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Aiden nodded. “Let’s go see what’s available,” he said as he stood up and offered his hand to help me up.
When I went to place my hand in his outstretched palm, the magazine unfurled from its rolled position. It was a two-month-old issue of People magazine with Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck on the cover. “That’s interesting,” I said when I saw the purse Jennifer or JLO was carrying.
“What is?” He bent down a little to peer closer at the picture of the celebrities. “I don’t see anything strange about the photo.”
I lifted up the magazine to show him the cover. “JLo is carrying the exact same Louis Vuitton bag that Annisa had, except JLo’s tote is light pink.”
Judging by the blank look he had on his face, he didn’t find the coincidence unusual. I wouldn’t have either, except that the picture reminded me of the other designer bags stuffed in Annisa’s trunk that I didn’t get a chance to tell him about. Any further thoughts about the accessories were brushed aside when Aiden pulled me up from the chair.
“Thanks.” I smiled and placed my hand in his. He pulled me up so that we were facing each other. Aiden started to lean in, and I thought he was going to kiss me when I was hit in the head with something.
“What the?” I yelled, startled and embarrassed at the same time. Rubbing my head, I looked around and saw the woman whose son called Annisa Aquagirl staring sheepishly at me.
“I’m so sorry about that.” She gave me an apologetic smile.
I looked down. A small paper airplane made from a torn piece of magazine lay down at my feet.
“Is this yours?” I picked it up and walked over to hand it to the boy.
“What do you say, Jake?” The mom prompted the boy by bouncing him lightly on her lap.
“Thanks.” He gave me a toothy grin.
“You’re welcome.” I smiled and turned to walk toward Aiden.
“You’re really good with kids,” Aiden said.
“I used to babysit a lot when I was in high school. My mother wouldn’t let me get a part-time job like the other kids because she said that I had to concentrate on my schoolwork, so I had to stick to babysitting to earn pocket money. But there were plenty of younger kids in my neighborhood, so I always had an opportunity to earn some money.”
I grinned and asked, “Did you work when you were in high school?”
“Yup, I worked part-time on the weekends at my cousin’s restaurant, bussing tables.”
“Just like everyone I knew in high school,” I teased, and I bumped him with my shoulder.
He put his arm around me affectionately, and we made our way to the vending machine.
Walking down the hall reminded me of Annisa. I asked him, “Do you think Annisa had anything to do with Trevor’s death?” Although she had some unlikeable qualities, being a cold-hearted killer wasn’t one of them.
Aiden looked skeptical, but he answered practically, “Until I hear the evidence against her, I can’t say for sure.” He squeezed my hand reassuringly and said, “Don’t worry, Claire, I’ll help your friend.”
I smiled in thanks, but my mind rebelled against the thought that she was my friend. I had known Annisa for years, but I never thought of her more than Julia’s friend. Thinking about my best friend made me wonder if Julia knew why Annisa was lugging around expensive accessories in her trunk. A big part of me didn’t think so because I would think she would have said something. It was odd that she would have a pile of luxury items in her trunk. It reminded me of the time when I visited Incirlik, Turkey, and a street vendor was selling goods out of his car, except he was selling fake watches and not purses. I gasped and stopped walking.
“What’s wrong?” Aiden placed a hand on my shoulder in concern.
“When I went to help Annisa get her scuba diving equipment, her car trunk was filled with designer handbags,” I said, finally getting the chance to tell him what I saw earlier. Then I added, “It reminded me of the time I bought a Gucci watch from a guy selling fake watches out of his car in Turkey. I knew it wasn’t real because it cost ten dollars.”
Aiden’s eyes narrowed. “It’s strange, but unless it’s related to her involvement with Trevor, I wouldn’t volunteer the information. Otherwise, it could get her into deeper trouble.”
I let out a sigh, wishing that Aiden and I didn’t have to be involved with Annisa.
“Do you still want coffee?” Aiden asked, thinking that I might have changed my mind.
“Of course. That would be great, and I’ll take mine black,” I said, looking at the vending machine. I was pretty sure that black coffee was the same everywhere, but adding cream and sugar might be too much. Plus, I just needed the caffeine to give me energy.
A colorful wrapper in the next vending machine caught my eye. I placed a hand on the glass front. “Oh, chocolate-covered donuts!” My stomach rumbled again at the sight of food. I looked longingly at the treat, but I stepped away.
“You want one? I’ll split them with you,” he offered when he saw that I might not get them.
