Chapter 2

“Phineas!”

“I’m hanging out with Bandit for a minute. Is that a problem? The poor guy misses me!”

Jake bit his lip to keep from smiling as his best friend and detective partner screamed back at his mother. The two teens sat on the patio furniture in the Magnums’ backyard later that Sunday evening. As a result of their last case, the bespectacled half of their agency had found himself grounded for approximately two weeks. So, he needed a reason to be next door to discuss Jake’s new case. The bulldog currently on his lap provided that excuse.

“It’s been only three days,” Pamela pointed out. While technically grounded for the last four days, she’d let her son out of the house to finish some business under the supervision of a trusted adult on the first day.

“Three days is forever to a dog!”

“Well, fine. You can sit with him for a few minutes, but don’t get any ideas about taking him for a walk,” Pamela added.

At the mention of the W-word, Bandit’s whole body started to shake in excitement. A series of barks alerted the neighbor’s mother about her mistake.

“Now you went and did it, Mom. Poor Bandie is going to be crushed if I don’t take him for a walk,” Phinn pointed out, causing his mother to frown. As soon as Pam relented, her son patted the dog with an order for its owner. “Get his leash.”

“I guess we could use the money. It’s not like we got paid for the last case,” Phinn remarked three minutes later while they exited through the back gate. Of course, the brainy and secretive detective failed to mention the item he’d taken as a memento from their last case, which he’d hidden in their old headquarters. “Still, eighty dollars is pretty low. You’ll probably blow most of that on gas.”

“It’s just a retainer,” Jake insisted, suddenly worried that he should’ve asked for more.

“Are you sure you can handle this without me?”

"The hell? I deal with most of the grunt work in these cheating cases anyway. Of course, I can handle this case by myself!" Jake defended his skills.

"I'm not talking about the tailing and catching aspect; I'm talking about how close you are to these people."

“Why, because Danica is my one big crush?”

“One big crush? You mean singular? C’mon, Jake, you have dozens of more crushes than the bartender at your dad’s business.”

“I do not have dozens of crushes!”

“Okay, hold on,” Phinn said, mentally computing the number. “I’d say you’re currently sitting at forty-three crushes.”

“No way! I don’t have that many crushes around town!”

“Not just around Edgewater. I’m including girls and women from other–”

“I do not have a thing for girls in other–”

“Camryn Sasser, Bambi Mawby, Sophia Swann–” Phinn began to list girls from other cities before Jake cut him off.

“Hey! I’m mad at Sophia right now. Well, kinda mad. I’m sure Cody is the one to blame for snitching on us to The Commodore’s security,” Jake clarified.

“All I’m saying is that your weakness is letting your feelings for people cloud your judgment. And I won’t be available to work around those feelings regarding Danica and her boyfriend,” Phinn explained.

“I don’t need you to cover for me. I can be objective when it comes to Danica,” Jake insisted.

“Alright. But can you be cold and calculating regarding her and any suspects at Magnum’s, whom you’ve known for years? Conflicts of interest might pile up. It’s why we hate these damn cheating cases.”

“Tell me about it,” Jake replied, already having second thoughts.

---

The day shift at Magnum’s on Mondays tended to be slow in the summer. There weren't many events to draw sizable crowds, unless there was an early getaway game or a doubleheader in baseball. At best, Magnum’s saw a small group of regulars stopping inside to grab a hamburger or sandwich while arguing about sports before returning to work.

So, Jake wasn't surprised to find an empty bar when he walked in at ten o'clock. Only Marvin and Paco had arrived, with the latter prepping for lunch. Despite the slow business, Jake's dad usually had a college-aged waitress come in around eleven to help handle any lunch-goers and provide the workers with additional hours.

Jake groaned when his father explained the job he’d do today. The teen wondered about the punishment level tied to his helping out at the bar. Although his dad insisted it was only partly punishment for vanishing during his most recent case, Jake began to think his dad downplayed the severity.

Two hours later, and only half finished, a dusty and dirty Jake emerged from the basement. Pulling every box or item out to clean behind while rearranging the bar’s stock had to be a shitty chore. Needing a bathroom break, the teen spotted around a dozen regulars with a few additional unknown faces seated at the bar or the nearby tables. Everyone ate or waited for their lunch.

