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“From Lux.”
Dafoe had dated a model? That didn’t surprise me one little bit. “The fourth person is Derek Trimmer, who runs Every Step Events. Kaylin used to waitress there when modelling work was scarce.”
“So we’re visiting two businesses and two individuals?”
“That’s right.”
He glanced at his watch. “If Lux and Every Step keep office hours, we won’t make it in time, but we might catch the two roommates when they get off work. What do they do?”
“Anisha’s an attorney. An associate at Perkins, Foster & Brundle.”
“Big firm. Those folks work long hours.”
They did. Which meant she wouldn’t be home until late, if she came home at all. I’d heard stories about junior lawyers sleeping at the office during big cases. Anisha was the least hopeful candidate on my list anyway—Crumb had described her as hostile. There were a lot of “no comments” when he questioned her. Anisha had been thinking as a lawyer rather than a friend.
“How long would it take to get to New Brunswick? Do you have a car?”
Records indicated that Charlotte Davison—now Charlotte Peak—had married a chef ten years her senior and relocated when he opened an upmarket steakhouse not too far from the Rutgers campus.
“In New York traffic? A couple hours. We can take a pool car and talk on the way. You got somewhere to stay tonight?”
I’d been spoiled for choice. Blackwood staff usually booked a room at the Black Diamond Hotel near Central Park, seeing as Emmy and Black owned it, but the four members of Indigo Rain and their entourage were staying there ahead of two sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden, and the crowds of fans outside were no joke. I didn’t much feel like running the gauntlet of reporters either. When I’d called Nico from the jet with an update, he’d offered a suite at a boutique hotel he’d just invested in not too far from Hudson Square, and I’d been tempted. But then Dan offered me Emmy and Black’s Upper East Side apartment, which I’d thought was a joke until Emmy texted to say the concierge’s name was Alphonse, and if I wanted to get into his good books, I should pick him up a fried chicken sandwich from Rubin’s Deli.
“Emmy said I could use her guest room.”
“You’re not at the Black Diamond?”
“Too many Indigo Rain groupies.”
“Is that tonight? I think we’re doing the security.”
“We are. Some of the fans are getting real creative—I heard that when the band was in Berlin, a girl dressed up as a member of the housekeeping staff and tried to get into Travis Thorne’s room. She even embroidered the hotel name on her dress pocket.”
“How far did she get?”
“Not very far at all, seeing as she spelled the name wrong.”
Collier chuckled. “When folks make mistakes like that, it sure makes our jobs easier.”
Wasn’t that the truth? But so far, Kaylin La Rocca didn’t seem to have made many errors. I just had to hope that she’d left enough loose threads for us to unravel the truth.
6
HALLIE
“That’s her,” I said. “Standing by the bar.”
Nobody had answered the door at the Peak residence, so we’d headed downtown to The Strip Club. “Interesting name,” Collier remarked on the drive over, but I was relieved to see that everyone was fully clothed. Not a pole or pair of pasties in sight. On a Tuesday evening, the place was a quarter full, and most of the patrons looked like college students taking advantage of the “Save Before Seven” discount advertised on a board outside. According to the website, Jenson Peak ran the kitchen, and Charlotte was involved in the business too. I recognised her from her social media pictures.
“Let’s go see what she has to say.”
Collier led me over to the bar, past a twenty-something couple waiting at the host’s station, past a group of frat boys heading for the door whose gazes oozed over me like slime. As we passed, one of them accidentally-on-purpose brushed my ass with his hand, and I flinched on instinct. A year ago, I’d have kept my mouth shut and gotten myself out of there, flight rather than fight, but I’d changed. My newfound family had given me back the confidence a series of men had stolen from me.
I wheeled around and fixed him with a glare.
“Keep your hands to yourself.”
“Chill, it was an accident.”
