Page 22 of Choosing Stella

“Come in.”

I stepped inside, and she locked the door behind me again without being asked.

The apartment fit what I’d seen of her so far. Moody without being gloomy. Charcoal upholstery, black metal, dark wood, and deep wine-colored cushions warmed by low lamps instead of harsh ceiling lights. Blackout curtains covered most of the windows, though one narrow gap showed the gray river morning beyond the glass.

Nothing looked staged to impress anyone.

A few crystals sat beside books on a shelf. Tarot decks were stacked in a lacquered box near the den. Framed art broke up the walls without cluttering them.

The sight lines were clean, and the locks were good. Both made my job easier.

Stella folded her arms.

“So what exactly did Locke ask your company to do?”

“Keep you protected while the murder investigation goes where it goes.”

“You’re not here to prove I didn’t kill Antonio?”

“No.”

Her eyebrows lifted.

“That’s refreshingly clear.”

“I don’t investigate homicides, and I’m not the police. I need enough information to understand what could put you at risk. Anything beyond that belongs to whoever’s handling your legal situation.”

“Locke’s already arranging an attorney.”

“Good.”

Stella walked toward the living room.

“Do you want the short version or the version where two detectives stood in here before sunrise asking whether I murdered a man I’d just had sex with?”

“The version that tells me what they know.”

She sat at one end of the couch. I took the chair opposite instead of crowding her.

Her shoulders lowered a fraction.

“They know I was Antonio Bellacorte’s last private appointment they can currently confirm. His chief of security told them I was there.”

“What’s his name?”

“Mikhail Volkov.”

I hadn’t heard the name before.

I waited.

“The casino footage from the important part of the night is missing or corrupted. They said they’re still figuring out how much of it is unusable.”

“That matches what Bancroft was given.”

“Then did he tell you about the card?”

“What card?”