Suddenly, the sturdy football player found himself knocked slightly off-balance by a hip check.

“About time you come up from the dungeon,” Kari Quick cracked, shooting the comment over her shoulder as she headed toward a pair of customers.

One of Liberty’s closest friends, Kari could be considered the most energetic of the bunch. She also gave Brigid a run for the wildest, but Kari usually finished second. Jake also knew that Kari had to be involved if his sister had a fake ID, as he suspected. Also, the older sister of his nearly identical classmate, Kelly, the coed had neck-length, caramel-brown hair, blue eyes, medium-sized breasts, and an impressive reputation in the bedroom.

After dropping off a pair of plates at a table, Kari returned.

“What’s the deal with you and Regina Tarr?”

“Nothing! It didn’t work out because of our case,” Jake replied, leaving out numerous details. “Why, did Libby say something?”

“Oh, nothing really,” Kari downplayed before rattling off the truth. “That fucking rich bitch better not mess with my brother. That horny idiot better not knock her up. Or, he can do so much better than that slut. Which she does have a point, you know.”

Jake cringed as he knew his sister’s explosion had to be coming soon. She hadn’t said anything, which meant Libby wanted to wait for the perfect opportunity. The teen watched as Kari walked around the bar's edge before stopping to turn around and lean over the top.

“So when am I getting my invitation for a boat ride on Ridley’s orgy express?” the brunette inquired saucily.

“Shit! Does Libby know?”

"Nope. Or at least I doubt it. I can't imagine her knowing and not bitching up a storm. Brigid knows, but Syd and Abby are in the dark for now. It’s Cheyanne that I’d be worried about," Kari revealed about her friend group. The same clique that Jake had some of his oldest crushes on. "Just make sure when, not if, my invite comes, that Phineas is along. I owe him a special treat."

“What? Why?” Jake questioned in bewilderment after one of his longest crushes purred his partner’s name.

“That’s between me and him,” the suggestive coed declared.

“Hey, Hero Boy, don’t sniff around our girls. Save some for us,” one of the regulars called over as Kari disappeared into the kitchen.

Usually polite with the regulars, Jake didn't really like Nagle. So, with a dubious expression, he gave the poorly aging thirtysomething a once-over.

“Nagle, even if you finally hit the jackpot with all those lottery tickets you blow your paycheck on, you still wouldn’t have a chance with Kari.”

“Ooh!” sounded from several other lunch-goers at the teen’s dismissive comment.

“He’s got you down pat, Nagle!”

“Fuck off, O’Tierney!” the insulted man shot back.

“Now, don’t get salty, Nagle. Jakey’s a detective. That means he can see right through your bullshit,” Hank remarked, flashing the teen a thumbs-up.

"Jake," Marvin said after he finally heard enough. "You finished with the basement?"

“No, uh, I just needed to use the bathroom,” the horny teen said, prying his eyes off the petite young woman’s toned ass after she carried out more plates.

“Well, get to it,” his father ordered as several regulars joked about Jake’s reputation with girls. “We have that delivery coming in tomorrow.”

Holed up in the storeroom, Jake’s day moved by relatively fast. Satisfied with his cleaning, Marvin let his son leave an hour earlier than planned. The extra time allowed Jake to run home, shower, spend time with Bandit, and leave again well before his mother might return home.

Driving his old sedan downtown, Jake scanned the notes he'd taken last night. Driving around the parking lot, the teen located the same make and model of the car owned by Brett Utley. Double-checking the license plate number, he circled the area several times until a nearby parking spot became available. Situated to watch for the young lawyer, Jake crouched in his seat and wasted time messaging friends.

Also grounded due to their exploits during The Case of the Phantom Diver, Luke and Andre recalled Mr. Magnum’s attractive waitress and sent back comments about her. In addition to Danica, the two football players inquired about the other hot bartenders and servers at Magnum’s and Smashburgers. A question about Kari’s sister, Kelly, led the bored guys down a rabbit hole of who worked where this summer.

Eventually, the messages between the three guys added a few more friends and teammates before petering out. Still bored and waiting, Jake shot off a message to Phinn, complaining about how much he hated stakeouts on cheating cases. Funny enough, he received a reply right when Brett appeared.

