Page 124 of Ballrooms & Blackmail

Thirty-Seven

Thorn

Angela Rosseau née Dubois waltzes into my apartment just after dark falls wearing sunglasses, a deep brown trench coat, and the expression of a woman who finds everyone and everything around her disappointing.

So, it’s business as usual then.

She’s also carrying a briefcase.

Pascal scowls. “Do you live to torture my security?”

A careless shrug as the sunglasses come off, as her coat is hung on the rack. “It’s better if I keep them on their toes. Them getting comfortable means allowing holes in your perimeter.”

“Holes I could plug if you told me how you keep getting in.”

She pats him on the cheek. “A girl can’t give away all her secrets now, can she?”

“Meow?”

Angela stares down at her. “What do you want, cat?” she asks, but she doesn’t just stare down her nose at Violet. She crouches, scratches her beneath her chin.

“Meow,” Violet says contentedly, rubbing her head against Angela’s arm.

The latter winces and straightens, and I squint at her well-fitted silk blouse, able to just make out the outline of a bandage on her ribs as she sets the briefcase on the counter and pushes it toward me.

I look up at her, lift my brows.

“Your father is dead.”

River’s fingers convulse around mine.

“Good,” I say, and they convulse again.

“I stole that from his office before they could secure it, but it’s locked.”

“And you’re telling me you didn’t open it?” I ask then shake my head at her expression. “Right,” I mutter. “Correction: you couldn’t open it.”

“I could force it,” she says, “but I’m not sure what’s inside and don’t want to damage it.”

“So, you want me to try.”

“If it has something to stop all the blackmail material coming out, won’t it be worth it?”

Of course it would be worth it.

The question is why Angela wants me to open it.

I narrow my eyes at her. “And what’s in it for you?”

“Nothing.”

River makes a tiny sound—not quite a laugh but close enough.

Angela’s gaze cuts to her. “Something amusing?”

“Just level with us, Angela,” Pascal says before River can speak. “We all know you don’t have a charitable bone in your body.”

“Careful,” she murmurs. “I could just take this with me and disappear again.”