Saltwater Secrets - Amelia Addler Page 0,10
he was a nice guy. He certainly pulled off a uniform like no one else. And at the very least, he had a great dog. That had to count for something.
Chapter 4
On Friday night, Matthew volunteered to help Chief set up alarms at Morgan and Jade’s place. It was all being done at Margie’s insistence, and the most that Jade would agree to were a few contact alarms. Matthew was happy to help – and happy for an excuse to see Jade again.
“Mom,” Jade said gently. “I really don’t think you have to worry so much.”
“I’ve always worried! All I do is worry! Are you sure that you don’t want to set up some cameras? Just a few?”
Matthew suppressed a smile, trying to channel his focus onto the sensor that he was attaching for the living room window. He was trying to pretend like he wasn’t listening, but it was hard.
“I really don’t think that’s necessary right now,” said Jade. “But if something else happens, we can revisit it.”
“If something else happens, you could get hurt!” Margie replied.
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Jade walked close to Matthew and dropped her voice. “If you thought that I was paranoid, you can at least see where I get it from.”
Matthew smiled. He didn’t think that Jade was paranoid at all. She was being surprisingly coolheaded after having someone break into her home. “You get a lot of good qualities from your mom.”
Jade let out a small laugh. “You’re right. Like baking!”
“That’s one,” he said as he drilled in the last screw in the window frame.
“I made some lemon bars, by the way – they’re in the kitchen. Do you want to take a break? Maybe I can finish whatever you’re doing up there?”
“This window’s done, actually. I think it was the last one.”
Jade leaned to get a better look. “So if I accidentally leave one of the sensors on and open the window, the alarm will go off?”
“That’s right,” said Matthew. “And you’ll probably lose hearing for a few weeks.”
“Wonderful,” Jade said with a smile. “Well – I’m really doing this for my mom. She’s been freaked out about everything.”
“Yes I have!” yelled Margie from the other room. “And you should be worried too!”
Jade put her hands up. “I am worried! Look how worried I am! I’m going to live with deafening alarms.”
“Good,” said Margie.
Matthew and Jade shared a look, both trying not to laugh.
Chief popped his head into the room. “I just have one more alarm for the kitchen window – that is, if you want it?”
“No, that’s – ”
Margie cut Jade off. “Of course she wants it! But honey, we really need to get going.”
“Oh, it’ll only take a minute.”
“No – maybe Matthew can do it for us? Would you mind, Matthew?”
Matthew shook his head. “Oh, no – I don’t mind at all.”
“Where’re you going mom?” asked Jade.
“Yeah honey, where are we going?” Chief replied. “Is it that quilting class that you signed up for?”
Jade crossed her arms. “I didn’t know that you signed up for a quilting class. Where is it?”
“Never mind that, we have to go! Honey, I love you, stay safe! I’ll see you Sunday for dinner, right?”
“Of course.”
“And you too, Matthew! Not working this Sunday I hope?”
Matthew shook his head. “No, I’m not working. I’d love to come.”
Margie beamed. “Great! We’ll see you then. Call me if anything happens – anything at all!”
Chief barely managed to hand off the sensor before Margie dragged him out the door.
“She’s been acting strange lately,” commented Jade. “I don’t know what’s going on with her.”
“Oh?” said Matthew. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say that Margie was trying to orchestrate a reason for him and Jade to be alone together. In fact, some might say it was the most obvious thing in the world, and that it wasn’t the first time she’d done it. “I didn’t notice. Let me get the sensor up for you.”
“Oh, thank you. I really can do it myself, I don’t know why my mom insisted on making you guys do it.”
“Probably,” Matthew said as he found a spot for the sensor. “Because she knew that you could do it yourself, but you wouldn’t do it yourself.”
Jade laughed. “Fair point.”
Matthew carefully aligned the first screw and attached it to the window. “I’m not sure how happy your landlord is going to be about all these holes that we’ve made.”
“I asked him. He doesn’t mind. He offered to come do it himself actually.”
“Huh. What a nice guy.”