Sitting up straighter in preparation for a tail job, Jake immediately slid back down when a female voice yelled Brett's name. Peeking over the steering wheel, Jake watched as a leggy blonde wearing a tight blouse and pencil skirt hurried up the parking ramp in high heels. Brett walked down a few steps to meet her. Then, they had a brief but animated conversation with finger gestures as if giving directions.

With piqued interest, Jake watched as Brett appeared to tell the woman to follow him in her car. His guess played out correctly, leading the teen to end up third in a caravan moving toward the harbor. At one stoplight, Jake grabbed his notebook to check Utley’s home address. Recognizing it as a condominium building several blocks away from the oceanfront, the teen whistled as traffic moved forward.

“No way. Is this really going to be this easy?” Jake muttered.

However, rather than turn toward his home, Brett continued driving east with the blonde following him. Jake’s hopes of a quick case lowered slightly as he watched Brett turn into the parking lot of The Flirty Mermaid. The upscale tavern in the Harbor District might be a good place to rendezvous with a secret lover. However, Jake wondered why anyone would take such a risk at a popular hangout spot for young professionals.

As his old sedan was clearly out of place with the nicer, newer cars of the tavern’s clientele, Jake parked in the rear near the workers' vehicles. The teen thought he’d picked a good spot despite the move blocking his view of the front doors. After getting out of his car, Jake meandered around the corner to catch a glimpse of his target holding the front door open for his lady friend.

While underage, Jake knew several classmates who worked at The Flirty Mermaid. He guessed that at least one or two might be around on an early summer evening, so he waited several minutes before entering the establishment. All he needed was a few minutes to confirm where his suspects sat and their attitude toward each other. It might not seem like much, but it spoke volumes if they shared a bench rather than sit across from one another. To a lesser extent, this would be the case if they sat at a four-person table, but close to each other, rather than at opposite ends.

Jake took a hard turn upon entering the tavern and immediately sat down so as not to draw too much attention to himself. Scanning the side with the large wrap-around bar, the teen detective didn’t see his suspects. Risking a look, he leaned over to check the other side of the building. Jake located Brett and the blonde in the middle of the dining room. However, their table also held six other well-dressed individuals. Possibilities for the meeting ran through the sleuth’s brain.

Suddenly, Jake heard a familiar laugh that sent a shiver down his spine. Swinging his head around, he gulped after spotting a pair of waitresses. When did she start working here?

With that question bouncing around his head, Jake sat frozen for a long fifteen seconds. Jake's legs found life only when he saw the two girls split up, with the dreaded half walking toward his side of the tavern. An adrenaline-fueled surge had the star football player outside in the parking lot within seconds.

“Damn, that was close,” he muttered before repeating his question aloud. “When did she start working here?”

The dreaded waitress was Tara Hartel, Jake’s ex-girlfriend and the one girl at his school who made him uneasy. Honestly, the cheerleader scared the crap out of Jake. Making his way back to his car, Jake stopped abruptly.

“You gotta be shitting me!”

Somehow, he’d managed to park his old sedan next to Tara’s car. Unsure about her work schedule, a nightmare of her coming outside to her vehicle flashed before Jake’s eyes. Running, he turned his sedan on and pulled it out of the parking lot. Although he couldn’t be sure about the length of Brett’s stay, Jake parked on the street in front of a meter. Digging around in the console, he found enough change to feed the parking meter for several hours.

The teen detective settled in for another wait after depositing several coins.

And he waited…and waited.

Finally, after more than two hours, Brett emerged in the parking lot with the blonde and everyone from his table. While waiting, Jake speculated that the young lawyer met co-workers or former law school friends for dinner and drinks. Brett sure liked to take risks if he had something illicit going down with the blonde.

This time, Brett and the blonde drove in opposite directions, with him heading toward his condominium. Following, Jake parked around the corner from the five-story building but also within view of the surface parking lot. After a five-minute wait, Jake grabbed his notebook and left his car. Walking alongside the building across the street, the junior gumshoe needed to learn Brett's unit number. He’d only realized a few moments ago that he’d slipped up by not getting it earlier with the building’s address. Surprisingly, he noticed a light turn on in one of the top-floor units.

