Aries

by WL Knightly

  “You’re just already working so hard for me. It’s a huge turn on.”

  “Well, here’s a topic that might kill the mood. Have you and your lovely wife discussed having a child yet? I told you how important the image would be, and it will help others think you relate to their day to day issues. The other man on the ballot, Nick Ballard, he’s a real family man. Our angle against him will have to be his age.”

  “Relax, I’ve already started the process, and with any luck, she’ll have a little bun baking in no time.” He thought of her with her little slight hips and petite frame and how incredibly sexy she was going to be with a little baby bump.

  “Perfect, just remember to save me some.” She winked, and the two shared a laugh.

  Her phone rang again, and this time, she got up as soon as she looked at it. “I’m sorry. I have to go. This is the call I was waiting on. I’ll be back by later. Be thinking about what I said. If there’s anything we need to sweep under the rug, now’s the time.” She gave him a wave and then answered her phone as she hurried to the door.

  He closed his eyes to think and leaned back in his chair, and when he saw the memory of Emily, her back carved and bleeding, her screams filling his ears, he opened his eyes. What a mess that had been. Bay had really gone overboard with his delusions of grandeur, and what the Zodiacs had needed from day one was a strong, stable leader, not one who would have them committing crimes that would haunt them to their graves or make them a target. He hated that he’d been involved, but he was going to do his best to make sure that he was distanced from the rest. He’d always gone his own way in his adult life, and while he’d competed with Bay, he considered himself the more stable of the two. Bay was a loose cannon, and the day things finally came to a head, he wanted to have nothing to do with any of it.

  It was as good of an excuse as any to sell that property. Normally, he’d offer to buy Alan out himself and keep the land and the building, but with the election and the possibility of starting a family, he couldn’t see handing over that kind of money for the place. Instead, money in his pocket sounded much better.

  He took out his phone and called Alan Lowe, hoping to see if he could find out more about the sale of the property. He had ignored the man’s calls, and rightly so. He still hadn’t caught up from the last time he’d asked to not pay his rent, and if there was a way for Seth to deal with Bay alone, that might be the better way to make the deal.

  “Yeah.” A slurred voice answered the phone, and then it sounded like someone dropped the phone and scurried to get it. “Sorry about that. Seth?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. I’m calling about the deal. I want to know what you and Bay have talked about.”

  “Oh, man, please tell me you’re going to sell. My Jamie left me last night, Seth. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  “Maybe I should call back when you’re sober?”

  “No, I’m fine, and I don’t know when that will be.” He gave a laugh and then coughed and cleared his throat. “If I could just sell it, then I could make things right and get my family back. You see how this is important, right?”

  “I get that, but you owe me already, and I want to make sure that I’m getting that in this deal. So, I’m going to talk to Lane Simon about it and make sure that we’re talking about a fair deal. Otherwise, you can sell it to me at a loss, and I’ll deal with either selling it to Bay or unloading it as a packaged deal. Either way, I’m not the one out of money.”

  “You’d buy it from me?” His voice was a bit clearer all of a sudden.

  “For the right price, maybe.”

  “Are you sure you can’t just float me a loan? I know Jamie is already mad at me and thinks I’m going to lose it all. If I have to sell to get out of this, she’s going to divorce me and take it all.”

  “That might be the best thing for you.” Seth thought he should hear the harsh truth.

  “Don’t say that, man. I’m not better off without them.”

  “Don’t you ever get tired of screwing up? You need to clean up your act and stop falling off the fucking wagon. Every fucking time you get to doing good, a few months pass, and then I get one of these goddamned calls. I can’t do it anymore either.”

  “Rory is sick. Did Bay tell you?”

  “For fuck’s sake, Alan. Your child is sick, and it’s no excuse for you to not act like a father. You need to straighten up, if not for yourself then for your child.” He wished he could strangle the man; he’d be doing his family a favor. “What’s the matter with her?”

