by Shauna Hart
“So, how long will you be in town?” he inquired casually.
“I’m not sure,” she replied, trying not to think about the strong thighs that occasionally bumped hers under the table.
“If you need help packing her things…” he offered.
“No, I want to do it.”
“Have you decided?” The waiter asked as he appeared at their side.
She quickly ordered the duck, while Clay followed with the crab soufflé. Their eyes met across the table, but she quickly looked away. This unease seemed to be a terminal illness they were forced to bear since that long-ago night. Still, she had to remember she was here for one reason and one reason only—she needed information.
“I need to ask you something,” she ventured.
He brought his wine glass to his lips, his gaze meeting hers over the rim. When he returned it to the table, he answered. “Ask me anything.”
A fluttering began in her stomach at the implication of his low tone, but she quickly dismissed it. “When was the last time you saw Ruby?”
He shifted in his chair before replying. “I guess it was maybe two weeks before…” he trailed off, his expression grim.
“Did she say anything? Anything about someone she might be dating?”
“No. We didn’t exactly talk about who we were dating. For obvious reasons.”
“Did she say anything that might provide a clue as to what happened to her?”
He shook his head. “No. Like I told the police, I don’t have any idea what happened or why.”
The waiter appeared with their plates before disappearing again.
“After the split, we still met every couple of weeks for lunch. You know, just to keep in touch,” he elaborated.
“Wasn’t that awkward? Especially when you were dating someone else?” she prodded.
He leaned back in his chair, a curious smile forming. “Oddly, no. Things were never awkward with Ruby. I always thought it was because she loved life so much, nothing could bring her down,” he reminisced.
“Until someone did,” she reminded him absently.
He leaned across the table, his hand covering hers. His thumb trailed lazy circles over the back of her hand, causing her to flinch.
“I know it’s been hard for you,” he observed cautiously.
She sighed heavily. “It’s been hard for all of us.”
“That’s not what I mean. I know that you felt like Ruby was your responsibility, that it was up to you to protect her,” he began slowly. Tears hovered in the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall. “It wasn’t your fault, Jade,” he assured her.
She pulled her hand away, clearing her throat. “So, what did you two talk about when you met for lunch?”
The look in his eyes told her that he wanted to press the issue, but didn’t. For now, he would give her the polite conversation she needed to keep it together. “Lots of things. Work, life, family. Whatever seemed important at the moment. You know Ruby—she could talk about anything.”
Jade took a tentative sip of wine, savoring the flavor as it slid down her throat. “And she never mentioned whom she was seeing?”
He shook his head. “No. She said some things, but she never told me whom she was dating,” he answered distractedly.
“What kind of things did she say?”
“The last time we met, she kept talking about some big thing she was into. She said it was ‘something I wouldn’t believe if she told me,’ but she never got into specifics.”
“And you didn’t press her on it?” she asked incredulously.
“You know Ruby—she always had crazy ideas, crazy schemes that never panned out. I just thought this was another one of those times.”
Jade shook her head, her hand twisting around the linen napkin. “You should have asked.”
His hand slammed down on the table, making her jump. “Damn it, Jade! Don’t you think I tell myself that every day? Don’t you think I wish I hadn’t been so damned polite?” he bit out vehemently.
Guilt washed over her. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.
“What? That I blame myself? That I wish I had been more involved in what was going on with her? Well, I do, just like you. There are a lot of things about Ruby that I feel guilty about,” he reminded her, his eyes meeting hers across the table. “But none of it will bring her back.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just still trying to piece it all together. Did she say anything else? Anything that might give us some clue as to why this happened?”
He shook his head. “Still investigating?” he inquired, his eyebrows arching.
She took another sip of wine, taking a moment before answering. “Of course not. I guess I’m still trying to figure everything out, make some sense of it.”
“There is no sense in this, Jade. There never will be.”
After he walked her home, she collapsed on the couch. If she wanted answers, she’d definitely gone to the wrong spot. She’d been crazy to think he would help her, crazy to believe he would have the answers she needed. She had to face facts. If she was going to find out what happened to Ruby, she would have to look elsewhere.
The next day she scanned the yellow pages for a private investigator. After making several calls, she finally got an appointment. Later that afternoon, she sat in front of the man she hoped would be her salvation—but at the onset, things were looking grim.
Davis MacLean stared at the photos scattered across his desk of the beautiful redhead. “So, let me see if I understand. The cops are already on the case, but you want me to do some digging, see what I can come up with,” he inquired with a half-grin.
Jade met his gaze squarely. She wasn’t sure he was the most qualified for the job, but he seemed to be the only investigator she could afford who was willing to take the case. Still, as she glanced at him, she definitely had her doubts. His white dress shirt had a stain on it, which she could only hope was ketchup or spaghetti sauce. The stain rested comfortably on his protruding stomach, which all but swallowed the brown belt wrapped around his waist. His sleeves were rolled up to his forearms—to give the illusion, she assumed, that he was actually busy. And his gray hair was slicked back.
