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“Don’t be discouraged,” the detective offered when he ended the call. “The man who raised the kittens will have paid more attention.” He found the number for Gatitos Bonitos and made notes as he interviewed the owner, a Mr. Güerra. He smiled as he ended the call.
“Mr. Güerra recalls the man vividly because he took his time deciding which kittens to choose. He was around six feet, had wavy dark hair with gray-blue eyes. Güerra thought he was in his late thirties, or early forties. He was dressed in a suit that looked expensive. Güerra operates his business from his home and has no security cameras. Does the description sound like anyone you know?”
“It would fit half a dozen advertising executives, but they couldn’t keep a secret if they tried, let alone send me gifts anonymously. Does he remind you of anyone, Fatima?”
She stood in the kitchen doorway. “No one I recall. Where could he have bought the beautiful shoes?”
Ana opened her laptop and did a search for Lucien Lamoreaux. His website featured his beautiful high heels, and the store that handled them exclusively in Spain was there in Barcelona. There was no photo of him, however.
“If the shoes are sold only through a single store, the clerks will undoubtedly recall the man who made the purchase. May I take the shoes with me?” Cazares asked.
“Yes, do. May I go along?”
The detective closed his notebook and slipped it into his jacket pocket. “You’ve received flattering gifts, but it’s possible the sender’s motives aren’t benign. I can’t allow you to walk into a situation that could prove dangerous.”
Fatima gasped. “Should Ana hire a bodyguard?”
“No, not yet. Let me see what I discover. You’re well-known. He could simply have a crush on you and mean you no harm. I’ll speak to you later in the day.”
Ana felt worse after he’d left than she had before she’d called him. Unable to simply sit, she called a couple of the advertising firms she worked with regularly, but neither had done any commercial work for Lucien Lamoreaux. Paul Perez wasn’t familiar with the name either.
“Shoes are an odd thing to send a woman,” the agent said. “It has a Cinderella feel to it, but maybe he has a foot fetish and hopes to see you wearing the heels.”
“Then he’d plan to watch me,” Ana replied. “Thank you for that unwelcome thought. I’ll talk to you next week when I come home from Mallorca.”
“Yes, do. I’m sorry if I was short with you this morning, but you have such tremendous potential, and you mustn’t waste a speck of it.”
“Thank you.” She ended the call and walked into the kitchen to speak to Fatima. “I should have talked to Mr. Güerra when Mr. Cazares had him on the phone. Maybe he’ll take back the kittens.”
“Let’s leave them in the bathroom while you eat lunch. You can decide what to do with them later. I made your favorite salad, and the oranges are especially good. I’ll get more at the market before I come in tomorrow.”
Ana had forgotten to tell her she’d be out of town for several days. “It’s on my calendar. Please check it to make certain you’ve made a note of everything, but that’s the only new job that wasn’t already listed.”
“I’ll do that right now.”
Javier Cazares returned in the afternoon. “The clerks at the Lamoreaux shop hadn’t seen these shoes. They exclaimed over them but thought they must be from the holiday collection that wouldn’t reach the shop until fall. I picked up one of their brochures. Mr. Lamoreaux is on the front. Does he look familiar?”
Ana took the brochures. Lamoreaux was a dark-haired man with a sprinkling of gray and striking blue eyes. He stood in front of his Barcelona shop, and his dark suit fit his trim build perfectly. “I don’t know him, but he does fit Mr. Güerra’s description.” Although the cat fancier hadn’t mentioned how handsome Lamoreaux was.
“I thought so too, so I went to see Güerra. Lamoreaux is the man who chose the kittens for you, and he paid with cash.”
Fatima came forward to look at the brochure. “Why didn’t he just ask Ana to model his shoes?”
“This may not be about shoes,” Cazares warned. “His real interest may be Ana herself.”
“Fine.” Ana sighed. “What do you suggest?”
“Don’t wear the shoes,” the detective advised. “I’ll locate Mr. Lamoreaux, and we’ll decide how to approach him then.”
“I’ll ask my agent to represent me,” Ana replied. “If he’s looking for a model, fine. If he wants something personal, Paul will set him straight.”
“Do you frequently receive unwanted gifts?” Cazares asked.
“Yes, she does,” Fatima answered.
“It isn’t all that frequent,” Ana argued. “Gifts usually go to my agent’s office. I don’t post my home address anywhere.”
“But Lamoreaux found it,” Cazares emphasized.
