Page 52 of Man of the Year

Nick rolls his eyes and pushes off the car, turning toward her. “Yes, Rosalie!” he says, punctuating every word with annoyance.

“Boss just tried to come downstairs. We need you,” she says.

He turns toward me and just gazes at me for a while. There’s sadness in his eyes. He looks tired. I don’t think he wants to go back in.

“I have to go,” he whispers.

It sounds almost like a plea, like he needs saving. My shift is over, and I wish I could take him with me. But The Splendors’ staff… well, they’re in this too deep.

“See you tomorrow, doll,” Nick says.

He walks past Rosalie and disappears inside the house, while Rosalie stands with her hands still on her hips, her eyes fixed on me. She’s waiting for me to leave.

Whatever.

I pull out of the parking lot, and even before I leave the premises, I dial Detective Dupin.

This shady enterprise, called The Splendors, is going down.

FORTY

ANONYMOUS

I really, really like you, Natalie. If we met in a different place and at a different time, we could’ve been friends.

But fate is a wild card. This will be over soon.

I see your number flash on my phone and pick up. “Detective Dupin.”

FORTY-ONE

NATALIE

“Detective Dupin,” the low raspy voice says.

“Detective? Hi,” I say into the phone. “This is Natalie Olsen again.”

“Miss Olsen, how are you?”

I feel more confident being on the phone with a detective as I drive through The Splendors’ gate on my way out.

“I wanted to tell you that I know the man my friend went home with after the club.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. Geoffrey Rosenberg. Does it ring a bell?”

“Should it?”

Just then, I pass a car parked on the side of the street. When I look in the rearview mirror, its headlights come on, and it pulls onto the road just a short distance behind me.

Crap.Is someone following me again?

“Miss Olsen?” the detective calls out to me.

“Yes, sorry.”

“You were saying?”

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