Chapter 23 #3
“Because men like Kenneth enjoy bullying women. They get their jollies with their passive-aggressive behavior, treating women as objects. Making them feel small to boost their own self confidence. Often the emotional lines are tied together with physical ones.”
“If you’re asking if he roughed me up, does throwing me out of his office count?”
I took a deep breath. “Hell, yes, it does. And that pisses me off.”
“That was a long time ago. I was a different person then, a little too na?ve to realize the kind of man he truly was. However, don’t worry. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with me and that’s just fine by me. He’s my past. I’m currently planning my future.”
As I suspected, she still wasn’t telling me everything. She pulled her arm free, the offered smile one of continued confusion. She was a lost soul.
What I’d hesitated in telling her was that men like Kenneth Coleman couldn’t afford a scandal ripping their world apart. At some point, the haunting secrets of the past could be exposed. If that happened, he would stop at nothing to shut her world down.
Using whatever methods necessary.
Including violence.
* * *
“So you have a girlfriend, huh?”
How did I know my sister would use the babysitting request to bring down the hammer? That’s what she liked to tell me when suggesting I needed a woman. Why did everyone think having a girlfriend would calm me down?
“She’s a friend. That’s it.” Maybe one with benefits, but every moment we shared ended with a reminder that we both had different lives. Hell, she was planning the future. She might as well have said without me in it.
“That’s not what Axe told me. He said you caused quite the scene in Ziggy’s parking lot last night.”
“It’s entirely possible I’ll convince my parents that I am an only child.”
“Sorry. I’m Mother’s favorite. Now, about this hot woman.”
“Can we get back to the point? Do you have time this morning to watch the most adorable kid in the world for a couple hours? And maybe a few other times over the next couple of weeks. Or months.” I knew as soon as the words slipped from my mouth, I was in trouble.
“You like her!”
“Doesn’t matter. She has a job to do and little money to do it with. So, can you help?”
My sister could be considered the drama queen. With her laugh, I knew I’d never hear the end of it. “So my brother can make his starring debut in a hot calendar and finally have a decent girlfriend? You bet.”
“Do not start with me. Not a word.”
“Until the calendar comes out.”
I adored my sister, but she was as much a menace as Violet. That meant the two of them would get along and work against me. Maybe I was out of my mind for allowing the two of them to meet.
After pouring another cup of coffee, I pulled up Violet’s number. Seeing her name that I’d programmed had an odd effect on me. Maybe I’d taken having Tanya’s name in my phone for granted.
Or maybe it didn’t mean nearly as much.
She answered breathless, the sound slowly imbedding into my soul. “Josie agreed.”
“Wonderful. Send me the address. Why are you breathless?”
Her soft sigh was enough of an aphrodisiac my cock twitched. “Damon and I are just enjoying a nice location walk that I think you’ll love. As my cover model.”
“Here we go. Don’t get your hopes up.” Why was I smiling about the situation? Why?
“I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, I guess you will.”
Now it was time to do a little investigation before I headed off to work.
* * *
Kenneth Coleman was exactly as she’d described.
A rich asshole who thought he was entitled to treat people badly.
The internet had been very useful. Given the marriage to a real princess that he was in, I had a feeling that a tidy sum of money had come from her family.
Plus, any improprieties would likely end in a messy divorce.
His family was ultra conservative in nature. I’d simply needed to go through a group of photographs on the internet to gather a sense of his influential friends. Wealthy, highly political, and in positions of ultimate power. Kenneth was a mover and shaker.
He had everything to lose if anyone discovered he had a child with another woman.
What if anything did that mean? Nothing, unless there was some pressure being placed on him, an imminent discovery regarding Damon that he feared. That would wait for another day.
I didn’t have enough time to delve into his hobbies or indulge in the various articles written about him in every financial magazine, but I would if push came to shove. For now, I had a few minutes left before I headed to work and I was determined to make good use of them.
A good guy.
You bet I was feeling like some asshole at this point.
I’d snuck around to take pictures of Zorro so Damon wouldn’t suspect what I was doing.
That made me an asshole in my book. If the pup belonged to someone else, I’d be the reason the kid was driven into misery.
No, that didn’t make me a good guy in the least.
The call to the breeder needed to be made, but first, I was headed out to search my property. I’d search hers later. While I was no law man, I carried my weapon with me. I refused to put her life at risk if there was anything I could do about it.
Nothing appeared amiss close to the house. Then again, I wasn’t necessarily a target.
The shed was full of basic yard tools, nothing of any value. But the space itself was valuable. Just far enough away from the house that if they realized my hours were long, it was a perfect location to hole up if needed.
While the lock itself was intact, there was a window on the back, an easy access point. As soon as I walked around to the side, I scanned the area. Unfortunately, with the fight I’d had with Violet, while the area seemed disturbed, that meant nothing at this point.
The rope also meant nothing other than that it appeared a recent purchase, thick and sold in any hardware store.
I crouched down, searching the ground around it.
There was nothing noticeable at first. Until I noticed a something glinting in the sun.
A key. What was a key doing on the ground?
Being halfway buried into the ground, I doubted there were any fingerprints on it, but at this point, anything was possible.
There was no obvious sign the shed had been broken into, but the window was unlocked. Had I left it that way?
I pulled out the set of keys, unlocking the padlock.
As soon as I walked inside and flicked on the light, I knew instinctively just as I had with the rental house that someone had been inside. Only this time, I had proof in the shape of a shoe print in the damp dirt.
It was time to call the police chief. Maybe now, we’d catch the kids responsible. I backed away, yanking out my phone while holding the key in my hand.
“Chief Taylor, this is Steel Beckett. I might have some information about the kids starting the fires. Do you have a chance to talk today?”