Page 29 of Tangled
“This morning,” he answered. “I liked Scarlett. She was a good neighbor. Quiet, but nice to talk to when we ran into each other. Anyway, on my way back from my early runs this morning, I noticed her door was open. I thought she might be back, so I poked my head in. There was a different woman there, though. She said she was a friend of Scarlett’s and was collecting her stuff.”
“What made you doubt that?”
Harlan shifted, and his gaze darted down. If Brad wasn’t mistaken, he looked a little embarrassed. “She, uh, she didn’t look like a friend of Scarlett’s. And we, um, ran into her the night before at the Blacksmith.”
Brad arched a brow, silently urging him to continue.
Harlan took a deep breath, then exhaled loudly. “Some of the guys go there to meet quick hookups. You know, women in town for a few nights—on girls’ weekends or something. Ski instructors and guys who work on the mountain are kind of like, I don’t know, candy to them? I didn’t talk to this woman, but I think one of the other guys from the apartment block might have gone home with her. She seemed, I don’t know, there was something about her that felt…different.”
“In what way?” Brad asked, knowing Ryan would ask all the same questions.
Harlan hesitated. “She seemed practiced. Not some bored woman out for a good time.”
“Like a professional?”
Again, Harlan hesitated. “I hate to judge, but yeah. She looked, and acted, like a professional.”
Brad’s breath caught. They’d wondered if Gracie’s pimp might be a third suspect. It looked like now they might have their answer.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Her name is Kimmie Garza,” Sabina said, handing Scarlett a photo.
Scarlett looked at the picture. Like Gracie, Kimmie Garza was a beautiful woman with long black hair, full red lips, and dark almond-shaped eyes. “I don’t know her, but I didn’t know any of Gracie’s friends,” Scarlett said. “Or her associates,” she added, knowing that Kimmie was the latter, but not sure if she’d also been the former. “She liked to keep her friendship with me separate from everything else.”
“When we’re living a life that we aren’t exactly proud of, it is human nature to keep those we really care about at a distance,” Sabina said, flickering a glance in her husband’s direction. Chad was in the kitchen, holding their son, Will, and chatting with Brad as Brad cooked. Despite Gracie’s death hanging over them, Scarlett felt better than she had in weeks and was looking forward to the roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and broccoli that Brad was preparing. She’d never been a huge fan of the treelike vegetable, but she’d suddenly had a craving for it. Hopefully, she’d be able to keep everything down.
“Is Brad’s domesticity surprising you?” Sabina asked.
“Hmm?” Scarlett asked, returning her attention to Sabina.
“Is Brad’s domesticity surprising you?” Sabina asked again.
Scarlett shook her head and smiled. “No, I was thinking how weird it will be when Kara and Ethan get here. Chad, Ethan, and Brad look so much alike. And then with you and Kara being twins, well, I’m definitely the odd one out.”
Sabina froze, as if unsure how to respond, making Scarlett laugh. “I work in the medical field, which is woefully lacking in diversity. Being the odd one out isn’t something that bothers me. Honestly, it’s not something I would have even commented on had it not been for how similar everyone else looks.”
Sabina studied her, then made a face. “I know. It’s weird. I mean, the cousins don’t look identical—not like Kara and me—but they are similar enough that it makes a person look twice. As to the lack of diversity in the medical field, I’m not sure if Brad’s mentioned it, but I run a foundation that gives scholarships to women in STEM. When you’re feeling up for it, you could join us, and we could work on making a dent in those diversity numbers.”
“I don’t know anything about how to do that, but I’m game to learn,” she said.
“Learn what?” Brad asked, joining them and taking a seat beside her.
“The foundation stuff. She’s going to help us,” Sabina said, dropping a kiss on her son’s head as Chad sat next to her.
Brad’s gaze lingered on Scarlett for a long moment. Then he reached for her hand and said, “I think that’s a great idea. Now, what’s the update?” he asked, nodding to the picture she still held.
“Kimmie Garza. She had a couple of arrests for solicitation and a minor one for possession,” Sabina said. “Your instincts were spot-on, Brad. I’m glad you had Andrea send us the CCTV of her as soon as you did.”
“She’s a professional,” he said.
Sabina nodded. “She works for an agency called Sussurri.”
“Whispers?” Brad asked. “At least it’s close to the Spanish word for that.”
Again, Sabina nodded. “It’s Italian, though. We’re tracking down who owns it and, if the owner doesn’t run it, who runs it.”
“Do you think Gracie worked for them, too?” Scarlett asked, handing the photo back.
