Little White Lies

Chapter 20

                                                                                   A year later

Eric headed across the airport towards the rental car counter, knowing the way like the back of his hands now. Coming here almost once a month would do that to you. Eva had already run off to talk to the private investigator she hired, who no doubt had some more dead ends for them to chase.

David had arrived the day before. He didn't always join them since he still needed to make sure White Jewelries was up and running. He had managed to talk Eva out of doing a reveal. Once everything was sorted, they can go on with the live reveal. Eric and his parents had poured over the numbers and had to agree that now wasn't a good time to throw another shock to the Whites. It was hard enough to explain why Candice White had gone missing.

At least no one had expected Candice to take the helm since she still had two years before she was scheduled to graduate. Oh, only one now. Just as they were following her ig stories footsteps, all of it disappeared and she became inactive. All the photos she posted were from around Mexico, making it difficult to pinpoint where she was exactly at any given time.

It was Eric's idea to hire a private investigator and one that he sorely regretted. He greeted the car rental guy in broken Spanish, who already had the keys and forms ready for him. "Welcome back!" he beamed, "how long?"

"A week this time," he answered. It was Christmas again. His parents couldn't understand why he was still running around with Eva. To them, it all wrapped up when Eva became the official heiress of White Jewelry. A year ago, Eric would have disagreed. Now here for the twelfth time, he wanted nothing more than to get it all over and done with.

Eva's high heels click echoed across the linoleum floor. She was dressed to the part of a socialite, her heels clicking on the floor making loud echoes.

She lifted her sunglasses and raised her eyebrow at her adoptive brother. "Well, are we ready to go or what?" she asked pointedly. Eric waved goodbye to the sales clerk who he had become kind-of-friends with, despite the language difficulties, and the two of them walked off to where the rental car was parked.

"Any news?" Eric asked, wondering what the private investigator had cooked up this time. Senor Gerardo was recommended by one of David's friend so David wasn't sure if there was something lost in translation. Perhaps they had meant to tell them not to use him?

Eva flung her handbag into the backseat as Eric loaded their suitcase in the boot. "He said she was spotted in Merida again. This time he got photos. She might be working here now, apparently. Let's just go to his office to have a look."

Candice White, working in Mexico. Eric almost laughed at the idea; she should be in New York or Paris if she wasn't in LA. Somewhere glamorous and chic.

Senor Gerardo's office was in downtown Cancun, sandwiched between a laundry shop and bakery. Eric sent David a quick text, who said he was running late but they could start without him and just keep him posted.

The private investigator was waiting for them in his office, behind him is something that looked like it could be a murder board. Pictures of Candice were splatted all over with maps, pins, and red strings crisscrossing all over. It looked like every other heist or cop movie ever made but somehow creepier.