Entering the unlocked outer door, Jake walked into the building's foyer. After a quick test, he confirmed that the inner door was locked. Turning around, the teen scanned the last names on the mailboxes. Interestingly, he found Utley listed in Unit 505. That led Jake to wonder if the light turning on had been Brett coming home.

Jotting down the number, Jake returned to his car and waited. Closing in on eight o’clock, he couldn’t be sure if the young lawyer was in for the night or not. So, he continued his stakeout.

Nine o'clock came, then ten, and finally, just after eleven, Jake decided to call it a night soon. He'd spent nearly all the time in his car. Only twice did he get out to stretch his legs and slyly pee once in some nearby bushes. While strolling past the condo, Jake reviewed ideas about getting inside. One tried-and-true method could work, but he'd need a few props.

Roughly a quarter past the hour, his interest perked up for the first time as he saw a familiar car park next to Brett’s. Dressed in her referee-inspired work uniform, Danica exited the car and walked to the rear. Popping the trunk, she pulled out an overnight bag and walked out of sight. Sighing in envy, Jake started up his old sedan after realizing Brett had a lovely reason to stay in for the rest of the night.

One night of stakeout was over, and Jake hoped there wouldn’t be many more.

---

Tuesday morning found Jake awoken by a surprising caller. A famous local business wanted the hero detective to hold a meet-and-greet event next week to capitalize on his headline-making case. The pay and hours sounded fine, so he accepted immediately. However, the teen second-guessed himself after ending the call. Hopefully, his dad didn’t expect him to be around Magnum’s still by next Monday. He’d need to ask his dad about it in the next few minutes. Yet, Marvin wasn’t around, having left a note on the kitchen table. It let the teen know that he could have Wednesday off, but he would need to work several more days later this week.

With deliveries expected at Magnum's and Smashburgers and Geno only slowly recovering from his bout of the flu, Marvin had left earlier to go across the street to wait for the truck. Since Rita often handled deliveries at the sports bar, she stayed behind to take care of business as usual. That left Jake working with her, Paco, and Elexis.

Figuring last night to be a waste for now, Jake attempted to scrounge up some leads. He recalled how Belinda and Steve were suspicious of Brett’s attitude toward Ashlynn and Elexis, so with the latter working the bar and waitressing, he peppered her with questions.

“You still taking classes at the beauty school?” the teen inquired nonchalantly.

“Not since my last class ended around the beginning of the year,” the current ash blonde replied, filling three glasses from the tap.

“Are you going back?”

"I don't know. I couldn't decide if I wanted to learn hairstyling and nailwork or switch to skincare," Elexis admitted, shrugging. "I guess it depends on whether I start dating a guy or not."

“I thought you weren’t ready to settle down yet,” Jake recalled after she returned from bringing the beers to the other end of the bar.

“I didn’t say anything about settling down. I meant I might find a guy willing to spoil me.”

“Lexi!” Jake exclaimed, acting shocked before lowering his voice. “Are you implying that you'll return to beauty school if you can’t find a sugar daddy?”

“Hell, no!” the buxom bartender laughed. “The opposite. I might expand my social media reach if I don’t find a guy to wine and dine me. I have a pretty nice amount of followers who like my sexy pics and playful drink tip videos.”

I bet you do, Jake responded in his mind. Shit, I should check out her pages! Jake told his brain to shut up as Lexi leaned in.

“A few girls I know think I should monetize the attention I receive.”

“How? Like do product placements?” Jake asked in confusion.

“By starting a SpicyDevotees page,” Lexi revealed, referring to the erotic subscription site.

“Y-You’d do th-that?” Jake stammered.

“Maybe,” the sultry flirt responded with a wink. “The women I know on there can make some bank.”

“You know girls from around here on SpicyDevotees?”

“Oh, I think you might know one or two of them,” Elexis replied enigmatically.

“Alright! Lexi, stop teasing the kid. Jake, stop drooling over the mantrap!” Rita yelled from the tiny office.

Finished with his day of work, Jake started his car up but didn’t drive very far. He merely pulled out of the bar’s parking lot, turned onto 55th Street, and parked in front of Hickey Insurance. Hank’s office sat in the middle of the building with Homedge Realty on one side and Little Petals on the other.

