Page 68 of For Better or for Ransom

“Yeah, but you could put in the good word for me. We’ve always remained friends, Sol and I, even after everything that’s happened between the two of us,” Miquel kept arguing. “I don’t want to lose her friendship. Could you help me here?”

“She didn’t appreciate that you published an article about my current investigation,” Luke said. “And she didn’t like that disclosure either.”

“Are you sure it’s just that?” Luke didn’t recall having heard Miquel speak in such a non-saccharine way. While he wasn’t being harsh, it almost came off as that because the man normally sounded so sweet.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to infer here.” Luke didn’t like Miquel. But he’d never got between Ex Number One and Sol. She liked Miquel as a friend, and Luke had no problems with it—even if Ex Number One got on his nerves.

“I mean that I understand if you’re jealous,” Miquel said.

Luke chuckled. “Why should I be jealous exactly? Sol not only is taking my calls, she’s here with me. She’s my partner.” Luke turned around, facing the café’s window. His eyes flicked to Sol, sipping her coffee. She was there with him. His shoulders dropped, relaxed. Warmth spread inside him.

“Right now she is.” The flippancy in Miquel’s words was difficult to miss. “But she’s been known to ghost people and block exes from her phone. One day it could be you.”

“That’s if she finished with me, but I have no intention of giving her any reason for that.” His jaw practically hurt, he was gritting his teeth so hard.

“Yeah, but she’ll never be your wife.”

That was totally uncalled for. And it stung. Luke’s eyes returned to the café’s window. Sol was still behind it, unaware of his eyes on her.

“You know she told me she’d never marry again after divorcing David, right?” Miquel continued, referring to Ex Number Two. “I mean, if you can live with that, it’s fine, buddy. But I just wouldn’t.”

Heat crept under Luke’s skin. He’d had enough. “Miquel, buddy, why did you call me? Was it to ask me to put in the good word with Sol for you? Or just to get under my skin? Because I don’t feel very generous towards you at the moment…”

“Perhaps I just want to ask for your help with her, tell her I’m sorry, please. In exchange, I’m showing you I also like you. And, as a friend, I just want you to know what’s ahead for you with her.”

39

Sol

Miquel just called me,” Luke told her, when he went back to the café and sat next to Sol. “He wants to apologize to you and he asked me to tell you to please take his calls.”

Sol slanted her eyes at him. Why was Luke telling her that? Since when did he play messenger for Miquel? Luke hated ex-husband number one. Didn’t he?

“Oh—kay,” she answered and finished her double espresso. Could that day get any weirder?

“I found five cab companies that operate in Palma,” Divya said on the other side of Sol and apparently unaware of whatever bizarreness had just occurred between Sol and Luke—or simply deciding to ignore it. There were more important things at present, after all, like a missing actor. “I say, let’s talk to all of them, see if we can find the driver who took Leonardo the other night from the cocktail bar.”

“Sounds good,” Luke muttered. What exactly had gotten to him? He’d barely looked at Sol from the moment he came back from talking to Miquel.

“Bloody hell!” Divya yelled, still checking her cell phone. “Moon wants to talk to us. Says it’s urgent.”

“You don’t sound very happy about the prospect of having to talk to Moonbeam,” Luke joked.

“The way their message is written, this doesn’t look like a Sugar and Moonbeam conversation, more like a PI Divya Bakshi and Meshflixx producer Moon Scott one. They’d even used their corporate email address!” A crease formed between Divya’s brows.

“Right, do you want me to be the one to talk to them?” Luke offered, no longer teasing Divya.

“No, I can do this mate, just be prepared.” Divya said. She answered her phone after one ring, and exited the café.

“Be prepared for what?” Luke said, once his detective partner had left.

“Are you okay, Luca?” Sol took the opportunity that they were alone to ask.

“Yeah, of course.” His answer was tight, too fast. “Are you?” He flicked his eyes from the street, where Divya was talking to Moon, to Sol, then back to the street.

“Yeah, of course.” She was also fast to answer, and feared none of them had been completely truthful.

Luke