She looked around the sparse office. The window was open, and a small fan circulated hot air throughout the room. Papers were scattered all over his desk, with a green lamp providing a small amount of light. It wasn’t exactly what one would think of as a professional setting.
“Yes. Not that I don’t have faith in the police, but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind the help,” she explained, her lips forming a grim line.
“Well, in the case of the NOPD, they could use all the help they can get,” he joked, looking down at the picture of Ruby. “I’ll do it.”
Jade relaxed slightly in her chair, a relieved smile spreading across her face. “Wonderful. Here’s my number. I’ll expect to talk to you soon, then,” she said, pushing her business card across the desk to him. She stood up, walking across the room to leave. At the door, she spun on her heel. “Keep me posted, Mr. MacLean.”
The entire walk back to the apartment, she had the strange feeling that someone was watching her, following her. She heard footsteps behind her, but every time she turned to look, the street was empty…too empty. Finally, she reached the safety of the apartment, quickly locking herself inside.
Paranoia, it seemed, had finally come on board.
After all, it wasn’t every day that she went out searching for a killer. The task alone was bound to make any normal person feel ill at ease.
She walked by the kitchen, noticing the red blinking light on the machine sitting on the counter. Tapping the button, she listened.
“Jade, it’s Clay. Give me a call when you get this.”
She stared at the machine for a moment, knowing she wouldn’t call him back. After their dinner last night, she’d realized something. Even if Clay did have information that might be useful, he wasn’t likely to share it with her. He’d made it clear t
hat he only wanted one thing.
For her to go back to Florida.
She walked into Ruby’s bedroom. Last night, she’d slept on the couch. She just couldn’t sleep in the same place where her sister had lost her life.
She walked over to the bed, tentatively sitting on the edge. Allowing herself to ease back, she focused her eyes on the ceiling.
“Ruby, if you’re listening, I could really use your help,” she murmured aloud.
She lay there for a minute, feeling like a fool. After all, did she really expect an answer to fall from the heavens? Shaking her head, she got up. Her hands gripped the edge of the mattress. Her fingers curled into the seam as pain sliced through her heart. A frown marred her features as she felt something lodged under the mattress. Getting down on her knees by the bed, she reached in between the mattress and the boxspring. Finally, she caught hold of it and slid it out.
Her hopes plummeted.
All of that for a romance novel!
She read the title, Desire’s Bounty. She rolled her eyes as she looked at the cover. A muscular man with no shirt held a buxom blonde woman firmly pressed against his side.
Well, at least it wasn’t Fabio.
She was about to lay the book on the nightstand when she realized that something was sticking out of the top. She pulled out a black business card with a silver X imprinted on it. Turning it over in her hand, she spotted an address.
What could this mean?
Unfortunately, there was only one way to find out.
Chapter 5
Jade grabbed her purse, rushing out onto the street. She reached her destination in record time. Toulouse Street was lined with quaint shops and cafés that could turn anyone’s head, but today she didn’t see any of them. Today, she was on a mission to find the mysterious location Ruby had seen fit to hide beneath her mattress.
Suddenly, she found the address on the card, a look of confusion marring her delicate features. An imposing black door was the only thing that marked the location, along with a large glowing X that hung above it. Her heart beat furiously as she wondered what could possibly lie on the other side of the door.
None of the possibilities were welcoming, but still she pressed on. She gripped the door handle, pulling hard, before realizing that it was bolted shut.
A small privacy door at the top opened to reveal the dark eyes of a surly looking man. Music from the club filled the street, and she could see a blue glow coming from behind him.
“Excuse me, is this a club?” she inquired, trying her best to see past him.
He glanced behind him briefly before turning back to face her. His black hair was slicked back, and he had piercings in his nose and eyebrow.
“Looks like,” he answered, his tone laced with sarcasm.
“Can I come in?”
“Only members are allowed,” he informed her evenly.
Jade smiled sweetly. “So, how do I become a member? Is there a fee or something?”
He leaned in so that she could see a tattoo of a snake that ran down the left side of his face. “First, you have to find a member to escort you.”
“Well, where…”
He slammed the small door shut before she could finish. She stood outside for several minutes, hoping a member would obligingly trot along; but, unfortunately, all she found was herself, standing alone on the side of the road. Feeling the crush of defeat, she walked back to Ruby’s apartment. When she settled herself on the couch for the night, she made up her mind.
One way or another, she was going to get into that club—and no one was going to stop her.
The next morning, she walked down to the shop. Zoë was sitting on a stool behind the front counter reading a book. Her entire body stiffened as she made eye contact with Jade.
“Did you come to see Lloyd? He just stepped out,” she said uneasily.
Jade pushed the card across the counter. Zoë’s eyes widened as she stared at it, her mouth falling open slightly.
“What is this?”
“I…”
“Don’t tell me you don’t know,” Jade warned in irritation. “Tell me what you know about this place.”