Needing props for tonight, Jake went toward the latter business. The bell that rang above the door brought Flora Giblin out from the back. The florist’s smile brightened at once at Jake. Despite only turning eighteen a few weeks ago, Jake had been a loyal and frequent customer at the floral shop for years. His active dating life, especially his time with Tara, usually required gifts or tokens of affection throughout the year.

“Does our neighborhood hero have a new girl in his life?” Flora questioned. In her late forties, the florist loved hearing about the teen’s various girlfriends and crushes. She still loved to recount the time an eight-year-old Jake wandered in with an annoyed Libby in search of a single flower he wanted to give his classmate on St. Valentine’s Day. Despite his up-and-down dating life, Flora always had a positive word to buck up Jake’s spirits after the inevitable breakup.

“Not today,” Jake replied, causing the older woman to frown.

“What did Marv do now?” Flora questioned, assuming Jake was here for the second most likely reason.

"Nothing yet. Well, Dad might stop in to get Mom flowers, depending on how her case goes," Jake speculated after thinking about her question.

“He should buy Justine flowers either way. You tell him that.”

“If I tell him you said that, Dad will only pooh-pooh the idea as you wanting more business, Flora,” Jake speculated.

“Oh, please. Marvin has been buying makeup flowers for your mother since my grandma ran Little Petals. Those two used to break up every few months, if not weeks, in high school.”

“Tell me about it. I’ve heard enough of the stories,” Jake chuckled about his opposites-attract parents. Then, he moved on to his reason for stopping in. “So, I need a few items to help with a case I’ve got.”

“A case? Ooh! Is this going to make the papers like your last one?”

“No, it definitely won’t…Well, I don’t expect it to,” Jake corrected, recalling past cases that went from seemingly trivial matters into something significant. “Okay, I need a bouquet and a few of those large balloons.”

“Do you want roses?” Flora inquired, walking over to get the balloons.

“No, I’m thinking a selection that appears to be large and bulky,” Jake said, unsure what he wanted.

“Perhaps lilies or dahlias?”

“Hmm, do you have any large tulips?” Jake asked, causing Flora to nod with approval at his choice.

Armed with a dozen tulips and three oversized balloons, Jake returned to his car. Unlocking the rear passenger door, the teen laid the bouquet on the backseat before stuffing the balloons in. Finished, Jake stood up and froze.

The building directly east of Magnum’s often provided interesting sights. Although Jake usually found the men working out at Powerlords Fitness to be douchebags, he loved the women who regularly visited the business on the far east side of the building. Unlike the male-dominated Powerlords, Stretch Galore, a yoga and dance studio, often saw many of Jake’s classmates or young women around Libby’s age visit. But its wealth of cougars and MILFs is what made Stretch Galore stand out.

A crop of women in that older age range caused Jake to stop and stare. He watched Zizi, the incredibly fit owner, lead more than a dozen women through a series of stretches. Despite not being able to see many of the women, Jake recognized the mothers of several classmates among the yoga participants. He also noted Stefanie Pellinger's auburn hair before he saw her face. The furniture store co-owner usually took a couple of classes a week, as she loved trying different dances or techniques to keep her figure trim.

Jake shook his head after wishing his stakeout included watching the women inside the studio. Unable to waste any time, the teen next drove to the closest Starr’s. In the convenience store, Jake grimaced as the cashier rang up two large boxes of chocolates. Damn, I should've asked for more money initially. I'm already flying through that eighty bucks.

Set up for another night of shadowing Brett Utley, Jake found another close spot in the parking garage. The young lawyer must have had a busy day as he left the office almost forty minutes later than yesterday. It didn’t appear he had any social plans tonight as Jake followed Brett back to his condo.

**** to park on the street in front of Brett’s building, Jake threw on a ball cap and picked up his phone as Brett took his sweet time in the parking lot. Checking the rearview mirror, Jake watched as his subject grabbed a briefcase from the trunk. Jake’s eyes narrowed when he saw a dark-haired woman appear in the reflection.

The junior investigator watched as the pair shared a laugh before heading his way. As they neared his car, Jake pulled the baseball hat down more and pretended to rummage around in the glove box. His heartbeat quickened when they stopped right next to his vehicle.

