by KB Winters
“Me? Hell no. I have to see you in your cop uniform first. Or it’s just a travesty of justice. I mean…”
“A travesty of justice?”
He laughed when I jutted my chin out defiantly.
“Weirdo.”
“Thanks, G-man.”
He shook his head, his smile affectionate. I could tell I was something more than a burden, more than a brash border who worked for him.
“So, how are other things at Ashby Manor? Besides the murders that is.”
I shrugged and sipped my soda. “They’re fine, I guess. I mean, I feel like I don’t belong anymore. Like an employee or something. I mean, I like my job, and Ava is a little angel, but I feel unwanted there. Well, except for Cal.”
Shit, should I have said that?
“I mean babysitting and all.” I added quickly. It was more honest than I planned to be, but Jameson was easy to talk to. “I think maybe it’s time I get out on my own.”
“You mean leave town?” He sat up a little taller and his brows dipped in concern.
“No, nothing like that. I like my job as a booker for the outcall business because I can do it from wherever and the pay is great. But maybe a little apartment in Glitz is just what I need to regain a little bit of my independence. Plus, when I find Molly, she’ll need a place to stay until she’s on her feet again.”
“You make enough money to get more than a little apartment, Maddie. You have to think of your safety, especially after what happened with Molly, who you still have to find.” He sighed and sat back when the waiter returned with our food. “I can help you look for her.”
I shook my head. “I appreciate that, Jamie, really I do. But you’re new on the job, and I don’t want you getting into any trouble on my account. I’ll see how much a private investigator will cost and if it’s too expensive, I’ll do it myself, which is what I should have done from the beginning.”
Why had I let Kat Ashby fool me into thinking they could help me? Why had I left it up to them without argument? Because I was broke, young, and hungry when I met Kat. The money and prestige must have fooled me.
“Why don’t you ask Calvin? He’s got impressive computer skills from what I hear.”
“He’s on thin ice for not keeping a leash on Bonnie, his pet rather than his wife. So, whatever I ask him will likely make it back to the family. Yeah, I’d rather not go to him with this. I’m on my own here, as usual.”
Jamie opened his mouth to say something and I held up a hand to stop him. “As it should be. Molly is my sister, and if anyone is going to get into danger or trouble for looking, it should be me. I got this.”
Jamie put his fork down and folded his hands over his plate. He gave me a look that I can only say pierced the heart of me. “Unacceptable, Maddie. We’re friends and if you ever find yourself in trouble, call me. Always. Anytime. Any day. Got it?”
“Damn.” I said, wide eyed. A shiver zipped through me at his deep and commanding tone, and I worked hard to push down the wave of attraction that came over me. “Got it.”
“Good.” His stern expression transformed into a smile. “Now let me have some of those fries.”
“Get your own damn fries.” I smacked his hand and he faked an injured frown.
“You can have a bite of my steak,” he teased. “It’s juicy and rare.” He wiggled his brows, and I laughed.
“Fine. Hand Bessie over.”
Jamie barked out a laugh and shook his head. “Bessie?”
I nodded. “I’m trying to give up meat, and it helps to give it a name.”
He laughed again. “You’re crazy, you know that, right?”
“I do. Now hand her over.” He slid his plate across the table, and I did the same with my chili fries. We ate our fill of all the plates on the table, laughing and joking while we did it.
“Oh jeez, how am I gonna make it out of here now?”
“You can crash at my place if you want.”
I scoffed. “And give Jana more false hope? No way.” The woman was determined to match us despite his lack of interest, and I didn’t want to give myself any false hope. “When are you moving out anyway?”
“This weekend. You still want to help?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there, as long as pizza is still on the table?”
I had nothing better to do and I was curious to see what it was like to move into a shiny new place that no one else had ever lived in before.
“Do I need to pick you up?”
“Nope.” My mind wandered to what his new condo might look like. “Does the new place have parking?”
“Yep.”
“Cool. Keep your phone on in case I get lost.”
“I can pick you—”
“Jamie! No. You have a big double murder case to work on and I’m not interfering with that. I can drive over.”
“Maddie, don’t be—”
“Right?”
His broad shoulders fell, and he nodded. “Fine. Right. Okay?”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
After a short argument, I paid the bill and left, thinking about Jameson on the way home, and how odd it was that we became friends after the failed attempt at a one night stand. It’s not often that a girl gets rejected by a smoking hot guy and sticks around to get friend zoned, but I did and I was glad about it.
He was still hot, and once in a while my attraction to him rose to the surface, reminding me of what a missed opportunity the wedding had been for me. For us. But this was better because friendships were forever and relationships were a dime a dozen.
The woman who eventually ended up with Jamie on her arm would be one lucky bitch.
Chapter Twelve
Jameson
“I assume you know why we’re here?”
Beck’s clear blue eyes examined me closely. I didn’t know what she was looking for, but she took her time and waited patiently for me to answer. I let her look her fill while I took in Savannah’s new headquarters, a shiny new office building in the heart of Glitz.
I nodded. “Rumor around town used to be that Mueller and Ronan Rhymer did some business together.”
