Chapter 34
Matt sat across from Rachel at Flora, trying not to think about the fact that this very spot was the place he’d seen Erin kissing another man. It wasn’t busy at this time of the day. It was late afternoon, and only a couple of patrons were present, enjoying their cups of coffee. Matt drummed his fingers on the scarred wooden table while studying the picture.
“It’s him,” Matt said. “How did you track him down so fast?” Looking at the photo of the art dealer, he was amazed at how quickly they had found him. The man his wife was supposedly having an affair with. The private investigator he’d called on his own hadn’t even called him back yet. Matt was becoming more impressed with Rachel and her team by the minute.
Rachel gave a small smile. “Red found him. It was really a combination of luck and good timing.”
Matt nursed his cup of Ethiopian coffee while staring at the art gallery brochure Stacy had pilfered.
“I’ve heard his name somewhere before.” Matt read the brochure. “Gavin Beckwith. Huh.”
“Gavin’s an art dealer and owns a gallery near Jackson Square. From what Red can gather, he and Erin were introduced by a mutual friend. Gavin wanted to sign Erin on as a client.”
“From what I saw that day, he wanted to do more than just sign my wife on.” Matt folded up the brochure and stuck it in his pocket.
“Sorry,” Rachel said sincerely. It had to be a double whammy for Matt. To find out his wife was cheating on him and then lose her along with his kids. Rachel cleared her throat. “I had an interesting phone call yesterday. Do you know Alanna Brennan?”
“We went to school together. She’s friends with my wife.”
“I ran into her yesterday. She was with Melinda at the voodoo shop that Erin frequented. Alanna told me about your previous relationship with Melinda.”
Matt looked around the café, his eyes resting on the glass deli case, which was filled with French pastry treats. “Melinda and I dated in high school. It’s no secret.”
Rachel felt the need to apologize. “Sorry to be prying into your personal life, but the more I know about your family and work history, the better chance we have of finding your kids.”
“I get that. I just don’t see what Melinda and I dating in high school has to do with finding my kids. That was almost twenty years ago. She married my brother and they’re happy,” Matt said. “I guess.”
“Were you and your wife happy?” Rachel asked.
Matt stood up, his chair scraping the wood floor. “Well, I thought we were. I mean, we had our ups and downs like any other marriage, but I would’ve never thought she’d cheat on me.”
“Are you planning on calling Gavin Beckwith?”
“I think the situation warrants a personal visit.”