Freezing up, Jake waited for the knock on his window. His mind raced to come up with a decent excuse if Brett recognized him. However, the expected knock didn't happen. Instead, the sleuth slowly shifted his head a few inches to peer out the side of his eye. With a closer perspective, Jake ran his eyes up and down.

With black hair and an olive complexion, Jake assumed she was either of Latin or Mediterranean descent. Pegging her as likely a professional based on her blouse and skirt, Jake momentarily wondered if she worked with Brett. However, expressing frustration, the woman handed Brett a keychain to hold while she searched a large purse. With her hand free, the woman swiftly made a triumphant sound before they resumed walking.

Jumping out of his car, Jake kept his head down while he followed from roughly fifteen away. Neither of the chatting people paid him any attention, nor did they seem to notice his presence. After they entered the building’s foyer, Jake walked past ever so slowly. Stopping to tie an imaginary loose shoelace, he watched as Brett and the woman checked nearby mailboxes before the woman used her keys to unlock the inner door.

Satisfied that the woman lived in the building, Jake returned to his car. Opening the rear door, Jake tossed his cap on the front seat before grabbing his props. With overflowing arms, he returned to the building’s front entrance. Looking left and right, Jake rearranged the items so that he could pull the door open.

Inside the entryway, the teen sleuth waited for his opportunity. All he needed to do was play the bumbling condo occupant who couldn’t get his key out of his pocket because of all the thoughtful things he’d bought his girlfriend. The technique had worked multiple times in the past, with even the scrawnier Phinn pulling off the intrusion method with a stack of textbooks.

Yet, a complication arose as nobody showed up. Since most people left work around this time, Jake assumed somebody would be returning home or someone who had already arrived might go to grab dinner or run an errand.

Over fifteen minutes passed as Jake’s arms started to tire.

Closing in on twenty minutes finally brought a suit-wearing man into the foyer. With barely a glance at Jake, he opened his mailbox to fish out several envelopes. Finished, he turned to find Jake slightly blocking the inner door.

“Uh, hey, I’m having a problem getting my key out. Could you open it?”

“Aren’t you a little young to be living here?” the man challenged, scowling.

The question threw Jake off as he’d never heard of any age requirements for living in a condo. If anything, that sounded illegal to the son of a lawyer. Hemming and hawing a response, Jake watched the man’s expression shift to even more irritable.

“Oh, hell, you’re that kid that lives on the third floor with his mom, aren’t you?”

“Um, yeah,” Jake agreed, hoping the man bought the lie. Unfortunately, he did.

“Well, I’ve had it with your loud ass music late at night and stomping on my ceiling,” the man said, unlocking the door. However, he opened it just enough to slip inside. “The building has rules about letting people inside. Get your own key out.”

“Hey, hold on–” Jake began to say upon seeing the man pull the door closed in front of his face.

“Fuck off, you little shit!” the asshole yelled, laughing.

Jake watched the guy hit the elevator button, which immediately opened. Stepping inside, the man turned around to flip off the teen before the doors closed.

“What the hell?” Jake questioned.

Despite the man being right about not letting strangers inside the building, the asshole thought Jake actually lived on the floor above him. Watch out, buddy. If I figure out which car is yours, you’ll wake up in the morning without any air in the tires.

With **** on his mind, Jake waited inside the foyer for another five minutes. Nudging the outside door open with his knee, Jake looked up and down the street. Finding no one, he stepped outside with a sigh.

Wondering what Phinn might suggest, Jake saw a pair of cars pull into the apartment's parking lot across the street. Raising his head, Jake recalled something he noticed last night. The apartment building only had four levels. That meant its roof would be even with the fifth floor of the condo and Brett’s unit.

Hurrying across the street before anyone appeared, Jake repeated his efforts from the condo. The timing worked out impeccably as two young women walked inside. Their gazes immediately checked out Jake as they opened a single mailbox. A cute blonde said hello while a sexier brunette licked her lips.

“Having a problem?” the blonde inquired, closing the mailbox.

“Yeah, I can’t get my key out,” Jake replied, forcing a sheepish expression.

“Aw, that’s rough. Where are you headed?” the brunette asked, opening the door and motioning for Jake to enter first.

