Page 42 of Knocked Up by Her Daddy's Friends

“You can bet Bill Anderson’s dirty fingers are all over this,” I mutter.

“Did you interview Bill Anderson yet?” Angel asks.

Again, the officer seems tempted to pull rank and play the ‘ongoing investigation card’ to avoid revealing any more information to us, especially when it concerns an important member of the public. But he obviously feels that we’re better off thinking Bill has no involvement than not since he says, “We did. He’s got a rock-solid alibi, he was out of town at a function that many high-profile people were attending, including the chief of police.”

While not surprising, we knew Anderson would try to distance himself as much as possible, it’s disappointing. After asking a few more questions, we thank the officer for his time and head out.

“Something’s not adding up here,” Buzz says. “Why would Anderson have Brewer killed if he knew he can’t inherit and if he’s already gotten him to sell? And why only half the land? Why not all of it?”

“You’re right. It doesn’t make sense,” I agree.

“I think it’s time we told Skye everything,” Angel says, his face grave.

As much as none of us want to admit it, Skye could be the missing piece in the puzzle. Though I can’t let myself believe she could be working against us, that there isn’t an innocent explanation.

As we pull up to the clubhouse, I see Veronica standing outside, leaning against the wall and smoking a cigarette. Her eyes light up as she sees us.

“Just the man I was hoping to see!” she says to Angel, rushing over as he gets off his bike.

“Not now, Veronica,” Angel grunts.

“Oh, but you’re really going to want to hear what I have to tell you,” she simpers, grabbing his arm.

“I said, fuck off!” he growls, yanking his arms out of her grasp.

She pouts but is undisturbed, “It’s about your precious, Skye,” she says as Angel strides toward the door, this causes him to slow but none of us stop. “She’s not who you think she is!” she calls out.

Normally, we’d ignore this from Veronica, but given everything we learned today, Angel stops. “What about her?”

“Maybe we should go talk somewhere a bit more… private,” she says sidling up to Angel.

“Just spit it out before I change my mind,” he snaps.

Her eyes gleam with triumph as she says, “She’s Bill Anderson’s stepdaughter.”

For a moment, we’re all stunned into silence. None of us expected that.

“You’re lying,” I blurt out, unable to comprehend how Skye could have hidden that from us after everything we’ve been through.

Veronica shoots me a withering look before addressing Angel again, “I’m not. It’s true, you can look it up yourselves.”

“How did you find this out?” Buzz asks.

He’s the one in charge of looking into Skye, so he will take the fall for missing this if it’s true. But I know he didn’t do as thorough of a job as normal, he fell for Skye’s charms, her story, same as the rest of us. I feel sick with betrayal and anger.

“I have my ways…” Veronica says coquettishly. Seeing our unimpressed faces, she elaborates, “Those dudes from the first night she started working here, the ones you kicked out,” she says looking at me before continuing, “I bumped into them the other night and they told me. I confronted her about it yesterday, told her to come clean or I would tell you. Seems she’s a coward as well as a liar,” she says smugly.

Gunner shakes his head in disbelief. “I’m going inside to speak with Skye, I’m not going to trust the word of a cracked-out whore,” he says, marching inside.

“She’s the whore you shouldn’t have trusted!” Veronica calls out but we all ignore her, following Gunner, with Veronica chasing behind.

When we walk into the bar, Skye looks up and smiles at us from the table she’s bussing, but when she sees our expressions and Veronica standing triumphantly beside Angel her face drops. The look of complete sadness and defeat tells me everything I need to know. She lied to us.

I didn’t think I had a heart. But I could swear, in that moment, I feel it break.

Chapter 22

Skye

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