making a mental note to drop by Nicole’s apartment tomorrow to take her and Zoe out to lunch. He caught Victoria watching him. “What?”
“It is sweet, the way you’re looking out for her.” Her eyes held on him for a moment before she changed the subject. “So. Who’s next on our list?”
Next on the agenda, in order of proximity, were Peter Sutter Numbers Seven, Ten, and Five—all of whom lived in high-rise condo buildings. Their first stop was the residences at the Bloomingdale’s Building, which had an attached garage with guest parking.
“You think the guard will go for it?” Victoria asked, as they rode the elevator down to the lobby level.
“Tough to say. It’s a pretty exclusive place. They should have decent security.”
She adjusted her dress so that the front of it dipped a tiny bit lower, and then winked. “Just in case that reporter ID of yours doesn’t do the trick.”
When the elevator doors opened, they stepped out into the marble lobby and headed for the security desk. A man dressed in a gray suit greeted them. “Can I help you?”
Having spent years trying to get information from people who weren’t always thrilled to provide it, Ford knew that the best approach in this situation was to act friendly and casual. “I hope so.” He introduced himself, showed the doorman his Trib ID, and explained that, as part of a human interest piece he was writing, he was trying to track down a man named Peter Sutter who’d helped rescue a woman who’d jumped into Lake Michigan yesterday to save her dog.
“Apparently, both the woman and the dog were struggling, when this guy jumped in and saved them,” Ford explained.
Victoria gave him a subtle look of approval, seemingly impressed by his cover story.
For added effect, he pulled a small notebook out of his back pocket. “The paramedics on the scene didn’t get Peter Sutter’s address, but they did say that he’s Caucasian with brown hair, somewhere between twenty and forty-five years old. Does that fit the description of the man who lives here?”
The doorman shook his head. “Nah, unfortunately, the Mr. Sutter in this building has red hair.” He looked apologetic. “Sorry I couldn’t be more help—it sounds like good story.”
“Should be. We want to reunite the dog and the woman with the guy who rescued them. Get some nice photos of them together.” He shook the doorman’s hand. “Anyway, thanks for your time.”
Inside the elevator, Victoria waited until the doors shut. “You didn’t even have to bribe him.”
Nope, he didn’t. “And that, Ms. Slade, is how it’s done.”
* * *
FORD’S COVER STORY about Peter Sutter, Good Samaritan, similarly worked like a charm with the next two doormen. Unfortunately, they were unable to eliminate either candidate based on the information they learned—Peter Sutter Number Ten was Caucasian with brown hair, and Peter Sutter Number Five was Caucasian and bald.
“It’s been over a year since Nicole met him. It’s possible he shaved his head or lost his hair in that time,” Victoria said as they walked out of the lobby.
“I’ll circle back to him if need be,” Ford agreed.
They were in the heart of downtown, right by Millennium Park. Walking along Monroe Street, they passed by a crowd of kids playing in the Crown Fountain, a shallow pool between two fifty-foot glass towers that projected video images of people’s faces while spouting water.
“Who does that leave on our list?” Victoria glanced at Ford as they walked side by side. He had his sunglasses on, and the sun highlighted the warm tones of his brown hair.
That cute stray lock had fallen across his forehead again.
“There are the guys we need to circle back to,” he said. “And we also have Peter Sutter Numbers Four and Nine left. Both of them live in three-flat condo buildings with no exterior front door to their units. We’ll have to get creative with those two.”
“Plan D?”
“Plan D.” He ran a hand through his hair, as if trying to brush the errant lock into place.
When it fell right back, she smiled. “I’ll get it.” Pausing on the sidewalk, they faced each other as she reached up and tucked the lock into the rest of his beautiful, dark hair. “There.”
“You must have the touch.” He took her hand and ran his lips over the back of her fingers.
Criminy, that was smooth. A warm feeling spread across her stomach.
“I was thinking we could grab something to eat,” he said.