  “I don’t know. Her mama’s been taking her for tests, but she has these spells. She might be epileptic.” Seth hated to hear that about anyone, and he knew it had to be a strain on Jamie, Alan’s poor wife. She had tried to be understanding for a long time, and Seth couldn’t blame her for leaving the guy.

  “I tell you what. I’ll call Lane and see what he thinks my best option is. I don’t make a hasty decision, and I never gamble.” He hoped the words would sting. “You need to get yourself together, man. If I agree to this, I’m not giving you shit until you’re sober and in your right fucking mind. Think about that and sober up.”

  He hung up the phone before he went against his better judgment and gave him the cold hard truth. The man was out of control, and Seth couldn’t help but think that it was best to cut all ties with him for good.

  8

  Darek

  While on his way to Bay’s penthouse, Darek thought about Finn and wondered if he could possibly be chained up somewhere like Hannah had been. Or perhaps he was just somewhere in the city on a bender because of the shock of having a baby and becoming a father. Darek had seen men do strange things when they learned that another human being was counting on them, and oftentimes, men choked at the responsibility.

  With Bay’s name being mentioned, he had to go and question him, but he wasn’t sure if he was going to put it on the official record or not. Dragging Bay into things might not be the best idea, but Darek knew Bay had threatened to shut Logan up, that he was only safe while he allowed it, and he had to think the same for Hannah. If Bay was trying to regain control of his Zodiacs, then there was no telling what he might do. But was he capable of killing what he’d worked so hard to build? Bay’s pride was in control of them, but Darek also knew that once they stopped being useful or became a threat, Bay would have no reason to risk keeping them around, and if he didn’t rid the world of them himself, he certainly had the means to do it otherwise.

  Darek drove around for five minutes to find parking, and by the time he made it up to Bay’s place, he was ten minutes late. Bay’s mood reflected how he felt about it.

  Bay opened the door, leaving it to turn and head across the room. “You do know how to waste a man’s time. I hope the reason for this visit makes up for your being late.” He went to the bar as Darek walked in and grabbed two glasses.

  “None for me, thanks. I’m on duty. On official business, actually.”

  “Official? Sounds serious.” Bay poured his drink and downed it, and after pouring another, he joined Darek in the middle of the room and offered him a seat on the couch. He lowered himself into the armchair beside it.

  Darek sat and glanced around the room, his eye stopping on the far wall where a large statue he’d never seen before stood. It was a clockwork heart; a metal sculpture that was like the art he’d seen at Logan Miller’s studio. “Anytime your name pops up in a missing person’s case, it’s serious, Bay.”

  Bay showed little emotion as he shrugged. “Missing person? How interesting. Especially since I don’t know anyone who is missing.”

  “It’s Finn. His fiancée reported him missing. She said he’d come to town on business, which we both know to be correct.”

  “I didn’t know he popped the question. I would have congratulated him when he called.”

  “Then you should congratulate him on becoming a father as well.” Darek watched Bay closely, and his eyes shifted away, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he
swallowed.

  “Baby? That seems like news he would have shared with everyone. And speaking of babies, my own Lila is pregnant too. So, Finn’s not the only lucky one.” Bay raised his glass and grinned ear to ear.

  Cold chills went down Darek’s spine at the thought of Bay procreating, but he forced a smile. “Congratulations, man. That’s great news.”

  “The very best.” He sipped his drink, and then placed it on the table beside him. “So, how was my name dragged into all of this exactly?”

  “Just that Finn had visited you while he was in town. I believe her actual words were that you were an investor. Had you loaned him money?”

  “I was going to, but only if he could garner more interest and come up with other investors. To tell you the truth, the more I heard about the project, the less I wanted to be a part of it. Finn’s creativity isn’t what it used to be, and the last thing I need is my name associated with a flop B movie.”

  “So, you were hoping the project would fail to launch?”

