Chapter 10 #2
Castle nods once. “Very few people make it onto my island without my prior knowledge. This Hatter fellow paid a random fisherman to bring him here and arrived moments before entering my club. From where or for what purpose, however… I do not know.”
Something about the admission trips all the alarms in my mind.
“Mari says he claims to be from Charleston. I’ll verify that with my contacts there eventually. We don’t check licenses as a matter of policy, so I don’t know his name either.” His gaze flicks to me. “I understand he took a particular disliking to Frog.”
I know he’s one of Castle’s men, but he spits the name out like I imagine he wants to do every time he pretends to drink his bourbon.
“It did seem that way,” I agree. “Yes, sir.”
“And that was… in defense of you, correct? After Frog deliberately disobeyed my rules?”
I roll my lips between my teeth before nodding carefully.
His jaw tics. “I apologize for that. The man’s been on assignment for me and intended to blow off steam tonight. Evidently, he’s forgotten his place. I’ll see to it that he remembers, if your little friend didn’t teach him for me.”
“He’s not my friend,” I say quickly, then swallow as his brow raises. “But… thank you for the apology.”
He eyes me. “During your set, Frog expressed his desire that you pick him for your private dance.”
My mouth goes dry. “H-He did, but I—”
“Chose the newcomer. Yes, I know.” He waves a hand dismissively. “X informed me that Hatter paid quite generously for the opportunity. I can hardly fault you for choosing money or information.” He nods once. “It was a good bet, Alice. Well done.”
Relief loosens my shoulders.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Did you get anything useful from him, then?”
I filter through the conversation like I always do in my reports, and I can’t find an angle that could hurt my family, but I find myself hedging anyway.
“No, sir, nothing useful.”
“Really?” Castle tilts his head slightly. “That surprises me, Alice. You’re usually quite skilled with first-timers.”
I tinge my voice with all the casualness I’m trying to feel. “He has a brother whose girlfriend is in a coma. Her family doesn’t like him…” I trail off. “Oh. And he has allergies.”
Castle stills for a fraction of a second. “Allergies?” He chuckles, but my skin prickles anyway. “How on earth did that come up?”
A thousand explanations race through my head, but none of them feel right. So I settle for a wince.
“I found his medicine while I was, um…” Heat blooms under my skin. “Performing for him.”
“Allergy medicine. Hm. What an odd thing for a customer to bring into this establishment.” Again, his expression barely changes, but still, I notice that it did. “Dorman would have taken such a thing when he searched him.”
I snort before I can stop myself. “Well, the guy also had a knife, so I imagine the pat down wasn’t exactly thorough.”
Castle scowls.
“Careful, Alice. That’s my sister’s son you’re speaking about.” His mustache twitches. “Even if he is an imbecile.”
“Oh, um.” My pulse races under the confusing reprimand. “S-Sorry, sir.”
“Bah, don’t worry about it.” He waves the apology away almost absently. “What medicine did you find? I’ve been looking for something new myself. Mine tends to make me drowsy, and I’m afraid something stronger is on the wind this season.”
He sniffs and gestures vaguely around the room.
All lies. There’s no way in hell he’d willingly take anything that dulled his edge. I haven’t even heard the man sneeze before. I think.
Just in case, I lie right back.
“Run-of-the-mill Benadryl. The hard corner of the blister pack poked my knee through his pants.” I shrug. “Sorry, sir. Not even that turned out to be worthwhile.”
Castle hums. “Maybe he’s a good candidate for Smoke, then. I know your aversion to the hookah blend, but you’re my best girl, Alice. If you can’t Mirror him, Smoke may be necessary.”
Dread settles in my stomach like wet cement, and I can’t stop myself from shifting in my seat.
“I don’t need Smoke to do my job. I just got distracted, is all.”
“Distracted?” One brow lifts. “Well. That’s certainly unlike you.”
Heat crawls under my skin and I’m sure I’m brightening as red as a tomato.
“Everyone has bad days, I guess.”
“Hmm. I suppose.” He taps his glass again. “I’ll concede you haven’t required Smoke thus far. But for you to fail to Mirror a first-timer…” His tongue clicks softly against his teeth. “Perhaps you’re losing your edge. Mari tells me you’ve evaded VIPs thus far, as well.”
I seriously doubt Mari had to tell him anything. Still, I bite my tongue as the dread in my stomach solidifies like a boulder.
“That’s correct.”
Castle nods. “I allow those sorts of preferences only so long as you continue providing worthwhile information. I pay you all very generously for the secrets you extract. If you’ve met your match in this Hatter fellow—”
“I can Mirror him,” I blurt. “I’m sure of it.”
His brow raises expectantly, and I swallow while trying to get my heart rate under control.
“I’m sorry for interrupting, sir. I just know I don’t need Smoke.”
He clicks his tongue against his teeth before continuing in a deceptively calm voice.
“You’re my best girl, Alice. But even the best bets are still risks.
” He tilts his glass toward me slightly.
“See to it this Hatter doesn’t become one.
If I don’t get information on how he found my club or why he came here, I’ll have to insist you use Smoke.
” He pauses like he’s weighing something.
“Or perhaps… Mira could do a better job. She’s improved since she started studying you. ”
An irrational burn sparks in my chest so suddenly I almost fail to force away the random emotion that caused it before it can reach my face.
“No need. I can handle him.”
Something almost triumphant flickers in his eyes, and I know I lost that internal battle. Whatever feeling I just had totally singed through my poker face, no doubt telling him more than I wanted but somehow still everything he already knew.
Then an uncharacteristic softness crinkles the edges of his eyes.
“Your tenacity is admirable. You remind me of my daughter, you know.”
The comment catches me so off guard I almost flinch.
“Same hair color,” he begins. “Same eyes. Like you, she loved ballet.” His gaze hardens slightly. “Secretive, like her mother. Quietly cunning. Even at six.” He tilts his head. “She would’ve been about your age.”
A chill creeps down my spine.
Loved ballet. Secretive. Quietly cunning.
I shove down how deeply unsettling it is that he included those similarities and try to mimic the softness his expression held at first.
“I’m honored, sir.”
“You should be. She had the world at her fingertips before it was stolen from her.” He studies me for another long second, then nods. “I could do the same for you, should your loyalties remain staunchly northward.”
And if they don’t?
The statement and its silent counterpart hang in the air like cigar smoke. Then, abruptly, he flicks one hand toward the door.
“You’re dismissed. I trust you’ll follow through with what we’ve discussed. Make sure X watches you back to your boat.”
“Oh, um, yes, sir.” I stand, doing my absolute best not to sprint from the room.
But still, one question lingers as I force myself to walk normally toward the door despite feeling like I’m vibrating out of my skin.
With my hand on the knob, I glance back.
“After what he pulled tonight, I’m surprised you even want him to come back.”
He’s already put readers on to look at a pile of papers. “I never let an opportunity go to waste, Alice.” He peers over his glasses rim at me. “You’d do well to practice the same.”
“Yes, of course.” I worry my lip. “And how do you know he’ll want to come back?”
He chuckles darkly. “No need to worry about that. I’m ninety-three percent certain you’ll see him first thing tomorrow.”
“What makes you so sure?”
For the first time all night, Castle smiles outright.
“It’s simple. I saw the way he looked at you.”
My heart flutters traitorously before I can stop it. “And what way is that?”
That smile turns viciously cold. “It’s the same way I looked at my wife up until the night she killed our daughter.”