“Exactly. Do you have any personal business with her I should know about?”
“You mean other than the fact that she’s fucking my brother?”
I wasn’t so green that I didn’t know she knew, and I wasn’t naïve enough to think she hadn’t put a tail on me just to be sure I wasn’t feeding intel to my brother, who would tell Savannah.
“Yeah. Other than that.”
“Nope.”
“Good. Let’s go.” We stood on the street for all to see, including Savannah, I was sure.
“After you.” Inside the reception area, the woman with too much attitude and not enough skirt led us to a bank of elevators where two security teams escorted us up to her office. “Swanky.”
“It’s amazing what dirty money can buy.” There was more to Beck’s hate than the typical good guys versus bad guys stuff. It went deeper than that, but I wasn’t in a position to question her, so all I could do was keep my eyes and ears open.
Wide fucking open. Because I didn’t trust Beck one iota.
Inside the office, Savannah didn’t bother standing. She glanced up from the computer on her imposing desk and waved us in. “Have a seat if you like.”
Beck laughed and leaned over the desk to taunt Savannah. “You look much better than the last time I saw you. No trace of that junkie whore anywhere to be seen.”
Savannah threw her head back and laughed, but there was little amusement in it. Her eyes focused like lasers on Beck.
“That’s what’s so great about Vegas, isn’t it? Fortunes change on a dime, from junkie whore to CEO in just a few months. Now, Agent Beck, what is it you came here for other than to harass me?”
“I’m sure you’ve heard the news about Bishop Dietrich Mueller?”
“I have.” Savannah nodded once, her tone impossible to read.
“And how do you feel about th
at?”
She shrugged. “Feel? How is that relevant to your investigation?” She arched a brow, challenging Beck who didn’t seem to take that too well, judging from the ice in her voice when she answered.
“We need to uncover all possible suspects, so if you had ill will toward him, maybe you’re a suspect instead of a source of information.”
It was too much, too soon, and Beck was too emotional to realize it. Savannah gave her a thoughtful nod.
“If that’s the case, I’ll set up a time to come and speak to you with my attorney present.”
I glared at Agent Beck to get her attention, but she was too busy mad-dogging Savannah to notice.
“Look Ms. Rhymer, we’re just trying to figure out who would want to kill Mueller and Bonnie. Tell us how you knew Mueller.”
Savannah sighed and nodded. “He was an old friend and sometimes an associate of Ronan’s, so I was only peripherally aware of him on a personal level. I know he had a predilection for young girls, which coincided with Ronan’s business.”
“And you had nothing to do with that, right?”
“I kept the books for my father’s organization. Are you detaining me? Because if you have any further questions, I’d like to speak to my lawyer.”
She flashed a perfect beauty pageant smile as if nothing in the world was wrong, as if this was normal everyday business.
“What do you do here?” Beck smiled, and Savannah smiled back.
“Is that relevant to Mueller’s murder?” Savannah sat back and crossed her legs with a wistful smile. “You know, I always wondered if Mueller was a bad cop,” she added with a nonchalant shrug.
“He wasn’t a cop and you damn well know it.”
“What I know, Agent Beck, is that I don’t care either way.”
Savannah didn’t wait for another round of questions. She rose from her desk and folded her arms, staring down Beck to let her know she wasn’t the same woman Beck had first met, a woman to be bossed around. “Have a nice day.”
“We’re not done here,” Beck insisted angrily.
“Yes, we are. Maybe you don’t have better things to do, but I have a business to run.”
I was honestly in awe of Savannah in that moment. She was so different from the skinny junkie I wanted nowhere near my brother. When I met her last year, Savannah was angry and broken, but now she was strong and confident, the perfect woman for Charlie to have at his side.
Back on the street, Beck turned to look at me. “Well, what do you think?”
“I think she answered what you asked.”
It wasn’t everything she knew about Mueller, I knew that based solely on what she’d already told Maddie, but she had answered Beck’s questions.
“Don’t tell me you believe that little girl lost routine, Ellison? I thought you were smarter than that, and if not smarter, not so damn naive.”
“Naive? Are you serious, Agent Beck?”
“I don’t know, am I?”
“I hope not. You know, whoever Savannah was before, she isn’t that woman anymore. Not that I knew that version of her by anything but reputation.”
“And was that reputation good?”
I shrugged. “Honestly? Some of the guys referred to her as the Ice Queen, but I know that her father and brother easily discarded her when she was kidnapped, not something you’d do for someone who was an integral part of your organization, right?”
“Maybe,” she said, her tone petulant. Beck was quiet on the way back to the car and for the first minutes of the drive.
“Maybe you’re right Ellison. Maybe she’s not the same woman, but I don’t trust Savannah O’Connor or Rhymer, or whatever name she chooses next.”
“You don’t have to trust her to take her at her word, Beck. Let’s not get caught up in tunnel vision, or we’ll both get stuck on traffic duty.”
That pulled a reluctant smile from Beck and she laughed. “Tell me, Rookie of the Week, what you found on Mueller.”
I took the dig without comment, noting I was giving the experienced agent unsolicited advice on how to do her job. “Not much, honestly. The truth is Dietrich Mueller didn’t exist until twelve years ago. I’m still digging, but I’ll let you know what I find.”
