Chapter 11

Gage

It had been nearly two weeks since I’d asked Calvin Jameson to investigate Bentley and her relationship with my brother. In that time, I’d had to deal with my mom’s constant calls about Colin. I was glad my aunt was back in Portland. That relieved a lot of stress for me. My mom needed the help. Her fixation on Colin’s relationship with Bentley didn’t make sense. I was also worried about him, especially since Colin seemed so determined to avoid talking to me. My mom’s concern was bordering on an obsession. She’d even suggested calling my father. I wasn’t certain he even knew about Colin’s accident, and I doubted he’d care much that Colin had cancer.

My brother’s illness was killing me, but I was still tempted to kick his ass for avoiding my calls. I’d left messages, but he hadn’t returned a single call. My text messages and emails had also been mostly ignored. The most I’d gotten from Colin were arguments he needed to talk to me about what was going on in person. I wanted to force the issue, but I’d finally given up and decided I could wait until I saw him to learn the extent of his cancer. I could let Colin tell me on his terms.

There was time to meet with the private investigator before heading to Colin’s house. With any luck, this would set my mind at ease regarding Bentley. I was still pissed that she was dating my brother, but I’d get over it. My brother deserved happiness, and it was possible Bentley wasn’t using him.

“What have you got for me?” I asked Calvin as I took a seat in his office.

“I have a copy of the entire report for you to read through later, but I’ll go over the highlights now,” he stated.

“Sounds good,” I agreed.

“Bentley Marie Whitier is the daughter of Gigi and Franklin Whitier,” he began. “Franklin owns Whit’s Auto Repair.”

“Hold up,” I interrupted. “Her name is Bentley, and her initials are BMW?” She hadn’t shared that with me on the flight.

Calvin chuckled. “Yes, her parents have a thing for car names. She’s the oldest of three at thirty-one. She has a brother named Lexus and a sister named Mercedes. The sister’s place of employment is listed as the Frisky Beaver. Let me correct that. She was listed as an employee for three years, but is now listed as one of the owners.”

“The what?” I asked, certain I’d misheard him.

“The Frisky Beaver,” he repeated. “It’s a strip club in San Francisco,” he explained. “The brother recently got out of prison after serving time for a drug conviction.”

“Sounds like a great family,” I muttered.

Calvin ignored me and continued. “Bentley has worked for your brother’s company for nearly ten years. She was hired while she was still in college and has worked her way up to being James Caldwell’s executive assistant.”

“What was her major in college?” I asked.

“She has masters in psychology,” he replied.

“Interesting,” I said thoughtfully. “It seems strange she decided to continue working for my brother’s company considering her degree.”

He shrugged. “A lot of people don’t go into the field they majored in. I have a degree in Marine Biology.” Before I could comment, he continued. “She knew James before she started working there.” He set a picture on the table. I immediately recognized Bentley. She was younger in the photo, likely just out of high school. I also recognized the man with his arm draped over her shoulders as James. “She and Mr. Caldwell dated when she was nineteen.”

“So, she was dating James when she started working for him,” I remarked thoughtfully.

“I’m not sure when their personal relationship ended,” he told me. “This picture was taken shortly before she began working for Mr. Caldwell, so it is entirely possible they were still dating.”

So much for my hope that Bentley wasn’t the type to sleep her way to the top. She’d clearly used James to get her job and probably to move up. It seemed she was hoping for more now.

“When did she become involved with my brother?” I asked, still staring at the picture of her with James.

“Shortly after your brother’s accident, Miss Whitier started working in his home part of the time,” he explained. “Your brother hasn’t been seen at any events without her by his side.”

“Working from his home,” I muttered with a dry laugh. “I’ll bet she’s been working really hard for my brother.” I wasn’t sure what I hated more, the feeling of having been so thoroughly deceived, or the insane jealousy I felt when I thought of my brother touching Bentley. “It seems obvious she’s seeing my brother.”

“I’m not convinced the tabloid story is correct,” Calvin added before tossing out more photos. “There’ve been many pictures of Miss Whitier attending events with your brother, but James Caldwell is also in attendance. All the photos I’ve found from these events could be construed as perfectly innocent.”

“He’s holding her hand in several of these photos,” I pointed out. “Colin also admitted to my mom he’s getting married. Has he been seen with anyone else?”

“Not that I could find,” Calvin admitted.

One photo caught my eye, and I picked it up to get a closer look. Bentley was laughing. She looked happy and carefree. She was dressed in red, clearly attending some fancy event. If it weren’t for her expression of pure joy, she’d look nothing like the woman I’d met on my flight. It was Colin’s expression that held my attention the longest. “He looks like a man who’s staring at the woman he loves.”

“He appears to be looking over her shoulder,” Calvin pointed out.

“You already said he hasn’t been out with another woman,” I argued.

“It is certainly possible they’re involved,” Calvin agreed. “There is plenty of circumstantial evidence to back up that theory, but nothing concrete. Can I be frank with you?”

“Go ahead,” I told him.

“By the way you’re looking at these pictures, this is about more than your brother,” he began. “You should be careful how you approach this situation.”

Considering I’d now heard that from my band and the private investigator, I should listen. I should talk to my brother and then head home after he told me he was marrying Bentley. Talking to Bentley would be a terrible idea. I’d have to see her eventually, but I needed to have my head on straight when it came to her first.

“You’re right,” I agreed. “I’ll stay away from Bentley. I’m going to visit my brother later today, and then I’ll head home.”

“That’s a smart move,” he told me. “Was there anything else you needed me to look into?”

I shook my head. “No, this is good,” I replied. “I’ll pay the last of your fee with the receptionist.”

As I headed out of the office, I was no closer to having definitive proof Bentley was trying to screw my brother out of his money. Looking down at the photo of him with her, my gut clenched. Thankfully, I had a few hours to get my shit together before I met with Colin. With any luck I wouldn’t come off sounding like a jealous asshole when I saw him. I was also hoping Bentley wouldn’t be there. I definitely wasn’t ready to see her with my brother.