Page 50 of She Gives Love a Bad Name

I curse myself for not pursuing more information on the guy she mentioned in passing. “Do you have a name or an address where I can find him?”

“No idea.” She shrugs. “Was there anyone sitting on the step when you came up?”

I shake my head. “Only an old woman I passed coming inside.”

“That’s Mrs. Martinez, our landlady. She’s so sweet.” Nancy beams, but I can see worry marring the skin beneath her eyes. She’s lost sleep over this whole murder business. But I can’t tell them Quinn’s safe. Not yet.

“You lucked out. Those bastards are always hanging around at random hours trying to find Quinn.”

Nancy drops her gaze once more. It leaves me uneasy. I turn my attention to her.

“Is there something else you want to tell me?”

Her eyes are full of tears. “A man called. He told us Quinn was safe and she would be home soon. He promised.”

“When was this?”

“Yesterday.”

What the hell? How does that play into what happened today? “Did you recognize the man’s voice?”

“No, but the background was busy. Like he was calling from a bar or somewhere.”

The pen I’m making notes with slides across the page and my head snaps up. “A bar, you say?”

“Could have been a pay phone, I guess. I can’t be sure.” She twists her fingers in the hem of her shirt. “But he promised she was safe, and he had a nice voice.”

“A nice voice?” My gut twists at the implication of her words. Claude. I tuck the notebook away and nod to them both. “I think I have all I need, ladies. Thank you for your time. Call me if you remember anything else.”

The door closes and locks behind me.

I’m halfway down the stairs when the fury ignites into full-blown rage. My brother went against my explicit instructions. I’m sure Quinn sweet-talked him into calling her roommates to let them know she was okay. Now I’m wondering what else they discussed in my absence and who else he contacted on her behalf.

It’s not bad enough Quinn is fucking missing with no leads to go on, but now I can’t even trust my own brother with a simple task.

I hope to hell she’s alive because when I find her, I’m going to wring her pretty neck...along with my brother’s.

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