by Clare Kauter
“Damn, Nat,” said Billy. “You’ve got game.”
“Oh, shut up, Billy,” I said, plonking myself on a stool and signalling to the bartender.
“Those were some smooth lines,” Billy continued. “I’m very impressed.”
“I’m equally as impressed with you standing right next to me and watching while I was trying to save my date,” I shot back. “Really added to the mood.”
The bartender came over and Billy and I each ordered a drink. A beer for him and a Moscow Mule for me.
“Not the best first date, huh?”
I laughed humourlessly. “Slight understatement.”
“How did you meet?”
I thanked the bartender as he handed me my drink. “I was out running my dog and we bumped into each other.”
“Your dog is Theodore, I’m guessing?”
“That’s the one.”
“Right. So you were out running your dog, you bumped into her and then what?”
I raised my eyebrows. “You looking for tips on how to pick up, Billy?”
He laughed. “I do OK in that department.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Let me guess: Ella?”
He gave me a faux-shocked expression. “How do you know that?”
“You’re not as mysterious as you think you are, Billy Boy.”
“Well, we’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you and your new accountant-slash-girlfriend.”
I smiled a little at that. “Fine. Only because I know you’re craving a good romantic story since your own life is so empty.”
“My life isn’t empty. I have a cat who hates me.”
“That sounds fulfilling.”
“You bet.”
I laughed quietly before getting back to my story. “Well, I was out jogging with Theodore when I saw Maggie and her dog running towards me.”
“This is already adorable.”
“Oh, trust me, it gets better.”
“How?”
“Our dogs started banging,” I said. “Really going to town. We kind of chatted while we waited for them to stop.”
He was silent for a moment. “Wow,” he said finally. “That’s one to tell the grandkids.”
I sighed. “So’s tonight,” I said. “On our first date a drunk guy accused me of sleeping with the boss to get my job.”
“Yeah, about that,” said Billy, shifting uncomfortably. “I’m sorry he –”
I shook my head. “It’s not like it’s your fault.”
“No, but…” He swallowed. “They told me the other night – about the – about you and Adam.”
I felt my blood begin to boil. “What?”
“And obviously it was all bullshit – I know that now – but I just…”
“You just what?”
“I just feel like I should explain –”
“Explain?”
“That’s why I was acting so strange earlier,” he blurted. “After I saw the two of you together yesterday –”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked through gritted teeth.
He gulped. “I saw the two of you talking together and you both smiled. You hardly ever smile and I thought – I thought you were together.”
“Really.”
“I never thought that was why you had your job or anything,” he said quickly.
“Wow, well that makes it all fine then.”
He shut his eyes for a second, clearly aware that what he was saying didn’t exactly endear him to me. “I just wanted to tell you because that’s why I was acting so odd earlier today and yesterday afternoon. Adam and I have a – a history, and –”
“What, you slept with him?”
“No, I –”
“Oh, I just assumed. You know, because obviously that’s how people get their jobs around here.”
“He had me demoted and forced me to transfer,” he blurted. My eyes widened. I hadn’t seen that coming. “I didn’t go to Queensland voluntarily. He doesn’t like me because of how that last case went down. I’m sorry that I was weird about it, but when it comes to Adam Baxter, I –”
“You can’t be serious,” I said. “Adam wouldn’t do that. He likes you.”
“He really doesn’t, I promise. But that doesn’t matter. I’m sorry for bringing this up,” he said. “I just wanted to explain. When you said you were going to get Bruno fired, I thought…”
My jaw dropped. “You thought I was going to have Adam fire him?” I asked in disbelief. “How did you see that going? ‘Hey, Adam. My boss is a dick. I’ll give you a blow job if you get rid of him.’ Something like that?”
Billy looked pained. “No, obviously I didn’t think –”
“Shut up, Billy. For your information, I was talking about getting Bruno fired because I think he was the one who told Spencer where you lived, and I don’t think you’re the only person he’s done it to.”
Billy’s eyes widened. “What? You really think he’d…”
“Yeah, I do. And I’m pretty sure he takes money from the people he’s meant to be investigating to not turn them in,” I added. “And there’s even a chance he’s using his job to help people break into places that are meant to be secured by Baxter & Co.”
“Oh my god,” said Billy, eyes wide. “That’s… holy shit.”
“Yeah. I was actually going to ask for your help to see if we could find any evidence of it.”
“Absolutely! I’d –”
“I was going to ask you,” I said. I downed the rest of my drink and set the empty bronze mug on the bar, standing. “But it turns out you’re just as much of a dick as the rest of them. I wonder if they’ll recruit you into their criminal program or get you killed first.”
I stalked to the door and left, teeth gritted. I didn’t often feel like crying, but at that moment I almost considered it.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Billy
I was such an arsehole. Fuck.
Not quite as bad as Bruno, but pretty close. I watched as Ella walked outside to put Bruno in a taxi while I ordered another drink. Something stronger than beer this time. Why had I felt the need to explain to Nat that I, too, had thought she was dating Adam? Why hadn’t I just kept my mouth shut?
