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“Our mother had just passed away,” she explained. “Right before that, I was at the coroner identifying her body. I was emotional.”
Perry took some more notes. Brandi glanced at me, concerned about how this was going.
“Hmmph,” Perry grunted.
“What?” I asked.
“It’s such a strange timeline,” he said, as if talking to himself. “You had not been home in several years. Yet the very day you return, the house burns down.”
“What are you implying?” Brandi demanded angrily. “That my sister somehow caused this?”
“I’m not implying anything. It is simply a strange coincidence.”
“I didn’t leave the stove on or anything, if that’s what you’re wondering,” I said. “The firefighters said the point of origin was in the garage.”
“I have spoken with the local fire department, yes.” Perry nodded. “I think that answers all of my questions at this time.” He closed his briefcase and stood up.
“When will we receive the home insurance payment?” Brandi asked.
“We will be in touch within the next two weeks, I expect.” Perry dipped his head. “Thank you for your time. And I am sorry for your loss.”
I let him out, then watched him walk to his car.
“Can you believe that asshole?” Brandi said. “I didn’t realize we were going to be interrogated this morning.”
I mirrored her frustration. We desperately needed that money to help pay the remainder of our mother’s debts. But insurance companies were notorious for finding ways to avoid paying out. And in this case, with our mother’s condition and the way the fuse box had been tampered with, they had a legitimate argument.
I can’t think about that right now, I told myself. All I can do is focus on what I can control.
Which, at the moment, meant meeting Mateo for his photo shoot.
19
Alyssa
I had been earning a living as a photographer for five years, since I was a junior in college. I’d photographed individuals, couples, families, and everything in between. I considered myself a consummate professional, even when shooting boudoir photos of woman—and sometimes men!—in intimate settings.
I had every intention of maintaining that level of professionalism with Jack’s best friend, Mateo, today. At least, the day started that way.
Mateo was waiting at the edge of the beach, at the exact spot where I had photographed the pregnant couple. “I’m not late, am I?” I asked. “I had to drop my sister off at the store first.”
“No, I was early,” he replied with his thick Cuban accent as he rose from his seat by the ramp down to the beach. He was dressed similarly to the other day, with tight board shorts that went down almost to the knee, and a long-sleeved silver UPF shirt.
He frowned at me. “Is everything all right, Alyssa?”
Shit, is my mood that obvious? I would need to do a better job of acting happy. “I’m good. Still waking up.” I put down my photography bag and removed a camera and lens. “Do you have an idea of what kind of photos you want?”
He shrugged. “Whatever makes me look good.”
I grinned. “I can do that! Let’s start with some basic poses on the beach. Grab your board.”
I was good at giving directions, and I instructed Mateo to stand on the beach with his surfboard held upright next to him. Your classic surfer pose. The lighting was good at this time of day, highlighting his unique complexion and striking facial features.
He’s a handsome man, I thought while snapping away. He should be swimming with Tinder dates by the time I’m done.
Next, I sent him out into the water to photograph him surfing. The conditions weren’t great today, I quickly learned, but I was able to get a few good shots of him standing on his board before he came back to shore.
“All right, time to give the ladies what they want,” I said. “Shirt off.”
