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Chapter 28
Terrell had barely been gone thirty minutes when Niko’s doorbell rang again. He’d just stepped out of the shower.
“What did he forget?” Niko mumbled. He reached for a towel, wrapping it around himself as he padded barefoot down the stairs and to the door. “Man, you’d forget your head…” The rest of the sentence died on his lips. “Monique.”
She immediately noticed his state of undress. “I’m sorry to come over without calling, and I hope I didn’t disturb you. But I had to talk to you, in person. It couldn’t wait.”
He nodded. “Come in.” They walked into his living room. Niko sat on the couch, just as comfortably as he would if fully dressed. He motioned for Monique to sit, as well. She chose an accent chair across from him.
“I take it you read my text and finally decided that you might need to listen to what I have to say.”
“Yes.”
“Good. The first thing you need to hear and understand is that neither I nor my independent party is behind that ad.”
“I’ve begun to entertain other possibilities.”
“I understand you were angry, with every right to be upset. But I’m offended that you would think so little of me as to rush to judgment and declare me guilty without so much as a conversation. Even an admitted murderer is entitled to a fair trial.”
“You’re right. I should have listened.”
“I’m sure mentioning Rob and Ashley in the same sentence got your attention. Rumor has it they’re together, living in L.A.”
“It’s not a rumor.”
“You knew about this?”
“I ran into them today.” Niko’s brow arched. “On my way to the airport, I stopped to grab a bite to eat at one of my favorite spots. The place just so happens to be near Rob’s house and also just so happens to be one of his favorite places, too. So, I’m sitting in the dining room waiting for my order when I hear him being greeted as he walked through the door.”
“He didn’t see you?”
“There’s a curtain that separates the rooms.”
“What happened?”
She told him. “He acted strangely,” she finished. “But given that he was with someone new and we used to date, that’s not unusual. The weird part was Ashley. Rob hardly seems her type.”
The tension was palpable as silence descended. “How did you find out about them?” she finally asked.
“My brother told me. He ran into one of Ashley’s friends at a party, who mentioned she’d met a guy from L.A. a while back and he’d asked her to move in.”
“That is so unlike him! Rob is a methodical, deliberate thinker who never makes a spontaneous move. That he just met a woman who is now living with him is…mind-boggling!” Unable to sit still, she stood and looked out the window.
“Does he know about what happened when you were an intern?”
She turned, crossing her arms as she looked at him. “Yes.”
“Then I’d bet my life that he told Ashley, and she told someone who either gave or sold the information to Schneider.”
“You sound sure of it.”
“A company called JDA Associates paid for the ad. They’ve also made several contributions to Dick’s campaign. I just have to find out their names.”
Niko’s phone buzzed. Monique gave him a look. She thinks it’s a booty call. He tapped the speaker button.
“What’s going on, sis? No, I’m still up.” He casually observed Monique taking her seat again while he listened. “You sure about this?”
Her mouth fell open.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Thanks to you, Teresa, the question I just brought up has been answered.”
He ended the call and stared at Monique.
“Joy and Ashley?” She could barely hear her voice through the shock. “The DeWitts are behind the ad?”
“You heard it for yourself. J-D-A. Joy. DeWitt. Ashley. Seems obvious now, though I never would have guessed.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“I can. You don’t know Joy. And Ashley is a chip off the old block.”
“Which can only mean one thing.” Her shoulders fell. “Rob told Ashley.”
