someone at Love Motors to look that up for me.”
Felicia returned the folder to her. “That should be a piece of cake. You’ve got the VIN numbers printed right on the title, so their title clerk or finance manager can pull up the car history for you, if they’re willing to do so.” She stood, frowning. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more, but it’s unethical for me to look up that kind of information without the owner’s consent.”
“Oh, I’d never ask you to do that,” Cooper assured her with a smile. “And it was worth it to come down here and see you in your element. Fizzy.”
Felicia handed Cooper a business card. “I’ve got to get back out there and issue bills of sale, tags, and promises of title. Please let me know when you’d be free to go out to dinner. This time, it’ll be my treat.”
Cooper thanked her again and headed back outside. As she walked past the groups of animated men, she couldn’t stop herself from looking for Edward. She also noticed that although there were cars, trucks, and SUVs lined up for sale, there didn’t appear to be a single motorcycle in the line.
Did Edward lie to me? she wondered. Brushing aside all thoughts of her former temptation, she unlocked her truck and, after settling inside, quickly dialed Ashley’s number.
“Ashley, it’s me,” she spoke to the answering machine. “I need Lincoln to meet me at the dealership. I’ve got to ask Alek for some help and she might require his permission, but Ashley, I think some kind of scam has been going on at Love Motors. I’m going to head over there right after I grab a bite to eat. Please call me back as soon as you get this message!”
Cooper fought her way around the Short Pump Mall traffic, marveling for the hundredth time how poorly the exits and entrances to the gargantuan structure were designed. She usually went out of her way to avoid the entire stretch during the weekend, but she had a craving for a grilled cheese sandwich on rye, a bag of crisp potato chips, and a few dill pickles from Jason’s Deli, so she sat through endless traffic lights until she finally found a parking space toward the very back of the Dillard’s parking lot.
During lunch, she kept her cell phone on the table in case Ashley returned her call. As she chewed the perfectly toasted cheddar cheese sandwich, she jotted down the questions she’d need to ask Alek Jones or whoever else might be available from the Love Motors finance department.
The dealership was mere minutes from Jason’s Deli, so Cooper called Ashley one more time before getting back in the truck.
“I’ll just have to see if they’ll work with me without Lincoln’s blessing,” Cooper declared firmly.
However, as she turned into the dealership, she spotted her sister’s Lexus in one of the visitor parking spaces. Cooper opted for a less prominent spot, being that she wasn’t a customer. As she gathered her notebook and purse, she cast a brief glance out the windshield at the sky. It had darkened ominously since she’d left the auto auction and it looked as though Richmond was about to receive more freezing rain. In fact, the instrument gauge on Cooper’s dash showed that the temperature had dropped over the last hour, falling from forty-four degrees to thirty-four.
“I can’t wait for spring.” Cooper held her coat tight at the neck, grabbed her purse, and hurried inside the dealership. Just as she opened the side door, a few needle-sharp raindrops fell onto the pavement.
The dealership was quiet. Cooper knew that the service department closed at noon, and the three salesmen seated at desks around the perimeter of the showroom were languishing. A bored receptionist sat at an elevated desk near the front door, sipping coffee from a Love Motors mug as she studied the pages of People.
“I guess they won’t be rushin’ in to buy today in this weather,” one of the salesmen told another. “Let’s grab lunch. Harry’ll cover for us, won’t ya, Harry? He brown-bagged it today.”
The third man gave a friendly wave but didn’t look up from his crossword. “Bring me something for dessert.”
As the two men departed, Ashley emerged from the restroom. She spied Cooper and smiled broadly. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Coop. Lincoln’s visiting with his daddy and it wasn’t the kind of visit that could be interrupted.” She unwound a pale pink cashmere scarf from about