The Business Card
Maddox
I was back in the office – but only to hand off everything I didn't intend to deal with personally.
It was late afternoon, and I had only an hour left when Andrea, my assistant, appeared at my doorway, looking troubled.
I knew why.
It was a fucking madhouse.
By now, Sloane had been missing for over a week, and I'd pulled in a temp, plus extra security, to help Andrea handle the load.
Still, the load was only getting bigger. Just today, Andrea had fielded more visitors than I normally saw in a year.
This time, she was holding a business card.
With a tight smile, she said, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm not entirely sure what to do with this." She was holding the card between her thumb and forefinger, like it might bite if she didn't handle it carefully.
From behind my desk, I gestured with my pen. "You mean with the card?"
"Yes. I mean…no. I mean the person who gave me the card. They're insisting on seeing you."
This was nothing new. People had been insisting for days. Nearly all of them had been told to shove off.
But with this one, Andrea was acting funny, like the card might explode.
I gave it a glance. "So, you wanna tell me the name on the card?"
"Well, that's the thing…it's one of Cal's cards."
Odd. "But the visitor's not Cal." I knew this, because Cal was part of the security detail keeping gawkers at bay.
Andrea nodded. "Right."
"So?" I gave her an expectant look. "Who is he?" If someone was claiming to be Cal, that was a new one, even for me.
"Actually…it's a she. Someone named Delaney Sinclair."
"Delaney?" Something tightened in my chest. "Here?"
Andrea nodded again. "She claims to know you and said it's really important. And she has someone with her."
I didn't care about the someone else. But I did care about Delaney. Still, I asked the question that needed asking. "This other person – do they have a name?"
"Walt Garvey." Andrea hesitated. "He says he's a witness…or something?"
I frowned. "A witness to what?"
"He wouldn't say. And I wouldn't have bothered you at all, but…" She lowered her voice. "Could this be something about Sloane?"
Fuck.
What if it was about Sloane?
What if Delaney was only here to give me the same grief I'd been getting from everyone else?
It felt like a lot of effort just to tell me I was an asshole. But hey, Delaney had called me that name before.
I was still pissed when I thought about it.
But of course, I'd brought some of this on myself by not telling Delaney my full name from the start – and if not from the start, certainly by the time we got to coffee or kissing.
And now, I had questions of my own.
Like…what was the deal with the business card?
And who the hell was Walt?
Unless…
Oh, shit.
That first day I'd gone to her sister's building, I'd shown Delaney's picture to exactly one person – the janitor in the lobby. I hadn't asked his name. But I'd bribed him with beer money, telling him to call the number if he spotted Delaney.
I'd given him one of Cal's cards, because tracking people down was Cal's gig, not mine.
And let's be real. I didn't want random strangers calling me.
I'd seen the guy a second time maybe twenty minutes later, heading into the building right behind Delaney. He'd complained when we'd blocked the door. And afterward, he'd made some crack about it being my lucky day.
When he'd disappeared into the elevator, I'd figured that was that.
I'd never given him another thought.
Until now.
And just like that, a few missing pieces slid into place. If Delaney discovered I'd shown the janitor her photo, she would've been smart to be suspicious.
And yeah, maybe a little angry.
Or a lot.
But if that was the case, why didn't she say so? Why dance around it with vague accusations?
And why the change of clothes?
I almost scoffed. Was she wearing that same pink dress now?
I was morbidly curious.
And why was I suddenly pissed?
I sat still a long moment, trying to get a grip. Who, exactly, was I pissed at?
Me?
Or her?
And how did this relate to the woman in the elevator? The one who'd no doubt told Delaney who I was?
Forget the business card. That was the thing that really set Delaney off.
Wasn't it?
Now wasn't a good time for anything, except to be left alone.
And yet, I heard myself say, "Go ahead. Show them in."