I picked up my drink and gulped it down in about two seconds, then ordered another. It wasn’t just things with Nat, either. I mean, it was mostly that, but Eric’s face kept floating up to the surface of my thoughts. What was I thinking, looking up his address? I couldn’t go visit him. I didn’t even want to. And yet here I was. I gulped down the next drink.
And what about Nat’s theory that Bruno was using his job to get extra money on the side? Could it really be true? She’d been trying to ask for my help and I’d run off because I’d judged her based on what Bruno had told me about her. I’d trusted Bruno, of all people! I wondered if he knew she was onto him and that was part of the reason he wanted her fired. Maybe that’s why he was going to so much trouble to convince everyone she was a bad investigator – to discredit her in case she ever did tell anyone what she thought he was up to.
How could I have been such an arsehole?
“Well, tonight’s been fun,” commented a voice to my right. I turned to see Ella sit on the bar stool next to me and order a drink of her own.
“That’s one word for it.”
She shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe Bruno –”
“I can,” I said, cutting her off.
She sighed. “OK, I can believe it. I just wish I couldn’t.” She accepted her drink from the bartender and took a sip. “Was Nat OK?”
Sipping my own drink, I shrugged. “She’s probably used to everyone being dicks to her by now.” I just wished I hadn’t been one of those people. Why had I said anything? Why not just wait until we were, say, a decade into our friendship and then tell her? Both have a giggle in hindsight about how much of an idiot I was when we first met?
“I really didn’t know that was going to happen, Billy,�
�� said Ella, her eyes sad. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have asked you to invite her. And in front of her friend, too…”
I snorted at her use of the word ‘friend’ but didn’t correct her. She still thought Nat had come here because we’d invited her. I finished off my drink, wondering why I’d ever thought spending time with Bruno and his friends would be a good idea. I didn’t even like them. Ella was the only one I got along with. Why was I suffering through hanging out with the rest of them just so I could talk to her for a few minutes? I was an idiot.
“I should go,” I said.
“Yeah, the party’s winding down early tonight,” she said. “I’ll walk you outside.”
As I stood outside, shivering against the cold despite the warmth the alcohol had brought to my insides, I wondered what to do next. Going home was probably the smart option, but I’d had enough drinks that the smart option wasn’t necessarily the one I was going to take.
“Billy?” I turned to Ella, who was smiling up at me. Those red lips. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” I lied. “I’m fine.”
She nodded. “Right. Well…”
“Well.”
“I’m going to head home,” she said. “My Uber’s on its way.”
I nodded. “Sure. Fair enough. As fun as this evening’s been, I guess it has to end sometime.”
She smiled, then her face grew more serious. “I really am sorry about Bruno, Billy,” she said. “I hope you know – I mean, he’s my cousin, but I’m not like him.”
“I know,” I said. “I don’t hate you.”
She laughed. “Wow. You’re a lot more blunt tonight than you are normally.”
I shrugged. “Or maybe I’ve just been quieter the past couple of days and now my true self is coming out.”
“Maybe,” she said. “Either way, I like it.”
“You like me insulting your cousin?”
“He kind of deserves it,” she said. “I feel like I’m seeing the real you now rather than just the polite side you usually show the world.”
I nodded. “I guess you are.”
“And I like it.”
With my slightly impaired spatial awareness, I hadn’t noticed until that moment just how close Ella was standing. I stared down into her face, trying to think of something clever to say and failing. There was a beat of silence as we stared into each other’s eyes, then Ella leaned towards me. She brought her face to meet mine and our lips touched. My heart fluttered, butterflies materialised in my stomach – and I flew into a panic. I jerked my head back and stepped away before I could even register what was happening.
Ella gave me a look of surprise. Even by the dim yellow light of the street lamp, I could see her face turn red. “I’m so sorry,” she stammered. “I thought – I didn’t –”
“No, it’s – it’s fine,” I said quickly. “I didn’t mean to –”
“I just thought you –”
“No, I did! I do. I do want…” I paused, frowning. “I just don’t think I’m quite ready to, um, jump into anything. Yet.”
“It’s fine, Billy,” she said. “Really. You don’t have to try and make me feel better. It’s OK if you don’t –”
“But I do!” I said. “Just not tonight.”
She nodded. “Right.”
I sighed. I needed to give her some kind of explanation. “I’m sorry,” I said. “It’s just… I saw my ex yesterday and it’s kind of messed me up.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Not that we’re getting back together! I just don’t feel, you know…” I trailed off.
She nodded. “It’s OK, Billy.” A car rumbled down the road and she gestured towards it. “I think that’s my ride, anyway.” She began to walk away.
“Ella –”
“It’s fine, Billy,” she said, smiling at me. “Just let me know when you figure out things with your ex.”
“Ella, really –”
“Night, Billy,” she said, walking off.
“Night,” I said quietly, but I doubted she heard me.