“Uh, top floor.”

The pair of roommates shared a brief look before giggling.

“I think I know where you’re headed. You'd better be careful. She goes through men like you fast,” the brunette stated knowingly as the three of them walked onto the elevator.

“But if she doesn’t appreciate the thoughtful gifts, we’re down in 311. Stop by sometime,” the cute blonde suggested with a wink.

The brunette agreed with her roommate as the door opened for their floor. Stunned, Jake said he’d take them up on it if his girlfriend didn’t work out. Flummoxed by the blatant offer, Jake almost forgot to get off on the fourth floor. He had to hurriedly hit the button to open the door after it closed.

Walking on the top floor, Jake went straight to the nearest stairway. Based on past experiences, he knew that a roof entrance could usually be found in one of the inner stairways. That proved correct again as Jake tied the balloons around the stairway railing. Opening the door, he found a heavy cement slab along the wall and used it to prop the door open slightly. Jake absolutely did not want to get locked outside on the roof.

Putting the chocolates and flowers near the door, Jake snuck along the roof until he reached the ledge facing Brett’s building. Recalling the light that switched on last night after Brett returned home, Jake searched for the window he thought it might be. Pulling out his mini-binoculars, he peered into several rooms.

“Bingo!”

Moving forward a bit on the ledge, Jake zeroed his focus in on the dark-haired woman he saw Utley walk inside with. She stood in the doorway of a dimly lit bedroom with a brighter light shining in from the main living area. The teen’s eyebrows raised as he watched the sneakily busty woman unbutton her blouse to reveal a demi-cup bra. Next, her hands reached around to unzip the skirt that quickly pooled at her feet.

Although unsure because of the dim lighting, Jake thought the matching underwear set might be a dark purple. Yet, that thought swiftly left his mind as he watched the woman discard her bra to reveal a pretty impressive pair of tits. A slow, teasing shimmy sent the matching panties to the hardwood floor.

“What the…” Jake muttered. “No way. This case can’t be that easy.”

With the bed placed diagonally against the corner of the bedroom, Jake hadn't noticed the man lying in the middle of the bed until now. The teen couldn't see above the guy's upper chest, but he knew it had to be Brett. So, reaching for his camera…Jake groaned. He'd forgotten his long-lens camera in the car.

Reaching for his cell phone, Jake pulled it out of his pocket just as the naked woman got onto the end of the bed. Checking his phone’s camera, Jake used the zoom feature to see how any pictures taken with the device might look. Taking a test shot, the teen immediately checked it. Unfortunately, with the dim lighting and distance, the quality looked piss poor.

“Shit!” Jake cursed, grabbing his binoculars to watch the woman slowly crawl up the bed until she reached Brett’s midsection. Using both hands, the woman pulled the boxer-briefs down, allowing his cock to spring out. “Eww, I didn’t need to see that.”

I guess he’s somewhat large, but I’m bigger. Jake downplayed Brett’s large girth while he watched the woman–Would she be called his mistress?— drop her mouth down to cram about half the big cock between her lips on the first attempt.

Squinting through the telescopic lens, Jake watched in awe as the Jezebel's lips stretched wide around the thick cock. Despite his hatred of the woman for breaking Danica's heart, the teen couldn't help but admire how she kept on taking more and more into her mouth. Not quite fully deepthroating, she bobbed up and down with an impressive level of gusto.

Brett interrupted Jake’s thoughts by placing a hand atop the dark-haired homewrecker’s head. Almost at once, his hands tangled into her hair, creating an alluring, disheveled appearance in the bedroom’s soft light.

Apparently, Brett’s side chick liked to be in charge. Pushing his hands away from her hair, the temptress pulled off his cock until it looked as if only his crown remained between her lips. Then, nibbling on the knob, the hussy reached down to grip Brett’s hip for leverage before shocking Jake.

More or less tugging her face all the way down the shaft, the trollop basically face-fucked herself. Slamming down with fury, she appeared to skewer her throat repeatedly.

“Fuck me!” Jake whistled from his spot across the street on the roof. “Talk about zero gag reflex.”

Despite the most intense blowjob the teen had ever seen, Jake shook his head while watching Brett’s body buck five or six times as each volley of cum shot straight down her throat and into her stomach.