Zoë’s eyes lowered for a moment before meeting Jade’s. “Not here,” she said, casting a furtive glance around the shop. “Meet me at Café du Monde in an hour.”
Waiting at Café du Monde was slow torture, but Zoë finally arrived. She sat down, glancing around them furtively. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, she spoke.
“I’m sorry about the other day. It wasn’t that I was trying to hide things. Well, maybe I was, but not for the reasons you think.”
“Then explain it to me,” she challenged.
“Look; there are certain things you may not understand about your sister, things you may not be ready to hear,” Zoë offered.
She edged across the table, her eyes focused on the other woman. “One way or another, I’m going to find out what happened to my sister. It can be with your help, or without it. Either way, I will find out.”
Zoë sighed heavily. “Okay, you asked me about the club?”
Jade pulled the card out of her purse, sliding it across the table. “Yes, it just says ‘X.’ I went there last night, but they said that you have to be escorted by a member to get in.”
Zoë took a sip of coffee, refusing to make eye contact. “It’s a club that caters to a unique group of people.”
“What type of people?”
“People who want to be fulfilled in a specific way.”
“Is Club X a brothel?”
Zoë laughed a little uneasily. “No—everything that happens is consensual, and no money is ever exchanged. It’s a place for people to go where they can be who they are. It’s a place where nothing is out of the ordinary and everything is accepted.”
She took a deep breath, not sure she wanted to know the answer to the question she had to ask. “Was Ruby a member?”
Zoë paused, as if unsure of how to answer. She closed her eyes for a minute before answering. “Yes.”
“Zoë, I have to get in. The man who murdered my sister could be a member too. Do you know any other members? Someone who could escort me?” Jade pleaded.
Zoë hesitated for a moment before admitting somberly, “I’m a member. I escorted Ruby the first time. She was so different from everyone else. She was so open to people, open to different things. She was the only person I could tell everything to, the only person who accepted me for who I am. God, I miss her,” she confessed, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. “She was my best friend.”
Zoë was right.
Ruby was all of those things and more.
“Did she ever mention meeting someone there?”
“She said she met this guy a while ago. Said he was different than the other members,” Zoë explained.
“Did she ever mention a name? Or maybe what he did for a living?”
Zoë shook her head. “No. She was really secretive about him…said he didn’t want her to tell anyone.”
“And you left it at that?”
Zoë’s eyes met hers. “I respected her privacy.”
“Did you ever happen to get a glimpse of him?” Jade asked.
“No. She was really careful. I wish I had now.”
She took a deep breath before going for broke. “Zoë, you have to get me into that club. If Ruby met this man there, it’s a good bet he’s still a member.”
Zoë hesitated, her eyes regarding her warily. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
“Please, Zoë. You have to help me,” Jade pleaded.
“Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?”
“It’s the only way I’ll find him,” she admitted.
Zoë thought about that for a moment, and Jade felt a moment of fear that the other woman would refuse. If she did, she was back to square one.
Zoë shifted uneasily in her chair before answering. “If you’re sure, I’ll take you.”
&
nbsp; “Tomorrow night?” she prodded.
Zoë reluctantly nodded. “Okay, eight o’clock.”
Jade smiled. “Thank you,” she replied.
On her way back to the apartment, she began to doubt this new undertaking. What had Zoë meant when she asked if she knew what she was getting herself into? Did she know what she was getting herself into?
The answer hit her like a ton of bricks.
No!
She had no idea what to expect. For the first time in her life, she was flying blind.
When she entered the apartment, she realized she had another message.
“Jade, it’s Clay. I thought maybe we could have lunch. Give me a call.”
As soon as the message finished playing, a knock sounded on the door. She pulled it open to find an agitated Clay leaning against the wall.
“Where the hell have you been?”
“It’s good to see you too,” she replied sarcastically, turning and walking into the kitchen.
He followed her into the apartment, closing the door behind him. “You haven’t returned any of my calls.”
Pouring two glasses of iced tea, she pushed one of them toward him. “I’ve been busy,” she hedged, taking a sip.
He glanced around the room, one eyebrow quirked up. “Packing, right?”
She walked over to take a seat on the couch, grabbing a magazine with half-hearted interest. “I’ve been taking in the sights,” she lied.
Taking a seat in the chair to her left, he leaned his elbows on his knees. “The sights, huh?” He shook his head solemnly, letting out a harsh sigh. “I thought we already talked about you getting yourself involved in what happened to Ruby.”
Jade lifted her head, meeting his gaze levelly. “We did, and I haven’t.”
At the intensity of his stare, she looked away, uncomfortable with such close scrutiny. “Jade, why are you keeping things from me?” he demanded.
She hesitated for a moment. She wanted to tell him the truth, wanted his help, but he would only try to dissuade her.
He abruptly stood up. “Fine. Keep your secrets, then, but you will have dinner with me tonight,” he instructed, stopping in front of the door. “I’ll pick you up at eight o’clock.”