  “I wouldn’t say hoping, but I didn’t really care, either. You know me, always trying to help one of my own.”

  “Right. Would you happen to know where he stayed?”

  “My guess would be a hotel, but I guess he could have friends in the city, too. I didn’t really ask him much about his visit.” Bay propped his arm on the back of the couch.

  “You have no idea where he could be?” Darek found it hard to believe.

  “It’s strange talking to you like this, Darek. You can lose the detective tone, you know? It’s me, Bay. If there’s something you want to say, say it.”

  “I find it hard to believe that you were giving him money for a film, but you didn’t know more about his trip and where he might be. His fiancée, Edie, she said he claimed that he was run down, nearly mugged or attacked. His car was wrecked?”

  “Oh yeah, his car was smashed. He was waiting for it to get fixed.”

  “Where did he take it?”

  “Fuck, I don’t know. But knowing him, he’s joyriding across the states, or he decided to make a three-day trip into four or five. That car of his was a classic, sucks a lot of fuel. Maybe he ran out in the desert, or it broke down.”

  “Did you loan him money for the repairs?” Darek needed to know just how involved Bay was with Finn’s trip.

  “No, I’d assume he has insurance. Look, maybe you should drag the river if you’re so concerned. We both know there’s a killer out there targeting Zodiacs.”

  Darek shook his head. “No, we don’t actually. Because so far, none of the Zodiac’s deaths are anything like the other victims. Tad jumped out a window. Logan was killed in prison, which brings me to my next question. Where’d you get that statue?” He gestured across the room, and Bay didn’t bother looking up. Instead, he leaned down and picked up his glass, turning it up to take in the last of the bourbon.

  “I bought it weeks ago, finally had it delivered here. Do you like it?”

  “It’s nice. I guess it went up in value over the past couple of days. How are you doing since Logan’s death? You two had to be pretty close, with you being a part of his legal team, right?”

  “I went to see him last week, and he went nuts, talking crazy shit about Hannah’s death and how he was a big shot on his cell block. I tried to warn him, and he got pissed, started ranting at me. He actually fired me as his lawyer, so I washed my hands of him.”

  “And then he gets attacked, stabbed, and beaten to death just hours later. I can’t help but wonder if you gave the cue to do that.”

  Bay smiled. “That’s a big claim. I mean, considering you’re neck deep in this shit too, but I’ll play.” He leaned forward, closing the distance between them where Darek almost felt uncomfortable. “Let’s say I did give the word. Who the fuck is going to do something about it? You?” He chuckled. “I don’t think so. You see, I told you already that the man was going to be a loose cannon once he heard that Hannah was dead, and I was right. He was going to tell the police all about us. All about the past, and all about the crooked cop that was throwing the FBI off the real trail that led all the way back to Virginia.”

  “Jesus, Bay. You talked Tad into jumping. You set Logan up. What have you done with Finn? Do I need to drag the fucking river, or do I need to search your house for a fucking buck knife with a six-inch blade?”

  “I’m not your killer, Darek. And like I said, if you don’t think Finn’s taken some wild stress-induced detour, then go drag the fucking river.” Bay sat back in his seat.

  Bay was lying. Edie had said that Finn had bought the statue to help Logan out of a bind, and if Finn paid so much and even went out of his way to tell Edie about it, then why would he leave it here for Bay?

  “Whether or not I can pinpoint you is irrelevant. My job is to find Finn, which I intend to do. His girl mentioned there being a woman Finn saw while he was down here. Do you know who that might be?”

  “I’m not sure. Finn did come down to my club. Maybe he brought her or met her there. It was a busy night for reunions.” Darek remembered him saying that Seth had been in town, but he wasn’t going to let it distract him. He could always call Seth if needed.

  “The girlfriend said she looked like an escort, high-end sort of hooker?” Darek searched his eyes for any sign of recognition, but Bay’s poker face was in check.

