Page 106 of His Forgotten Colton Fiancee
Something was up. “What’s wrong? I thought you were at the training centertoday. Is everything all right with Rex?”
“He’s fine. I left him there to work with one of the other trainers while I checked something out. Come on. We need to have a little chat with your business partner. Where is he?”
They went into the store and into the kitchen, where Austin chopped vegetables at a cutting board.
“About time you stopped socializing and returned to work. I needhelp.” Austin pointed to a pile of carrots. “Start prepping those and I’ll make the sauce.”
Another odd thing, much odder than Gemma paying her a visit. When had Austin grown so bossy?
West gently gripped her arm. “No, Quinn.”
His gaze turned icy hard. “Austin, did you deliver a food order to a resort in the canyon near Pine Paradise?”
Quinn’s heart skipped a beat as her businesspartner’s face flushed. “Why? I’ve been trying to get us business, I’ve been—”
“You’ve been trying to get Quinn in trouble,” West cut in.
“That’s not true!” Austin’s wild gaze whipped to Quinn. “Why would I do that?”
“Only one person could have taken Demi’s jacket from Quinn’s closet. One person who had access, besides myself and Quinn. We analyzed the wrapper found at cabin seven.Tests showed it contained traces of aspartame, the ingredient found in sugar-free gum.” West’s hardened gaze centered on Austin. “The key to cabin number seven has been missing awhile. Where did you put it, Austin? Before I bring you into the station for fingerprinting, anything you care to confess, Austin? Besides the fact you like to make origami and steal women’s clothing?”
Quinn’s heartskipped a beat. Dread filled her. Surely West couldn’t be accusing Austin. Mild Austin, who held Good Eats together while she recovered?
Her business partner paled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, you do.” West got into his face. “If you tell the truth now, it’ll go easier on you. Do you really want to hurt Quinn any more?”
Austin glanced at Quinn with a plea in hiseyes. Her heart did a triple flip. “West, what are you talking about? He didn’t do anything.”
“He paid your rent. I saw Larson, wanted to give him the back rent check you gave me, and the bastard told me Austin paid for it.”
She could barely breathe. Helping her by taking over the business while she recovered was one thing. But paying the rent? Pride aside, it hinted to Noel Larson thatQuinn had no money. It made her more vulnerable and she hated looking weak, especially to a slime like Larson.
“I told you I never wanted that, Austin. Why did you ignore my wishes?” she asked him. Her voice rose a notch, and she fought to keep it even. “I told you I had my savings.”
Austin’s mouth opened and closed. He backed up until he hit the stainless steel refrigerator, and thensplayed his palms against it.
“The rent was overdue...”
“I had the money! All I needed to do was get the check to him. I was in the hospital.”
West slowly walked toward Austin. “Spill it. Tell her, Austin. The truth. You were at cabin number seven. You took Demi’s jacket and left it there.”
Visceral pain sliced through her. She didn’t want to believe it, but West wouldn’t lie aboutthis.
“Prove it.” Austin pushed his glasses up his nose. “You have the security cameras. Show me on tape where I sneaked into Quinn’s apartment and took the jacket.”
West grabbed Austin’s arm, tugged him toward the closet where she stored papers and cans. Inside the closet, West pushed at the back wall.
Her mouth opened and closed in astonishment as a door swung open...to reveal aset of stairs marching upward.
West pointed to the hidden stairs. “I got to thinking about this place. Did a little research on the building and pulled the old blueprints. This set of stairs was originally intended to be used as the main access to the floor upstairs, which was a storage area. Then the owner had these stairs sealed off when the apartment became a separate residence. They leadstraight to your bedroom closet.”
Quinn fisted her hands. Now it made sense, the strange sounds she’d heard that one day when she napped...the cough and the feeling she’d been watched.
“You spied on me,” she said.
“No! I only used the stairs to get Demi’s jacket. I didn’t realize you were there, Quinn.” Austin reddened as he realized what he’d spilled.
