Page 28 of Wicked and Claimed

Other subgroups were hard at work on more recent murders and disappearances. He glanced through a few, happy to see that a couple of their theories had been proven true. One even led to an arrest and conviction in Florida. Good for them.

“Let me get this straight.” Ethan scowled. “She’s into solving cold cases with people online, and you’re going to connect with her again through a shared love of murder?”

“No.” Nash rolled his eyes as he found the handles of all the members and started scanning for a familiar redhead. Among a few thousand people, this could take a while. “I’m going to connect with Haisley through a common interest. Of course I’ll flirt with her, too. Let her get to know me again while I regain her trust.”

“By lying to her?” Ethan shook his head. “Dude, once she finds out you’ve been chatting her up using a pseudonym, she’s not going to appreciate the subterfuge any more than she’s going to welcome you invading her online space.”

“It’ll be fine.” Nash hoped.

“Your funeral,” Ethan quipped.

“Okay, dipshit, if you were in my shoes, what would be your smooth move?”

Ethan tossed up his hands. “Off the top of my head? I don’t know, but it wouldn’t be lying to her.”

“You don’t understand how Haisley works. She’s stubborn as the day is long, and right now she’s not speaking to me.”

“Because she doesn’t want to, and I’m guessing it’s because you screwed the pooch somewhere along the way. Figure out what you did, then try to talk to her when she’s not in a crowded bar with her girls and you’re not drunk. Maybe invite her out to dinner or?—”

“I can’t invite out a woman who’s blocked my messages on every conceivable platform and pushed me away last night, so fake name it is.”

“Boy, youreallypissed that girl off. What did you do?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” And that was the rub. “We didn’t fight. She just…mumbled some BS excuses, pulled back, and ran off to Cali.”

Ethan scowled. “It’s been a couple of years, but I remember that woman being really into you. I would have sworn you two were headed to the altar. And the maternity ward, the way you went at it all the time.”

“Me, too.” And a possibility that had once scared the hell out of Nash had felt like a happy eventuality—until Haisley fled. “That’s why I need to figure out what happened. And if I have to be a little underhanded…isn’t that how intel works?”

“On a job, sure. In relationships? That seems like dangerous ground, but you do you.” Ethan swallowed the last of his coffee and stood. “Since I intend to start my New Year off right, I’m going to escort my horny little sorority princess out the door, get in a workout, meet her for lunch, then bring her back here for round two. See you later.”

Nash shook his head. “See you, man.”

When Garrison disappeared into his half of the house, Nash rededicated his effort to finding Haisley among the thousands of people in the online group. Finally, he located her. At least he thought she was RedHotSavvySleuth. Her avatar wasn’t her face but a cartoon of a curvy bombshell in a trench coat, but her bio claimed she was a feisty redhead who lived in Lafayette. How many could there be in this group? Then he tracked her latest posts, noting the cases that interested her most tended to be the ones that needed attention.

That gave him an idea.

As JasperThePrivateDick, he agreed to the group rules, posted to the newbie forum, fielded welcome messages, then did a little digging on the disappearances happening at the nearby mall. Shockingly, he couldn’t find much. Finally, he asked the general forum if anyone was looking into this case. Since he claimed to live in New Orleans, he asked if anyone living locally could shed some light.

Thirty minutes later, RedHotSavvySleuth welcomed him and said she hadn’t heard of the case. But she said she’d been to that mall many times, so she’d love to hear more.

Grinning, Nash immediately slid into her DMs. “I’m coming for you, baby. Let’s connect.”

His eyes narrowing in concentration, he typed out a response, trying to strike the right balance between curious and friendly with a tinge of flirt. Once he hit Send, he leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the screen. Anticipation coursed through him.

The soft ping of an incoming message made his pulse jump.

RedHotSavvySleuth: Thanks for bringing this case to my attention. I’m hoping the police are all over the disappearances at that new mall, but Lafayette’s finest aren’t all that great, in my experience. Tell me more.

JasperThePrivateDick: I couldn’t find a lot online, which seemed odd. So I started thinking… CSI seems like it’s tackled some tough cases and had some successes. Because this is a local issue, any chance you’re up for tackling a mystery in your own backyard? I’ll provide all the help and backup I can. And be your sounding board, of course.

Tense minutes ticked by as Nash waited for Haisley’s response. He hoped like hell she didn’t shut him down. Finally, the soft ping of a new message broke the silence. His breath caught in his throat as he read it.

RedHotSavvySleuth: I’m a bit out of touch locally since I’ve just moved back home after being away for a couple of years. Admittedly, I’ve been looking for a good distraction. The thought of taking on a local case is intriguing. I’ve never investigated one before. Anything else you can share?

Gotcha. Nash’s lips curved into a wolfish grin. Haisley might have played hard to get last night, but online, when she had no idea who he was, her curiosity and her unwavering sense of justice would give him the in he needed. Drawing her in deeper would require an admittedly deft touch—and a delicate balance between flattery, facts, and intrigue.

JasperThePrivateDick: Beyond the fact young women are disappearing—five in the last year or so—I can’t find much. Nothing about an official investigation. But I only got a tip about these disappearances last night. They piqued my interest. Have you heard much locally?

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