There was something strange about Mueller, and now that I had a small piece of the thread, I wouldn’t stop tugging until I had all the answers. “What if Bonnie Ashby was just collateral damage?”
“It’s a theory. Maybe she went to Mueller for confession, but the fact that he was a known associate of the Ashby’s biggest enemy, it’s unlikely.”
She was right, and I wanted to share with her what Maddie had told me, but I didn’t trust her one bit, and I sure as hell didn’t want Maddie involved in this investigation if she didn’t need to be.
Instead, I asked, “So what do you think she was doing there?”
“I think she was either there to set up Mueller and got double-crossed, or she was feeding him information on the Ashby Organization and that got her killed. If I could figure out which, I’d know who to arrest.”
“Then I guess we better get some answers.” I said.
Beck groaned. “Now you sound like my boss and his boss. And his boss.”
No pressure, Jameson. No pressure at all.
Chapter Thirteen
Madison
“This place is…nice.” I dropped two boxes in what would be the living room of Jameson’s brand new, never before lived in condo, taking in the details with a wistful sigh.
“Nice? You’re the only person I know who can make ‘nice’ sound like a bad thing. You don’t like it?” Jameson fisted his hands on his hips and looked around the two bedroom condo with fresh eyes. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Wrong?” I threw my head back and laughed. “Nothing at all is wrong. This place is great. Hell, I’ve never lived in a place that nobody else has ever lived in before, with brand new appliances, brand new carpet. You did good, Jamie.”
I didn’t know how to explain it so I went for blunt honesty. “I just assumed you’d go for someplace bigger or flashier, I guess. I mean, you can afford it.”
“True and I thought about getting a house that I could grow into over the years with a big back yard, a grilling area, and a pool. All of that.”
“But?” I rolled my wrist for him to spit out what he was getting at.
“But…a rookie cop living in a big house in a nice neighborhood would draw the wrong kind of attention. It’d be a good way for a colleague with a grudge to fuck up my chances at a promotion.”
Jameson shook his head and raked a hand through his thick, dark hair, the frustration he felt rolling off of him in waves.
“That’s a shitty way to live, Jamie. You sure this is what you want your life to be?”
He let out a bark of laughter. “I’m sure. It’s more political bullshit than I thought I’d have to put up with, but so far, it’s been worth it. And I have a small grill on the patio, a weight room and pool over by the clubhouse. It’s a gated community, so it’s all good.”
Jamie had hoped things would change, that his fellow officers would look at him and see more than a biker gang. They probably wouldn’t, but it wasn’t my place to shit all over his dreams like that. “Well I like this place. Maybe I’ll find something as nice for myself.”
“You’re seriously thinking of moving out on your own?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ll try not to take offense to your tone, Officer Ellison.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, Madds, but you’ve been there for a while, and I figured you had your reasons for staying.”
“I did have a reason. Molly. If searching for her is now a one-woman show, then there’s no need to stay. Is there?”
His gray gaze studied me carefully, trying to figure out what was truth and what was bravado. Instead of pushing, which I appreciated, Jamie shrugged off his concerns. “If you need help looking, I’m available.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind when I star
t looking.”
His thick brows pulled into a frown. “What’s the problem?”
“This isn’t your concern, Jamie.” He had enough to worry about starting a new job and working with the FBI; he didn’t need my problems piled on top of his.
“We’re friends, Maddie. If it concerns you, then it is my concern. Talk.”
I sighed, defeated in my attempts to keep him out of my messy life. “I make good money as a booker but not enough to get a fancy place and pay for a private investigator. Do you know how expensive those fuckers are?”
I had no idea, but the deposit up front was so much that my knees buckled. “So, I had to decide which is more important, and it was a no-brainer. Finding Molly is the most important.”
He nodded, sympathy shining in his eyes. “I get it.”
“I know.” All I could do was sigh my frustration follow Jamie back to the truck to get another duo of boxes.
“I asked Savannah to see if she could find where Molly was last known to be alive. If I have to search every inch of this fucking state, hell the whole country, I will.”
He smiled over a desk lamp balanced on a box marked “text books.” “I have no doubt about that. Just remember, Maddie, you’re not alone. I have resources and not just money to help.”
I nodded and flashed a quick smile. Jameson had offered to help a few times, but I didn’t want to take him away from his job. But the more time that passed after Mueller’s death, the more I started to wonder if my sister even wanted to be found.
We finished that load and to change the subject, I said, “How about you use those muscles so we can finish unloading the truck? I was promised food for helping out and I expect to be paid. In full.”
Thankfully, Jamie took the hint that I was done talking about my problems. “Friends don’t bribe friends to help with something as basic as moving.”
“No,” I agreed. “They don’t, unless the bribe was part of the ask for help, which makes it legally binding.” My stomach chose that moment to let out a growl of hunger. “See?”
“Your bottomless appetite is one of my favorite things about you, Maddie.”
I stopped and stared at him. “You really need to work on your compliment game, Jamie, because as far as compliments go, that one sucked.”