Chapter 15
Mila
A knock came at the door to Cassie’s apartment, and my friend leapt up to answer it, Lovelyn entering the room. They hugged, and I skipped over and embraced my friend next.
“Thank God you’re back.”
Lovelyn moved with us to the sofa, setting her purple flower-embroidered bag down on the floor.
“Thank Tyler. He must have an alert out for Kane’s name, because he rang as soon as the article went live.
If we’d woken up to it, we’d have been fleeing in broad daylight.
Not that Kane would care, but he worried about my safety in case we were chased.
Interest in this case is feral.” She peeked at me and winced. “As you’d know better than anyone.”
My shoulders slumped. “Tell me about it. I’ve had endless calls from journalists and randoms spewing hate.
I don’t know how they got my number, but it’s out there.
I even changed it, but within a day, that leaked as well.
The culprit has to be the solicitors because they were the only ones I’d given it to at that point, but they denied it. ”
Lovelyn’s eyes crinkled at the edges. “I’m so sorry. That’s awful.”
Cassie shook her head. “It’s complete bullshit. How dare they? It doesn’t help anyone.”
Nausea cramped my stomach. “Least of all Dixie. Her face is the only one still unknown on their hit list. They are fighting for their lives to identify her. It’s only a matter of time.”
“I’m so gutted we didn’t find her.” Lovelyn’s expression reflected her sorrow. They’d been hunting her for weeks. “If it helps, she looked so well on my brief glimpse of her on that beach.”
Cassie said, “Torlum is a grim place where people are sent to be forgotten. Ask me how I know. All we’re sure about is that she’s running scared again, but I’m glad she’s off it. I just wish I knew where to start looking. That I’d done more for her when she was here.”
Lovelyn nodded agreement. “I wish I hadn’t let her go like I did.”
“Or forced her to run like my name did,” I added.
Both women cried me down. Even so, I felt the responsibility.
Lovelyn said, “No good comes from moping. Kane and I are stuck now, but we might be able to send someone else out. Tyler perhaps.”
I furrowed my brow. “He called me the other day. I think he might’ve done something to Sullivan.”
The two women stared at me.
Lovelyn blinked first. “Dixie’s last client? Why?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea, and I can’t imagine he’d tell me. I need to get back to him on some facts he wanted, so I’ll ask him about joining the hunt then. Otherwise, it’s just his two men out there, and they don’t know Dixie. I mean, I don’t either, but I wish I did.”
A wobble threatened me. I’d held it together for days, trusting in my business background to handle the stress.
This was nothing like hostile suppliers or union talks.
I’d been trained for those. Not this. Dixie was my flesh and blood.
One of only three of us in the same boat.
I had the strongest urge to stand in front of her and protect her from the fallout.
And just as strong a need to ask her everything she knew about the family before I’d joined it.
I exhaled shakily. “I don’t want to lose her to this before we’ve had a chance to become friends. If she’d even consider it.”
Another knock came at the door. Lovelyn comforted me while Cassie leapt up to answer.
Molly entered the room, a tray in her hand with three tall glasses. “Special delivery.”
The pink-haired bartender made her way over.
Last time I’d seen Molly, it had been at the bar in Divide, her hair changed from the blue I’d first seen.
I admired how she was comfortable in her skin.
Tonight, she wore a cropped skeleton crew t-shirt and black shorts.
Killer rack, belly rolls, and the confidence of a queen.
Cassie closed the door and followed her in, peering at the tray. “Espresso martinis. That has to be from Genevieve.”
Molly set the tray down on the coffee table. “Got it in one. She said she’s sorry she can’t be here for… I forget the group name she told me.”
“Skeleton Girls Detective Agency?” I asked.
Molly beamed, skipping her gaze over our matching shirts. “That’s it. And by the way, your shirts are darling. Genevieve said she’s doing something with the boss.”
Cassie picked up the nearest glass and took a swallow. “I don’t want to know what she’s up to with Arran. Damn, this tastes good. Not that I need the caffeine, but it definitely helps.”
Molly slid the tray under one arm. “What are you detecting today? Is it the murders of those two women? I only ask because all us staff are on special measures. I’m not allowed to drive myself in anymore because I’d be on my own.
They send a crew member out for me.” She waved a hand in front of her.
“Not that I’m complaining. I want to be safe. It’s just…”
“More worrying than anything?” Cassie asked.
Molly’s fleeting expression suggested it was for some other reason. “Right.”
“Well, we’re looking into the cases. Not that we’ve made much progress in days,” Lovelyn explained.
“If you need a bartender to spy in plain sight, let me know. No one notices the support staff.”
I hated my automatic suspicion over why someone outside our group would offer help so readily. “We’ll yell if that comes up.”
Molly grinned. “You know where to find me. I’ll head back to work. Have fun!”
She left us. We all took deep drinks of the cocktail.
I put down my half-empty glass. “Now we have fuel, I hereby start the meeting.”
My two friends raised their martinis in a cheers.
My mind ticked over to the plan. “Lovelyn, on the phone, you told me about your meeting with my grandmother. She said Presley had been to visit.”
Lovelyn nodded. “He took her an ivy plant.”
Cassie snorted. “Classic suck-up behaviour. Think he knows your grandmother intends to shut the company down?”
I twisted my lips. “For sure, and my guess is that he was trying to persuade her to change her mind.”
Cassie said, “Without it operating, he has no money, correct?”
“That’s right. His side of the family might get some in my grandfather’s will, or in the company wind down, but that isn’t guaranteed, and it would take forever.
For someone who has lived off handouts all his life, he’ll be desperate.
” I worked through my thoughts. “He was lurking around the dockside warehouse when Convict was there. That alone puts him in the frame.”
Cassie tilted her head. “Why don’t ye sound convinced?”
“Two reasons. I never saw him at work. Like ever. But mainly because he’s lazy.
Lazy people only do something when necessary.
Like my uncle Wallace. He suns himself on yachts most of the year and is only here because his mum made him stay.
And it’s true that the well has run dry now, but Presley was living that same life of luxury.
Him actually working when he didn’t have to feels unlikely? I don’t know.”
Lovelyn curled her lip and shook out her lovely hair, blonde highlights over brown. “He seemed horrible from my very brief glimpse when he came here, but I’m not sure any of that gives him a true motive for murder.”
I exhaled in a rush. “That was my conclusion, too. His motivation seems to be getting the company operating again. I wish we could find him. I’d happily throttle the bastard.”
Cassie said, “They were our two main suspects—Sullivan and Presley. One involved in the trusted companies, potentially attending the auctions where trafficked women were sold, and now taken by Tyler for unknown reasons, and the other harassing ye for money, hanging around the dockside warehouse, and apparently having done a runner. Even without a motive, both appear guilty as sin. At least of something.”
One after the other, our phones went off. We swapped frowns, and I read my screen.
Convict: Come down to the main corridor.
Lovelyn stared at her phone. “Kane’s asked me to go downstairs.”
“Riordan has, too. He said right now.” Cassie raised her gaze. “What the hell could need us all to rush down?”
My stomach tightened.
A body, a rabid mob. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. The three of us exchanged a fierce look and left to investigate together.