"Yes. She was eight years younger than Natasha, which surprised me, as I thought they would be closer in age, but she was born in the same city as my grandmother, so perhaps their families knew each other. Julia's professional tennis career ended with a knee injury when she was twenty-eight, which was about two months before Natasha died. She disappeared for a long time. The next mention I found on her was twenty years ago. She and her husband Ron Baxter, who was a real-estate developer, built a small tennis club in a new housing development in Marina Del Rey. Baxter died ten years after that, but Julia was pictured a few years ago in an interior design magazine featuring her home, which is next to the tennis club."
Jax smiled. "You're quite the detective, Maya."
"I'm just good on the internet. Anyway, I'm thinking of driving over to the club after our meal. I would love company. Unless you have other things to do?"
"I have to work at the club tonight, but I don't have to be there until five, so sure, why not? I'd like to meet the Lark."
"Great."
"I don't know if it will be great, but I'm sure it will be interesting."
"I hope it is more than interesting. I need someone to tell me something specific. I do appreciate your help. I like bouncing ideas off you. You're very insightful."
"I don't think I've offered that much. But happy to help if I can."
She nodded. "By the way, it's nice to see you wearing something other than black."
He grinned. "It's nice to be out of uniform." He paused as his name was called. "Our table is ready."
They made their way into the charming farm-to-table restaurant that was filled with whimsical décor and plenty of fresh flowers. They sat on an outdoor patio with a view of the ocean. A waiter poured them two cups of coffee, filled their water glasses, and dropped off their menus.
"This is spectacular," she said. "We got lucky."
"I've been here a few times before, so I was able to score a good table."
"Because the hostesses were all drooling over you," she said dryly, not having missed the flirtatious smiles the two young women had thrown Jax's way.
"Were they? I didn't notice," he said with a laugh.
"Oh, I think you did."
"Jealous?"
She was about to say no and then she decided to be honest. "Maybe a little. I like you, Jax."
Surprise flared in his eyes. "I like you, too, Maya."
"I'm glad to hear it. You were a little hot and cold yesterday."
"I'm just trying to do a good job, and you're a big distraction."
"I like being a distraction, and I get it. I'm at the club to solve my mystery, but it's your job, and I don't want to interfere with that."
"I do need to be careful about being seen with you, especially because you're making people nervous with your questions. Even though I want to help you, I don't want to jeopardize my job and if certain people think we're working together…"
"Like Sylvia?"
"Yes. And some of the members as well."
"Speaking of members, we never talked about the fact that Ryland Jagger and Victoria are having an affair and David is apparently blackmailing them."
"That was something."
"I wonder what's going to happen. Do you think Sylvia will fire her son?"
"She should, but who knows?"
"She's an odd woman. She seems to feel a tremendous need to protect the club members from me, as if I'm a huge threat. And I can't quite figure out why."
"Because the club is not just a job to her."
"What do you mean?"
"I found out last night that Sylvia's father was one of the original five investors in the club. His name was Edward Coleman. Did he show up in your grandmother's journals?"
"Coleman?" She thought for a moment, as she picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. "I don't think so. Unless he was one of the nicknames. I'm still looking for the Wolf, the Doctor, the Surfer… What did he do for a living?"
"He was in law and then in politics."
"He could be the Wolf."
"That does seem fitting."
"Sylvia said she knew my father when he was younger. I thought it was just from when she first worked at the club. But maybe she knew him before that, because she was one of the members' kids and so was my dad. But she didn't volunteer that information when I spoke to her. I wonder if she's protecting her father."