Page 6 of Island Holiday

Jess shook her head in sympathy. “Preaching to the choir. The food around here is incredible all year long. Especially the Bread Basket. Everything Lila and Connie bake becomes my kryptonite.”

Sonya split the cookie inside the wrapper, handing half of it to Jess, while she considered her answer. She didn’t want to get into all the reasons this case was personal to her. And yet she had to offer up some kind of explanation. It was a matter of sharing the facts while keeping all her fears and inadequacies locked down. She didn’t need or want sympathy. Her past was over and done and far behind her. Her life was better for it.

“The man was a client when I worked for a financial firm.” She cleared her throat and glanced at Jess. “You know that story?”

“I do.” Jess lifted her coffee in salute. “Gamble included the short version with the file. Well done.”

Sonya managed not to cringe at the compliment. “Thanks.” Yes, she’d done the right thing, but it never felt like her finest hour, despite how it all worked out.

“Great. Saves time.” She paused to savor a bite of the perfect sugar cookie and then explained how Zimmer had come to her attention. “Nothing added up,” she continued. “So I poked around and when I discovered the way he targets college kids who are pressed for money or desperate for opportunities, I got mad.”

“Because of the exploitation.”

“Yes. Granted, he pays what he promises. The students get an all-expenses paid weekend away. But it doesn’t sit right. He’s a professor and not once has he recruited from his own university or offered such a sweet deal to one of his teaching assistants.”

“That sets off alarms on my suspicion meter,” Jess agreed. “If things were legit, you’d think he’d want to help the folks closest to him.”

“Exactly. And why does he follow some of the testers?”

Jess tilted her head. “Good question. Here’s another one. Why is he here when his testers aren’t?”

“Casing new locations?” Sonya guessed.

They watched Zimmer stroll down the row of storefronts, completely carefree. He spoke with a couple people, shop owners if Sonya had to guess, but didn’t spend too much time on any one conversation. She saw him take a couple of pictures of the ocean. When he seemed to get interrupted by a call, she returned her attention to her own conversation.

“The money isn’t telling you enough,” Jess said.

“No, it isn’t. There’s no clear tie between the suitcase company and the consumer study group. No tie between the company and the man himself.” She followed Jess’s example and didn’t use Zimmer’s name. “I feel like this is escalating, but I don’t have the data. I just want to prevent more trouble, whatever that may be.” She fiddled with the empty cookie wrapper. “He’s taking advantage of these students. Misrepresenting himself.Using their desperation for money or offering connections or…something. If three have gone missing—”

“That’s not confirmed.”

Sonya just stared.

“It’s suspected,” Jess allowed. She leaned forward once more. “Would you have agreed if a stranger offered to send you off for a weekend with a fancy suitcase?”

“In a heartbeat.” The words were out before Sonya could temper the reply. “I qualified for grants and still spent what felt like half my life scouring the internet for any and all scholarships. Five grand for a weekend travel break would’ve been like winning the lottery for me.” She sighed. “And I probably would’ve sold the suitcase for extra money when it was done.”

“Can’t blame you for that,” Jess said. “Do you know why he didn’t hire you?”

Sonya felt the color drain from her face. “How?” Her voice cracked. “How did you find out?”

Jess snorted. “Come on. You’re working for one of the best private security and investigations firms in the world. On top of that, you’re close friends with one of our people.”

“Hannah has been tracking me? I didn’t want to bother her with any of this.”

Jess shrugged. “I can’t confirm who has done what. I don’t have those particulars. But, Sonya, you’re valuable. According to Gamble, everyone likesyou, not just the work you do for us.”

Sonya tried to believe it. She had never considered herself very likable. Part of it was her childhood. She didn’t retain any relationships from those years. Not a friend or any familial connections.

As an adult, it came down to a lack of understanding about how people worked. Without Hannah and Harper, she wasn’t sure she’d have any friends. She’d won the friendship andfamily-of-choice lottery when they wound up as roommates during their freshman year at college. The three of them had been inseparable ever since.

Sonya navigated professional settings with ease. She could analyze, keep her cool in a crisis, and keep a respectful distance. The foundation for those skills was built on her first job, cleaning house for an older neighbor woman who knew how she wanted things done. Sonya had learned more than how to make dull and lifeless linoleum sparkle. She’d seen a different type of life in that apartment and witnessed better choices in action. Not only had the woman taught her how to manage the money she earned, she taught Sonya how to keep most of her hard-earned money away from the black hole of her greedy parents.

Then it dawned on her. “You’re telling me Gamble and Swann already have someone tailing him.”

Jess didn’t react.

Because it wasn’t Sonya’s business. Her role wasn’t to be out here in the field. And yet, here she was, traipsing after Zimmer. “Did I screw up an operation?”

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