Page 193 of Chandelier Sin
“Have you heard of him?”
I pretended I hadn’t.
“He’s a journalist. As you can imagine, we don’t like them.”
“Sometimes they do good work.”
She looked thoughtful. “Yes, I suppose.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing. He was asking about Lance. Wanted to know if he has any more properties other than in Texas and here. He knew Lance owns a yacht. Asked me if I’d ever been on it.”
Dean sounded like a decent journalist who was hot on the trail of A.J., now that his contact had disappeared. At least he cared about finding him, but Dean’s investigative prowess was going to put A.J.’s rescue at risk.
“It’s probably nothing to worry about.” I tried to reassure her.
She ignored that. “Dean asked if I could get him on Lance’s yacht tonight. Why do you think that is?”
A chill washed over me at that revelation.
“Want me to look into him?” I asked.
“No. Stay away from the drama.” She gave me a sweet smile.
Seriously, she looked angelic, and all I wanted to do was cup her face in my hands and tell her all would be well. I longed to remove all traces of suffering, her fear for the future, and see her smile more.
I forced myself to focus again. “What else did Dean Hersey say?”
“He mentioned the harbor.” She took a deep breath. “As much as I hate Lance, I didn’t say anything. But he knew about Merrill’s reputation.”
A jolt of dread hit me. “He told you he planned to boardThe Hades?”
“He did say that, yes.” She looked thoughtful. “Maybe we should let him do his thing—use his investigative skills to expose Lance’s crimes. I’m sure he’s just as bad in business as he is in his private life.”
“Right,” I said, glancing at my car keys.
“I have to go now. Get back to the fun.” She gave me a wink.
Her dark sense of humor made me cringe.
“Eve, put your belongings together. Things you want to take with you. In case you need to leave fast.”
“Already have.”
We walked side by side toward the front door.
She nudged my arm. “Remember, I need to be part of any rescue.”
I had no intention of putting her in harm’s way. But telling her that wouldn’t exactly inspire confidence. Right now, having something important to focus on, like the rescue, was what would help keep her focused on the positive.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Eve reached inside her handbag again.
She pulled out a fluffy bunny—a child’s toy—and handed it to me. My soul froze over as I realized who it belonged to.
“It’s Eloise’s.” Reaching out, she ran her fingers over the soft fur. “He got rid of her toys. I managed to save this. Would you mind?”
I hugged it to my chest. “Sure.”
