“Yes,” Drew said. “I already signed and paid the initial payment.”
“You need to make sure that Del pays him back,” Graeme said.
She nodded, but was barely paying any attention.
“Cat?”
“What?” she asked, irritated because she couldn’t hear what was going on. Truthfully, they only needed to listen for anything suspicious. She just didn’t like the way the woman was acting. Collins seemed intent on getting his attention and making him feel as if she were his personal servant.
“You need to make sure that he gets paid back.”
“I can try, but there is a good chance he won’t take the money,” she said.
“Bollocks.”
“No. He really has a lot of money, and won’t let people pay him back. Ever.”
“Rich?”
“Yeah. Really rich. The family has a lot of land and a lot of restaurants. I think they even plan on opening some on the mainland this year. I believe in Vegas.”
“So, in your ideal mate, can you give me an idea about what you would like?”
“I filled out the application.”
“Yes, I saw. I wondered if there was anything for you to add.”
He said nothing and, knowing him like she did, Cat was sure that he just shook his head.
“Okay. We’ll activate your account, and you can start looking through the prospects. I hope that you are happy with everything.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did I have to come in here?”
There was a beat of silence, and Cat couldn’t fight the smile. It wasn’t like Drew to be so rude, but he was playing a part. A wealthy man might be a bit of a dick and complain about something like that. Drew never would, but then, his mother raised him properly.
“I like to meet with our most preferred clients to get to know them.”
“Oh, okay. Well, I will let you know if I need anything.”
“Please do,” Alice responded. Then they heard him stand and walk out of the room.
“That was a little odd, right?” Cat said as she set her headphones aside.
“A bit, but…does he really have a lot of money?”
Cat shrugged. “I guess so. I always assumed because his family is an institution on the island. I don’t know anyone who grew up here who didn’t eat at one of their restaurants. He also went to Punahou.”
“I always forget about that, probably because he doesn’t act like he has money. Oh, hey, there he is.”
She turned and caught a glimpse of Drew as he passed by in his car. They had purposely made sure not to show even the hint that they knew he was in there for a meeting. They wanted it to look like what they said. Her phone pinged and she looked down to read Adam’s text.
Got the search warrant. -Adam
Thank God.
Good. We are about to head back. Got someone you can take with you to serve it?
Yeah, Marcus is here.
Good, report if there are any problems.
“I guess we should go back to the office and start going through the lists. Hopefully, one of these chicks will be on there.”
Graeme chuckled.
“What?”
“You always call women chicks.”
Not her friends, or women she respected, but these women…okay it wasn’t fair. She didn’t know these women at all, but that didn’t make it any easier to ignore what was happening. Pushing aside those thoughts, she started up the SUV and headed back to the office.
“They should be able to get the names with the search warrant,” Graeme said.
“Yeah. We will just have the names of the women that the victims dated. That’s it.”
“And then Drew can set up the dates?” Graeme asked.
Cat tightened her hands on the steering wheel. Of course, Graeme wanted to talk about the case. She wanted to wallow in self-pity for just a second or two.
“Yeah. We’ll compare those names with our list and match any dates Drew gets paired up with.”
“He may not get matched up with someone from our list.”
“True.”
But she knew her luck…or lack thereof. She had no doubt they would have at least one or two matches. As she turned onto Ala Moana Boulevard, Cat started thinking about the interview. She would never admit it out loud, but she knew part of her irritation with this entire thing was because she was jealous. She knew what it was like to have Drew’s attention, and she had thrown it away. Like an idiot. Like she always did. She was her own worst enemy.
All she had to do was not make a fool of herself, and maybe, she would survive this mess.
Drew had just finished using the free weights when he walked over to where TJ was doing squats.
“So, Charity said you have to go undercover.”
Since they were the only ones in the condo’s gym, Drew figured it was okay.
“Yeah, it’s weird.”
“Yeah. Undercover always sucks.”
“Especially at a dating service.”
“Yeah? What is that place like?”
“Did Charity tell you about it?”
“A little bit, but she hasn’t been inside. I’ve heard about it for the last few months.”
That was news to him. “In what context?”
“HPD wanted our help at looking at them for running a call-in service for call girls.”
“I can see that.”
“Yeah?”
He nodded as he went over to the shoulder machine. He sat down on the bench and wrapped his fingers around the bar and started his repetitions.
“Only women work there. And they all dress alike.”
“That was one of the reasons, and the amount of money they make. It drew a lot of red flags. But even with both our forensic accountant and theirs digging through the books, they couldn’t find anything suspicious.”
Drew finished his tenth repetition, he looked over at TJ. “Nothing at all?”
“Yeah, why?”
“It is statistically impossible to find absolutely nothing suspect when someone is keeping the books for a business. Humans make errors.”