  “There are all types who hang out there, but I don’t recall anyone in particular. Maybe the poor bastard is in love with someone else and decided to shack up a while.”

  “Maybe the same person who locked Hannah Halston up has him. Do you happen to know anything about that?”

  Bay shook his head.

  Darek didn’t think he’d have much to say about the woman, since she was the one who had known all of their secrets. He was going to have to find the car and the other woman, and with any luck, that would bring him to Finn. “I had hoped that you’d throw me a bone, make my job easier. If I could find this car, then I’d know at least if he’s still in town.”

  “And why would I make your job any easier?” Bay grinned, but Darek wasn’t amused.

  It was his turn to posture. He stood and towered over Bay. “I’ve been walking a fucking tightrope for you and the others. There will come a time when that line will snap, and we’ll all come crashing down. I’d suggest that you quit throwing me off balance.” Darek scratched his shoulder. His stitches were still in, healing the wound.

  Bay stood, rising from the chair so close that he was nearly standing on Darek’s toes. “You should see your doctor about that.” He nodded toward Darek’s shoulder. “She could give you something to help it heal.” He turned and walked to the door, leaving Darek to wonder if he knew about his surgery or not. Someone on the force might be a mole, telling Bay everything Darek did, which wouldn’t surprise him.

  With his hand on the knob, Bay turned to Darek who had followed. “If I had an old muscle car like Finn, I’d take it across town to Classic Collision. That old man knows his stuff.”

  Darek gave him a nod. “Thanks.” He was barely out the door when he felt the wind of it closing behind him.

  Despite Bay’s lack of help, Darek was even more convinced that Bay had something to do with the other deaths, and he hoped and prayed that Finn had gotten his car and left town before anything bad happened to him.

  9

  Seth

  Seth arrived to work to find his secretary in his office tidying up. The older woman was bent over, her ass wide and unattractive, and yet, he wondered what it would be like to walk over and tap it. When she rose up, turning to greet him, the moment was gone. Her face was one only a mother could love, and the fact that she wasn’t someone he would have an affair with was probably for the best.

  “Good morning, Mr. Stone. I was just picking up the dead leaves from your plant and making sure they have water. I noticed they were a little wilted yesterday.” She stood straight, her nose high in the air as if she had more she needed to say.

  “Thank y
ou.”

  “Your campaign manager called. She said to tell you she’ll be dropping by a little later than planned. I didn’t have you down for an appointment.” There was the look of accusation.

  “I had it down, and that’s all that matters, but thank you for caring, Glory.” He gave her a dismissive look, but she made her way slowly to the door and even looked back over her shoulder suspiciously.

  “I noticed that Mrs. Stone hadn’t been around for lunch lately. I sure miss her.” Her voice was like sandpaper against his grain.

  He dropped his briefcase on his desk and sat down in his black leather chair. “Ah, yeah. She’s been busy decorating the house, thank you. She’s very busy.”

  “I know she’ll make you a lovely home together. Do tell her I said hello and that I hope to see her around again real soon.” Glory closed the door behind her, and Seth cursed under his breath.

  All he needed was Glory nosing around in his personal life. With any luck, he’d find a reason to let the old bag go. He checked on his workload, and when he came up thin, he decided to make a few calls. He still needed to talk to this lawyer and hoped that he would have a good suggestion for him regarding the deal. Seth always looked for the best deals possible, and if there were any tricks Lane could help him with, he wanted to know.

  He took out his phone and dialed his old friend and attorney, Lane Simon.

  “Seth Stone, my favorite politician.” Lane’s voice had a cadence to it that made him sound like the happiest guy in the world. He’d always been upbeat and enthusiastic, no matter the situation. The only time Seth had seen him otherwise was the night they’d tortured that poor girl together. Lane had been so distant, he’d seemed like another person then, but Seth figured they’d all done what they could to get through it. No one had wanted to look weak in the eyes of the others, especially with Bay around.