AUTHOR'S NOTE -- This is the third chapter of what will be a four-part series.
------
Almost four years later, in the summer of 2023, Noah's tall frame appeared at the top of the stairs as he began to hurriedly descend, while a small, beige canvas bag was clutched tightly in his right hand.
It was just after 11:00 a.m. on a Monday in the middle of August when Noah reached the bottom floor to join the two women who were waiting for him. Together, all three were standing in the house that Noah and his wife shared, situated on the outskirts of Glasgow, as the heat in the air was a pleasant surprise considering the traditional Scottish summer that they were accustomed to.
Both women were standing directly in front of Noah, shoulder-to-shoulder, as he offered a triumphant smile to the petite brunette stood to his right-hand side. "I knew they had to be in the cupboard somewhere. I tested them just before I brought them down, both of them are fully charged." Quickly, Noah reached into the small bag and produced one of the flashlights, before he used his thumb to switch it on and allowed the beaming ray of light to make itself known. "We're not going to get very far without these... Everything else is in the back seat of your car. I'd say we're good to go..."
As she watched Noah switch the torch off and slip it back inside the bag, a smile crept onto Denise's face as she realised that they were ready to leave. After turning her head to glance at the blonde woman next to her, Denise turned back to look into Noah's blue eyes. "Aberdeen's almost a three-hour drive from here, if we get lucky with the traffic. We should be fine if we set off within the next 20 minutes..." Slowly, Denise turned to the woman next to her once more and continued. "I don't know what we're going to find up there, Heather, but we'll take our time as we usually do. I'd guess that we'll be back here just after 9:00 p.m. tonight. We can have a late dinner together if you're able to wait that long?"
Heather had been Noah's wife for the last six years, with the two having been a couple for almost a decade. Stood at 5'5", Noah's wife was a few inches taller than Denise, with long blonde locks that ran down to just above her chest. Due to the warmth outside, Heather was dressed casually in a simple pair of black running shorts and a matching t-shirt, which was cropped to just above her navel. With her hair let down and her skin recently bronzed, her appearance was consistent with her typically laid-back demeanour. Having turned 30 only a few months prior, Noah's wife had the figure of an athlete, with her toned thighs and tight cheeks being the assets that she prized most. However, the way that Heather's black t-shirt was barely troubled by her small chest was in stark contrast to the woman stood next to her.
For as athletic as Heather's impressive figure was, Denise was, undeniably, a bombshell.
Only just reaching 5'2", Denise's long, dark hair made it all the way down to meet her backside, which was encased in a pair of black denim shorts that allowed her tanned legs to breathe in the warm weather. It didn't matter how Denise attempted to create a style for any occasion, her body was renowned by all who knew her as being out of this world. Her buttocks were full and curvaceous, which, when paired with her tiny waist, were capable of demanding anyone's attention. As Denise knew only too well, there were those familiar with her who had jumped to the conclusion that her spellbinding ass was the result of a surgical procedure, with the shape and pertness of her cheeks being too much for some to believe.
However, as much as Denise could honestly deny that her ass was the result of a financial investment, no such claim could be made about her chest. Having paired her casual black shorts with a long-sleeved black shirt, Denise's assets were impossible to disguise as the thin material was thrust outwards in its effort to conceal her chest. Meanwhile, the warm weather had inspired Denise to leave the top three buttons of her shirt unfastened, which helped showcase more than a hint of cleavage as her breasts were tightly held within the confines of her black lace bra. To any observer, Denise's petite frame was brought to life by her enthralling enhancements, without ever straying over the line of having gone too far. When showcased alongside her deep hazel eyes, stunning cheekbones and plump lips, Denise never had to do much to be the centre of attention anywhere she went.
Together, Denise and Noah had joined forces to create their own private detective agency. They'd met while working on a case around eight years earlier as part of Denise's father's business, when Noah and Heather were still dating, and set their own agency up around five years ago. Over time, the two had forged a successful business together to the point where they were well connected with important stakeholders throughout the UK, including wealthy investors, the scientific community and the police. As they stood there alongside Noah's wife, the success of their business meant that they were under no financial pressure and could be very selective about which cases they wanted to work. However, Denise hadn't waited until her business took off to acquire her sensational assets, as the 28-year-old brunette had borrowed money from her father to undergo the procedure just before she met Noah.
Despite Denise's stunning looks and curvaceous figure, Heather had never felt uncomfortable with her being a part of her and Noah's life. Having known each other for so long, Heather and Denise had become best friends with Denise being a regular fixture in the couple's social lives. Even the way that Denise was stood there, having styled her tight denim shorts with a partially-buttoned black shirt, had long been accepted by Heather as Denise simply expressing herself and flaunting her considerable assets, with just enough subtlety to remain classy. From Heather's point of view, her relationship with her husband was rock solid, and she cherished having Denise's friendship in her life.
As Heather listened to Denise's proposal, her lips parted to respond. "That's ok, I can grab a bite to eat before you get back. But you should definitely come over later, we've got more than enough wine in the fridge. Just stay here tonight and we'll get drunk... Noah and I are leaving for our cruise next week, I've been counting down the days until I'm lying on that Jamaican beach in a bikini with a cocktail in my hand... Plus, I'm desperate to show you all my new dresses that I'm taking with me..."
With a smile on his face, Noah glanced across towards Denise as he spoke up. "She's definitely underselling it, I had to answer the door to the delivery guys all last week and the number of boxes I had to put in the outside bin would blow your mind... I've been a detective for years, but what I can't figure out is why they sent one sundress in a cardboard box big enough to fit at least a hundred..."
Once Denise saw the smile form on her partner's face, she'd done the same before she even realised it. After a soft giggle at his remark, Denise turned towards Heather and responded. "Yeah, I know... Trust me, I'm suitably jealous and I wish I was going with you... I've always wanted to visit the Caribbean. I think my problem is if I set foot onto one of those beaches, I wouldn't want to come back..." After a brief pause, Denise continued. "But sure, I'll just come straight here when we get back from Aberdeen. I want to see all those outfits you're packing, and I'll make sure to bring that pair of sunglasses back before you leave."
Slowly, Heather's right eyebrow raised as she considered her best friend's words before she responded. "My god, Denise...if you set foot onto one of those beaches in a tight little bikini, I'm not sure the locals would ever let you leave..." The giggle that escaped Heather's throat prompted Denise to do the same before Heather continued. "Noah was telling me about what you're driving up to Aberdeen to investigate, but he didn't mention who's paying you for this... Is this a job you've both accepted or has it even made it that far?"
After taking a moment to run both of her hands against her black shirt to smooth out some small wrinkles, Denise looked back at Heather and spoke. "It's not a standard job, at least not yet... Two days ago, I got a call from a contact in the local authority up in Aberdeen. I thought he was calling me about some work we did up there last year, but he tipped me off that they'd spent a few days investigating the sudden appearance of a wooden cabin that had been erected near some farmland..."
Just as Denise took a moment to pause, Noah glanced at his wife and continued. "Apparently, the cabin's a fair size, which would obviously require time and effort to construct, but it would also need planning permission for whoever built it. But when Denise asked her contact if the local authority had heard anything about it, no one there can find any trace of any request having been made... If they're accurate, the cabin's been there since last Wednesday, but no one's claimed ownership or responsibility for it being there..."