Page 36 of To All the Men I’ve Killed Before

Travis moves his eyes to my sister and blinks at her before taking her hand and giving it a shake. ‘Are you Mary-Kate? Or Ashley?’

I pull out the chair next to Antoinette and sit in it. ‘I think my sister has given you fake names,’ I say.

Travis raises one eyebrow. I’ve always found it really hot when men can do that. ‘You’re kidding me?’ he says, completely deadpan.

‘We have to be discreet,’ Antoinette says by way of explanation. ‘No electronic trail.’

Travis nods gravely at her. ‘I understand, Ashley. Or can I call you Ash?’

I roll my eyes. ‘Her name is Antoinette,’ I say. ‘And I’m Kitty.’

‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, whatever your name is,’ Travis says to me with a smile. He really is almost offensively good-looking. Objectively speaking. But I suppose everyone in LA is.

‘So,’ I gesture around the juice bar, ‘is this your office?’

Travis picks up the mason jar of green gloop on the table in front of him and takes a slurp from it, which he quickly swallows when he realises he has to answer my question. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

‘Not usually,’ he says. ‘I’m sort of between permanent bases at the moment.’

‘He’s homeless,’ Antoinette whispers to me but she says it at the exact moment that the juice-barista – are they called that, they should be – cuts the blender and Travis Truman definitely hears her. He’s a gentleman though and, after a quick couple of blinks, turns his attention back to me.

‘It’s temporary,’ he says. ‘Please don’t let it put you off. I’m extremely professional. I have literally …’ he pauses to do some quick maths on his fingers, ‘tens of satisfied clients.’

‘Oh,’ I say. ‘Tens?’ A grin spreads over Travis’s face and I realise he’s joking with me. ‘Funny,’ I say and he lets out a laugh that is so contagious I can’t help but smile too.

‘Sorry,’ he says as he tries to arrange his face into something serious. ‘I couldn’t resist. My offices are being decorated at the moment. So it’s either here or at a share space. Which isn’t very private. I promise you, I have hundreds of testimonials who will vouch for me. Can I get you anything to drink?’

Antoinette and I both shake our heads.

‘So what can I do for you?’

‘We’re trying to find someone,’ I say.

Travis nods. ‘Yeah. I am going to need a few more details than that.’

‘He’s a British guy. He’d have arrived here in the last week or so,’ I say as Travis taps away at his laptop. His eyes don’t leave mine as he writes. Who knew touch-typing could feel intimate.

‘Okay,’ says Travis. ‘British. Recently arrived. Anything else?’

‘He was working as a therapist in the UK so there’s a possibility that he’ll be looking for new clients over here,’ I say.

‘Name?’

‘Aidan,’ I say. ‘Aidan Ward. But he could be using a fake name.’

Travis raises an eyebrow again.

‘He’s on the run,’ Antoinette says. ‘For attacking a woman.’

‘My friend,’ I say. ‘My best friend. He left her in a coma and fled the country.’

Travis nods. ‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ he says. ‘That must’ve been very difficult for you.’

‘Yes, it was.’

‘And do you have a photo of this man? It really helps if I know who I’m looking for.’

I pull up a couple of pictures that I have saved on my phone.