Chapter 4 #2
“Or demanding.” She gave Hayes an unbothered smile. “I bet Sondra is doing her best to stay away from him. Lord knows, I’d do that if I could.”
He bet.
“Have you got any thoughts about who the person sending him the threats might be?” he asked.
It occurred to him that she probably knew his clients pretty well. And she might have some insight. The sooner the person sending the threats was caught, the sooner he could leave this place.
Get away from her .
Yeah. Right. Like you want to do that.
Hayes had decided to switch places with Donovan in order to get some space from Devi. He’d spent too much time thinking and watching that girl.
She was distracting and he couldn’t afford to be distracted in this job. However, if he had to spend too long guarding this asshole, he might end up strangling him.
“Actually, dear, I’ve been thinking about that lately. Let me get his lordship’s coffee as well as some for you and I’ll tell you what I’ve got.”
Good.
Finally, something productive.
Hopefully he’d be home by the end of the week. Although considering it was already Wednesday that might be too optimistic.
He wondered if Devi was working at the Elk Horn Tavern tonight again.
Not that it mattered since he wouldn’t be going back there. He owed Donovan a night off anyway.
His phone buzzed and he drew it out of his pocket to check it.
Donovan: So . . . Devi.
What the hell did that mean? Frowning, he decided to just ignore his message.
But it seemed the bastard wasn’t ready to stop prodding at him.
Donovan: You didn’t tell me about her.
Hayes gritted his teeth and glanced through the glass at Stein. He was on the phone and doing something on the computer. Hayes wondered what Sondra saw in him. Then again, they didn’t spend much time together.
So perhaps she couldn’t stand him either.
His phone buzzed again and he groaned. What the fuck was up with this asshole?
Was putting up with Stein not enough? Now he had to suffer through whatever Donovan was trying to do.
They weren’t friends. They were work colleagues. He didn’t know him well, but he wouldn’t have thought he was a gossip.
Donovan: She’s really cute.
Hayes ground his teeth together. That bastard just wouldn’t leave this alone. And what was he fucking doing looking at Devi?
He shouldn’t be looking at her. No one had any right to look at her other than Hayes.
O k ay. No.
You don’t have the right to be this possessive.
She isn’t yours and she can choose to date whoever she likes.
Except Donovan. She wasn’t going to date that pretty boy. He ignored the fact that before now he’d never had any reason to actively dislike Donovan.
Before now he hadn’t realized how fucking annoying he was.
He’s just fishing. Don’t give him what he’s looking for.
Donovan: Sondra was telling me how when Devi fell over yesterday that you swooped in and helped her get up.
Hayes couldn’t take it anymore. He had to reply even though he’d rather pull out all his teeth than participate in this conversation.
Hayes: There some reason you’re messaging me this crap instead of guarding Sondra?
There. That ought to get Donovan to stop messaging him. He nodded as Doris returned with a tray, taking his coffee from her. Then Hayes opened the door to the office so she could carry coffee in to Stein.
He glanced up with a frown then waved her forward impatiently. Going to win boss of the year.
Dick.
Donovan: She’s come home with a headache and is lying down. So I’ve got lots of time on my hands. Are you going to say anything about delicious Devi?
Yeah. He was going to tell him that he needed to never call her that again if he didn’t want his tongue ripped out of his mouth.
He closed his eyes and just concentrated on his breathing for a moment.
Calm.
“You all right, dear?” Doris asked.
“Yeah.”
“Oh good. You just looked like you had a headache. Or gas. Gas can be very painful. I’ve got some painkillers if you need them. I’ve also got some excellent medicine for trapped gas.”
Dear Lord.
What was happening right now?
“That’s okay. I’m good.”
“If you say so, dear. Just let me know. There’s even a bathroom just down the hall. I won’t tell his lordship if you don’t.”
“Have you always called him that?”
“Oh yes, I’ve worked for him for years. He’s got a well-inflated opinion of himself. Of course, he is very good at what he does. Or he was. Lately, he’s lost a few cases.”
“Yeah? Do you think that one of the clients whose case he lost could be threatening him now?”
“Well, I certainly think it’s possible and I’ve written down a few ideas.”
“Good. Show me.” He knew he wasn’t the most diplomatic person, although he could likely be more polite. However, she didn’t seem to take offense at his abruptness.
His phone buzzed and he checked it again.
Donovan: Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.
Shit. Donovan likely thought he’d upset him.
Hasn’t he?
Well, yeah. But not for the reasons that the other man likely thought.
Hayes: I’m talking to Doris about Stein’s clients whose cases he didn’t win. You didn’t tell me what a prick he is.
Donovan: As bored as I am, I’d rather guard Sondra anytime. Glad to swap permanently.
Hayes: No.
Shit. He’d said that without thought. This was his opportunity to get away from Devi. Although if he spent too much time with Stein, he likely would kill him.
Hayes: I’m gonna murder this guy if I spend too much time with him.
Donovan: Bad look, murdering the client. Got to go. Sondra is awake.
Hayes had to bite back the urge to ask him how Devi was. If she’d been tired this morning. She had to be tired after working a second job last night.
“Sorry, dear, took me a moment to find the list,” Doris interrupted his thoughts.
“Now, I can’t give you any details about the cases.
It’s confidential and all. But in the last five years, these are the names of the people whose cases he’s lost. I’ve put a star next to the clients who were particularly nasty.
I mean, none of them are upstanding citizens if I’m honest. I think all of them except for one had a record. ”
“And what about what each one was charged with?” he asked, scanning the names.
Kent and Liam were already going through old cases. And they had access to more information than he did. They would have looked at these guys. However, maybe Doris could provide some more insight into them and the case.
“Oh yes. Let me think. Murder. Attempted murder. Assault with a deadly weapon. Rape and assault.”
Dear God.
If these people were all guilty they definitely deserved to be locked away.
“I also thought I’d mark which ones were in known gangs, dear. I don’t know if that would help. I might need to look up a couple of files. But I know these three definitely were. Nasty pieces of work, these two.”
“What about this one?” he asked, pointing at the name of the third guy she’d said was in a gang.
“Now, that one was an interesting case. That boy, he was so nice. But his lordship couldn’t get him off.
See, the boy had the victim’s blood on him, and he was found in the vicinity of the body.
I can’t imagine a nice boy like that making threats.
I don’t know how any of them could, unless they’ve got a friend or relative on the outside who is doing it. ”
“That’s another angle to look at. Thanks for this.”
Doris smiled at him. “Glad I could help. Are you going to be guarding Mr. Stein from now on?”
He grimaced. “God, no. Donovan will be back tomorrow.”
“Charming young man, that one. So nice to look at. Ahh, not that you aren’t dear,” she added hastily.
He tried to smile at her. He really did, seeing how horrified she looked at her words.
But he knew he’d failed.
It had been a long time since Hayes had smiled and he wasn’t sure that his mouth remembered how to do it.
Taking the list, he sat down where he could watch Stein through the glass and decided to send it to Kent with an explanation before doing a bit of research himself.