After she climbed into the car and drove away, I groaned aloud. What the hell, Billy? You like her! She likes you! Why is there a problem?
But I knew why. Eric. Fucking Eric.
I took my phone out of my pocket and put in his address. It was within walking distance, so I set off in that direction. This was all his fault, and I intended to tell him that. To his face.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Natalia
Rather than head home after my disastrous date, I went back to the office. I needed something to keep my mind off what had happened, and I wasn’t sure I could face Theodore’s devastated face when I broke the news to him that he wasn’t going to be having a playdate with Corgnelius any time soon. Instead I sat behind my desk and began sorting through everything I had on the Rogers murder.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been sitting there when I heard a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I said, frowning. Who was it? Billy? Surely he wouldn’t think showing his face to me this soon was a good idea.
It wasn’t Billy. It was Adam.
“Hey,” he said. “Wasn’t expecting to bump into you here.”
“I wasn’t expecting to be here.”
“Where’s your future wife?”
I exhaled. “There was a small disaster and she left.”
He frowned. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not at all.” Especially not with you.
He shrugged. “OK. So what are you doing now?”
“Working on the case to take my mind off it.”
He nodded. “Want some help? I’m an expert in burying my emotions by working too much.”
I laughed a little. “Maybe you can show me your ways. As hard as I try, my mind keeps wandering.”
“Why don’t you talk me through the case? Sometimes saying it aloud helps to make sense of it.”
I sighed. “Fine,” I said, and started at the beginning. After rehashing everything he already knew about the case, I told him about discovering Roy was the ‘ghost’ and getting shot at and heading to the archery range and the video we’d found at the bank and visiting Spencer again.
“Shit,” he said when I finished. “You had quite a day.”
“Yep. And somehow my date was still the worst part of it.”
He gave me a sympathetic smile. “You OK?”
“Nope.”
“At least you’re not crying.”
I shrugged. “I don’t cry.”
His brow wrinkled. “Seriously?”
I nodded. “I tried it once, but I didn’t like it so I decided never to do it again.”
He laughed quietly, shaking his head at me. “Of course. I should have guessed. So, did you actually get any food on this date, or did things go south before then?”
I shook my head. “I haven’t eaten.”
He called the cafeteria and had someone bring food to us. Not technically part of their job description, but I guess there were some perks to being a Baxter working at this company. I ate my felafel wrap in silence. I hadn’t realised how hungry I was until I started eating. Adam ate his quinoa salad while sitting at Billy’s desk, going over some of the files I had on the case.
“None of this makes sense,” I concluded when I finished my dinner, slouching back in my chair. “I have no idea what I’m missing, but whatever it is, I can’t make sense of this case without it.”
“It’s not exactly clear to me, either. What’s Billy’s theory?”
“I don’t think he has one.” I frowned, remembering something Billy had said earlier. When he was telling me he’d thought I was sleeping with Adam. “Adam, how do you and Billy know each other?”
He glanced over at me. “I thought we agreed I’d tell you about him when you filled me in on whatever’s happening here at the office that I apparently don’t know about.”
“Come on,” I said. “I had a terrible night. You go first.”
“You
really think I’m that easily manipulated?”
I sighed. “Please, Adam?”
He crossed his arms. “Fine,” he said. “But only because you look so pathetic.”
I glared at him. “You’re such a charmer.”
“That’s what they tell me.” He paused for a moment. “If I tell you this, Nat, you need to keep it a secret. This isn’t something I should tell you. At all.”
“I won’t tell anyone, Adam.”
He nodded. “I know.” He paused and thought for a moment. “Last year, we were contracted by the police to help out with a case. I can’t tell you the details, but basically they wanted one of our guys to go in undercover with some high level drug dealers.”
I frowned. “And you sent Billy?”
Adam shook his head. “No, we sent one of my guys in.”
“Who?”
He hesitated so long I thought he wasn’t going to answer. Finally he said, “Tim Carter.”
“Your friend?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Billy was his backup. He watched over him. Listened in on the conversations he was having with the people he was investigating. Made sure everything was going OK, you know.”
I nodded slowly. “I’m guessing everything didn’t go OK?”
He shook his head. “It did not. They kidnapped Tim in the middle of the night. Somehow they found out he wasn’t who he said he was, so they took him somewhere and tried to beat information out of him.”
I swallowed. “Ah. And you think Billy should have stopped them before it went that far?” That might explain why he’d decided to have Billy demoted. If he thought Billy had messed something like that up…
Adam frowned. “What? No.” He shook his head. “They tried to give Billy the slip but he realised what was going on almost immediately and tracked them down. He managed to distract them, getting them to flee the scene while he went in and got Tim out single-handedly.”
I raised my eyebrows. “How the hell did he manage that?”
Adam shrugged. “No fucking idea. He got Tim to the hospital in time to save his life without the guys who’d kidnapped him realising Tim had left the building where they’d been torturing him. They think Tim’s dead.”
I frowned. “So basically what you’re telling me is that Billy did everything perfectly?”