She smiled, starting to see what was going on here. “Surprise, surprise.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “What are you up to, Poole?”
“Let’s wait and see,” she said, and set foot for the steps that led up from the small parking space to the lodge. She wondered where Max and the others could be. Probably in the shrubbery behind the lodge. So she made her way over there, and when she arrived, saw she hadn’t been mistaken: Max, Dooley, Harriet and Brutus met her behind the lodge, right next to the verandah where Hetta Fried, the Lodge’s owner, had installed the Jacuzzi.
She crouched down next to the cats, scratching Max behind the ears. She wasn’t going to talk feline now, with Chase looking on, but pricked up her ears when Max said, “Better take out your camera,” and pointed at the lodge.
She looked over, and saw a man and a woman enjoying the Jacuzzi.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Chase whispered. “That’s Commissioner Necker. And Malka Putin. Talk about a déjà-vu.”
And as they approached the verandah, she saw the couple were doing things no married man and woman should do, at least not to the ones they weren’t married to. With a grin, she took out her phone and started snapping pictures of the adulterous couple, adding a short video for good measure.
“I have a feeling Commissioner Necker will be a lot more amenable to finding a solution for your problems than before,” she whispered to Chase.
“Let’s go and say hi,” Chase said.
“Wait, don’t!” she hissed, but he was already walking up the two wooden steps to the verandah and pushing open the screen door.
When the startled couple looked up in dismay, he said, “Hi there, Commissioner. Remember me?”
“What the hell, Kingsley!” cried the Commissioner, descending beneath the bubbles. “You’ll pay for this!”
“Not this time,” Chase said, and when Odelia popped out from behind Chase’s broad back, she flashed the Commissioner and Mrs. Putin her best smile and showed them her smartphone.
“Chase and I were out hiking in the woods, when we just happened upon you two love birds. So I decided to snap some shots. And a little video.”
“Who are you?!” demanded the Commissioner, his face reddening.
“My name is Odelia Poole. I’m a reporter for the Hampton Cove Gazette and, as it happens, I’ve got an entire front page to fill in tomorrow’s edition.”
“Oh, Christ,” muttered the Commissioner.
“This is all your fault!” cried Mrs. Putin. “I told you we should have booked a hotel!”
“Nobody ever comes out here!” yelled the Commissioner.
“Apart from a cop and a reporter, you mean?”
“Look,” said Chase now, “I have absolutely no interest in exposing your little affair to the world, which is what I told you the last time, remember?”
“I remember,” said the Commissioner, glaring at Odelia’s smartphone.
“But you wouldn’t listen, would you? And then you kicked me out.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” grumbled the portly cop. “What do you want?”
“I want you to clear my name,” said Chase.
The Commissioner looked surprised. “That’s all?”
“Of course it’s not all,” said Mrs. Putin, a round-faced woman with platinum hair. “They want money, can’t you see? How much do you want?”
“Shut up, Malka. Let me handle this.”
“Look, I’ve got a hundred bucks right here,” said the woman, reaching for her purse, which was right next to the bubble bath.
“Just let me handle this, all right?” cried the Commissioner.
“I don’t want any money,” said Chase now, shaking his head disgustedly. “I just want to clear my name. I want you to go on record and—”
“Done,” said the Commissioner. “Whatever you want, son. Anything. Just don’t print those pictures, will you? They would ruin my career.”
“What about me?” asked Mrs. Putin. “What about my reputation, huh? It’s always me, me, me. You and my husband are just the same.”
“Just shut up for a minute, will you? I’m handling this.”
“That’s what you said the first time,” she said, crossing her arms.
“Look, Chase, I’ll clear your record, all right? I’ll talk to this girl—what’s her name, ahm…”
“Veronica George,” Odelia supplied helpfully.
“That’s all right,” said Chase. “Odelia already made arrangements with Miss George, and Mr. Rubb.”
“She did?” asked the Commissioner, surprised. “You’re some reporter, Miss…”
“Poole. Odelia Poole.”
He frowned. “The name sounds familiar. Why does the name sound familiar?”
“Perhaps because Donovan Rubb called you to complain about being arrested?” she asked. “At which point you pressured the mayor into getting Chase fired. Again.”
“Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he said, looking appropriately contrite. “Look, all that stuff wasn’t my idea in the first place, all right?”
“Oh, now you’re blaming me?” asked Mrs. Putin. “Nice. Real nice.”
“I’m blaming your husband, that’s who I’m blaming. Boyce set this up.”
“Look, I don’t care who set up whom,” said Chase now. “All I care about is that my name is cleared and that you put an end to those rumors.”
“Sure, sure, Chase. Whatever you want, son. I’ll get you your job back, I’ll even throw in a nice promotion and a nice big fat pay raise, all right?”
Odelia looked at Chase. Being reinstated as an NYPD detective was all Chase had ever wanted. But it would also mean leaving Hampton Cove, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She was surprised when she heard him say, “That’s all right, Commissioner. I’m fine out here in Hampton Cove.”
“Are you sure?” asked the Commissioner.
“He said he was sure, didn’t he? Now delete those pictures already.”
“Can you just shut up for one minute? I’m handling this.”
“You can’t even handle your way out of a paper bag,” she grumbled.
“Yes, I’m sure,” said Chase now. “I like it out here. A lot less hassle.”
“Suit yourself,” said the Commissioner. “If you want Hampton Cove, Hampton Cove is what you get. I’ll talk to the guy in charge here, um, what’s his name…”
“Chief Alec,” Odelia supplied.
“That’s right. I’ll tell him to take you back. Now about those pictures…”
“I think I’ll hang on to those for now,” Odelia said. “Just until I’m sure you’re keeping your end of the bargain.”
“Oh, I’ll keep my word,” said the Commissioner. “I’ll get you sorted out.”
“That sounds great, Vernon,” said Chase, and Odelia was surprised Chase was on a first-name basis with the Commissioner. He’d never told her.
“Look, I’m sorry, all right? I should never have made that damn deal.”
“Especially since you knew damn well I wasn’t going to talk,” said Chase.
“It wasn’t just me,” said the Commissioner. “When Boyce found out…”
“I understand,” said Chase. “It’s all about politics, right?”
“It is,” said the Commissioner with a shake of the head. “Back when your father and I were still walking the beat, me as a rookie and he as the seasoned vet, things were different. Once you get to my level, it’s all about politics, son.” He eyed Chase ruefully. “I’m sorry. I’m going to set the record straight.”
Chase nodded once, and then promptly turned around and walked away.
“I’m just gonna, um…” Odelia said, and then quickly followed Chase.
“You’re not gonna let that guy off the hook so easy, are you?” cried Malka Putin. “He’ll talk, I told you. All cops talk. Jabbermouths, the lot of them.”
“Not Chase Kingsley,” grunted the Commissioner. “And now will you just shut up for once and listen to me?”
Odelia smiled to herself as she rounded the lodge. Those two made a great couple. They should have their own show. She quickly caught up with Chase.