside three other guys waiting for their orders. I took my order to the table and sat at a booth across the seating area from Danny. I watched as he ate his lunch and played on his phone. He didn't get any calls, nor did he make any calls. When he finished, Danny sat at the table for several more minutes playing on whatever app kept his attention. I returned to the car and waited for him to come out.

After another ten minutes, he walked outside and returned to his truck. I followed him back to his home. It was a one-story house with large windows and a two-car garage. A black dog that I assumed was a Labrador stood against the fence in the backyard. Danny scratched the animal's ears before going inside.

I checked my phone and saw it was close to three in the afternoon. I sat and watched the house for a few more minutes before calling it a day and returning home myself. It took me about forty-five minutes to arrive because of the traffic on 280, which is usually terrible at best.

"Daddy," came the two small voices of the kids as I went through the door. Kneeling, I scooped them both up and kissed their foreheads. "Daddy, can we play outside?" Jacob asked.

"You bet we can," I said. "Let me talk with Mommy, and we'll go to the backyard."

They ran off as I stood. "Emilie," I shouted, but she did not respond. I walked to the bedroom and found her on the phone. She didn't notice me at first as I stepped into the doorway. Emilie looked over at me and waved, continuing her conversation. After a few more minutes, she ended the call. "Sorry, that was Clayton. The buyer had a new proposal for the Fort Morgan property. I told him I thought it was a good deal for us."

"It took that long to tell him it was a good deal?"

She rolled her eyes and said, "There's a lot of legalities to consider when selling beachfront property, Hunter. All the paperwork has to be perfect."

"Yeah, I get it, but did he have to call on a Saturday? I mean, couldn't it wait?"

"It could, but what if they changed their mind by Monday? We want to keep this buyer. The commission on this sale is enough to make almost half our yearly income."

"Hey, I'm all for it, but I don't like him calling on the weekends."

"It's not like he calls every weekend. You'd know that if you were home more often."

"Emilie, I'm not saying he calls every weekend or too much. You know what; never mind. You're right. Look, the kids and I are going into the backyard. Do you want to join us?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute." I turned to go when she called me again. "You're not jealous of Clayton, are you?"

"Jealous? Why? Do I need to be?"

"Don't be stupid, Hunter. I promise, no more work calls tonight, okay?"

"Alright. We'll see you outside." I turned to go, still steamed over the whole Clayton call. I'd only met the guy a couple of times, but he gave off a bad vibe. I got the idea he was a know-it-all type. That, and he wasn't the friendliest of people. I don't like him. The man rubs me the wrong way. I turned around when I heard Emile call my name.

"Hunter, I could have married someone with a lot more money and a much better job, but I chose you. There's no reason to be jealous of Clayton."

"You're right, I'm sorry." While walking down the stairs, I tried to put thoughts of Clayton out of my mind. It's not a secret that I married into a wealthy family, and that her parents were not completely on board with her decision to marry me. They believed she could have done much better, and at times I know they are right. Still, she married me and together we have a happy family.

Pushing those thoughts out of my mind, the kids and I spent time in the backyard until it became too dark to see. The kids took baths and were in their beds soon after. Emilie and I spent the rest of the evening watching TV in the bedroom before calling it a night.