TJ shrugged. “Not sure what to tell you, man. They just said they found nothing.”
“Either way, that place is creepy. Like Stepford wives’ kind of creepy.”
TJ chuckled. “How is it working with Cat?”
“I guess okay. I suppose Charity told you that Cat didn’t want me on the case?”
“Yeah, but that has to do with her feelings, and I’m sure it was just a knee jerk reaction to you being on the case.”
“And she thinks I can’t handle it.”
“No, I think it’s because she doesn’t want you hurt.”
“Charity said the same thing.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, because you know how much I almost fucked up with Charity. But I would side with the women in your office. They’re smarter than any man I know.”
“Did Charity tell you to say that?”
He chuckled. “No, but it does sound like something she would say.”
“And she would be right.”
“Just keep an open mind.”
“I closed that door six months ago.”
“Up to you, but if she’s still bothering you, then there is a good chance something was there.”
Something would always be there. He might have moved on, but he would always feel something for the woman who let him kiss her breathless on the dance floor.
8
Drew had just gotten out of the shower and barely had his clothes on when his doorbell rang. It was odd that anyone would show up unannounced, since they had a security system in the building. He walked to the door and looked out the peephole. When he saw Cat standing in the hallway, it was a swift kick to the gut.
What the hell was she doing here? He wanted to pretend he wasn’t home, but that was the coward’s way out. Plus, she had excellent hearing. There was a good chanc
e she heard him approach the door. He drew in a breath and released it slowly before opening the door.
“Hey, what are you doing here?”
She blinked, probably because he had been a little harsh in his tone.
“I have the list and I thought you would want it,” she said. “I thought it would be easier to go through the list here than at the office.
“You could have called.”
“I did. You didn’t answer.”
He frowned and turned around to grab his phone. Five missed calls. All within fifteen minutes. He looked up at her.
“Sorry. I was working out and then I was in the shower.”
She said nothing. She kept looking up at him with her golden-brown gaze. A few seconds ticked by, mainly because whenever he made eye contact, his thoughts scattered. It didn’t matter that it had been over a year since they’d kissed, or that she had made it clear she saw him only as a friend. All he wanted to do was lean closer and touch his mouth to hers.
“Drew?”
It was then that he realized he wasn’t only blocking the doorway, but he was also leaning towards her.
“You need to move so I can get in.”
He hesitated, then said, “Come on in. We can go over the names and pick out the ones on the list.”
“If you would rather I not be here, I can just give you the list,” she said, holding up the paper. Hurt flashed in her eyes before it disappeared. And for a long split second, he wanted to grab the paper and tell her to leave. It would keep him from hurting every time he looked at her. That wouldn’t solve anything. If they were going to survive, they had to learn to work together. He knew they both loved their jobs and wouldn’t want to work anywhere else. It was imperative they learn how to deal with each other.
“I said come in.”
He waited, then she finally stepped over the threshold. He closed the door and followed her into the living room. It was the polite thing to do, but it was almost worse than making eye contact with her. It was hard to ignore that sassy stride of hers. It wasn’t the kind of walk where she thought men were looking. It was a defiant…I can kick your ass if I want…saunter. Most men wouldn’t find it sexy, but Drew did. Dammit.
“Wow, this really looks a lot better,” she said, looking around the living room.
It was then he realized she hadn’t been up there since Emma had fought off a serial killer. It had been her apartment, and Drew had moved in a few months earlier, after Emma was already living with Del. It had had some damage, but Emma had wanted it completely redone. It had prime views, overlooking the ocean, and being within a quick walk to work.
“Yeah, I think Emma’s brother Sean took care of it all.”
She smiled. “Okay, let’s get down to business, then I can get out of your way.”
“No rush. I need some water. Want anything to drink?”
She shook her head as she sat on the sofa. He had his computer sitting on the coffee table. As he grabbed a glass of water, he heard the telltale sign of Cat’s mother’s text ringer.
Cat made a sound of irritation.
“Problems with your mother?” he asked as he sat down beside her. She tensed, then relaxed.
She shrugged. “Nothing new.”
“Did she really call Del?”
Cat closed her eyes, then opened them. “Yes. She thought I might be dead.”
Drew chuckled. Cat’s mother was a bit overbearing, but she did care about her daughter. In a dictator kind of way.
“Nothing wrong?”
She sighed. “My sister. Marie. She wants to get married. Mom thinks she is too young.”
Drew frowned. “You aren’t that much older, and she is always after you to get married.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” she said.
“Sorry. But you know it’s true.”
It was one of the things that had irritated him the most about Cat’s family. They never understood her need to work in law enforcement. Like everyone else on TFH, she had her reasons for being on the team, but when you boiled it down, they all believed in justice. It was so ingrained in her character, that he couldn’t see Cat doing anything else. Until now, he had always been on the outside of the investigation. He would assist Elle, and sit in on meetings. Now, though, he was starting to understand just how much she did.