I could’ve lasted longer, the teen thought mockingly.

Grabbing his phone, Jake decided to attempt a few pictures or videos. Hitting the record button, he captured grainy images of the minx raising her head and opening her mouth wide. Clearly showing off her illicit lover’s spunk, the scarlet woman closed her mouth and noticeably swallowed.

Jake spent the next several minutes watching as the mistress lovingly cleaned Brett's dick with the fanatical devotion of an acolyte. Her unspoken prayers were answered as the shaft began to rise again.

Moving the binoculars to her face, Jake could see the lusty grin appear before the tramp crawled onto Brett’s lap. Holding his cock upright, the dark-haired whore lowered herself down onto the towering shaft.

Shooting her hands out until they disappeared, Jake watched as they reappeared, bringing Brett’s fingers up to cup her bountiful breasts. The teen cursed the young lawyer for cheating on such a wonderful woman, as his hands seemed to fondle the big tits that bounced before his eyes happily.

“I gotta get some evidence,” Jake told himself.

The athlete attempted to hold his phone’s camera lens against the mini-binoculars. Satisfied with the proper alignment, Jake snapped off a few shots before recording a video. The results he’d find later were terrible.

Meanwhile, without the objects, he could make out a decent amount of movement to tell that the Jezebel had lifted herself almost entirely off the dick before slamming herself down. She repeated this move again and again. The fast-paced, repetitive move sent her big tits bouncing around wildly.

Stopping the recording, Jake lifted the binoculars to his eyes in time to see the slut’s expression. She looked to be in heaven with her wide, wonder-filled eyes blazing with lust as Brett’s hands reconnected with those glorious globes.

Although the teen detective couldn’t hear a peep from behind the thick glass windows, the woman’s blissful face and open mouth led Jake to imagine the filthy nonsense she spouted as her orgasm approached.

Suddenly, the slamming of car doors reminded Jake of his location. Sheepishly looking around, Jake realized he’d been practically kneeling in full view of anyone who looked out of one of the fifth-floor units. Hell, even people on the fourth floor who looked up could probably see him. Several voices now followed the slamming car doors. Risking a peek over the ledge, Jake’s heart nearly stopped.

One of the women wore a black and white striped polo shirt. It was Danica.

“Oh, shit,” Jake groaned.

Yanking the binoculars back to his face, Jake saw that Brett had finally gotten involved by flipping his mistress onto her back. About time, buddy. You can’t lie there like a dead fish forever!

Alternating his focus between the bedroom and the street, Jake saw Danica and an older woman walking toward the building's front door. Up top, Brett had grabbed both of his whore’s legs, hooking them over his shoulders. Moving onto his knees, Brett grabbed the slut’s hips to keep her pinned in place.

Below, Jake cursed in empathy as Danica entered the foyer.

With his girlfriend on the way up, Brett burrowed his shaft deep into the bimbo's hole. Several quick thrusts led the young lawyer to pull back for a moment before laying down the lumber.

Minutes passed as Jake's anxiety heightened. Almost any second, he expected Brett and his mistress to abruptly stop their fucking to look up. The interruption could come from a knock on the unit's door or from Danica using a spare key to enter. The latter would be so much more devastating, but would also quash any questions about Brett's cheating.

Yet, the interruption didn’t come. Instead, Brett continued to jackhammer away deep inside his floozy’s pussy.

Wondering if Danica had possibly returned to her car for a forgotten item, Jake moved around on the roof for a better view of her car. Yet, he saw nothing. Eventually, Jake saw movement in the window next to the bedroom. In a fully lit room, the teen spotted his crush. However, she didn't appear upset over the fucking in the next room. If anything, the beautiful brunette seemed happy.

Confused, Jake’s gaze kept shifting back and forth from the two windows in anticipation of Danica finally appearing in the window on the left.

Suddenly, Jake’s jaw dropped open.

Brett had appeared behind Danica, wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

Mystified, Jake’s eyes swung back to see how the hell the cheating boyfriend had slipped out of the bedroom. However, the fuckfest on the bed continued.

“Aw, motherfucker!” Jake swore after realizing he’d been watching Brett’s next-door neighbor this whole time.