“And why is it wrong that Marie is thinking of getting married?”
She jerked her shoulder. “I dunno. You know my mother. She wants control. I don’t want to get married so she makes my life a living hell. My sister wants to get married, same result. I’m just happy she’s not bugging me.”
“You don’t need a man to make you complete. You’re an amazing detective, and she should be proud of your career.”
She stopped what she was doing and turned her head. “Thank you,” she said.
He nodded. “Nothing but the truth.”
She swallowed, then cleared her throat. “So, these are the women. I’m hoping that at least one or two of them are on your list.
He nodded and pulled up his account. He had a picture of him on the beach, his surfboard next to him, and he was, of course, only wearing a pair of board shorts. Cat said nothing for a long moment, then she glanced at him.
“Who took the pic?”
“Charity.”
“Ah. Well, it’s good.”
“I feel like a dork for posting it, but she said it was good.”
“It is. You seem to have put on a little weight.”
There was a suspicious quiver in her voice, and he glanced at her. She was still staring at the account as if nothing was going on, so he mentally shrugged it off.
He leaned closer to the screen, and he could smell her then. That unique scent of herbal soap and Cat. He cleared his throat.
“Let’s see. Okay, there are three…no, four matches here. No, wait. Five. That’s odd.”
“Why?” she asked.
“I still find it weird that the four men, and now me have so many women in common.”
“Do you think it’s on purpose?”
“Charity would be best to know about that. She might be able to get into their system and see if it is a set up.”
“Why would someone do that?”
He shrugged. “Not sure.”
“I don’t think that has anything to do with the murders.”
“But?”
She glanced at him, her golden brown eyes a little unfocused, as he knew she was thinking about the job. Jesus, how was he finding every damned thing she was doing sexy? But it was. Watching her work something out in her head always made him a little crazy.
“Do you think it might have more to do with potential earnings?”
He blinked. “What?”
“Maybe these women were looking for men who are in a higher tax bracket.”
“But isn’t everyone who goes there rich?”
“No. There are some men who sign up who are upper middle class. They don’t turn them away, but they might only allow men like you to get hooked up with one of these women.”
He thought about that, and looked back at the screen. “So, probably not anything to do with the murders. I wonder if the women pay extra.”
“Good point. It might be that, or it might be that Ms. Collins knows these women. It’s definitely something to keep in mind.”
“Okay, so do we have any guide?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Like, do we know who he dated last?”
“No. Charity said Branson hadn’t officially gone out with any of these women in a week. Although, she is still going through the data. The others were further back; Waters was over a year ago. As a result, it is going to require some digging. Right now, there isn’t much in the file other than he had been a client. Premiere Connections said closed accounts are deleted.”
“Are you all going to question the women?”
“Yes. In particular, these five. But I think Del is right. We need to do a little invest
igating, and you dating them is the quickest way. If we go asking friends and family, they’ll find out about it.”
Just hearing that he had to go on dates made him itch. He didn’t mind helping on the case. “But just because they all went out with these same women, doesn’t mean anything.”
“The only thing these four men had in common were these five women. There was one other who dated the first three victims, but she is living on the mainland now and married.”
“All of us were matched up with these women?”
“Yes.”
“You know what else is odd?”
“What?”
“I don’t know any of them, do you?”
She looked over at the screen and shook her head. “That is odd. I mean, I know there are 850,000 people on this island, but between the two of us, we should know at least one of them.
He nodded. He pulled up the first name. Lana Cho. He started to message her, but Cat stopped him.
“Why this one?”
“She’s in alphabetical order,” he said.
She made a little choking sound, but said nothing. He looked over and found her smiling.
“Sorry, forgot.”
“What did you forget?” he asked.
Her smile faded. “Nothing, don’t worry.”
“No. Tell me.”
“You have to do everything in order.”
“So?”
She shook her head. “I always thought it was cute. Never mind. Go ahead and finish your message.”
He didn’t know what to say, so he did just that. He wrote a short message and sent it off.
“Should I do all of them now, or should I wait—”
The ping signaling that he had a message sounded.
“Well, that was fast,” Cat murmured.
He leaned closer, then hesitated.
“What are you waiting on?”
“Sorry, just odd that I have someone looking over my shoulder like this.”
He opened the message. Lana agreed to meet.
“How about tomorrow night?” Drew asked.
“No. Make it Saturday.”
“Why wait another day?”
“First, it will make her think you have other plans, and not just sitting around. Second, you give her the impression that you don’t think she is sitting around waiting for a date. And third, it gives us time to do background checks on her and talk to friends and family of the victims. We are still trying to round up interviews from some of them.”
Tangled Passions (Task Force Hawaii Book 4) Page 8