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“I do. You were looking at me like you could see all my thoughts written across my forehead.”
“You’re good with people.” I said matter-of-factly.
“Thanks.” He shook off the compliment with a sigh and took another sip of his beer.
“You know, Bonnie had been going off on her own a lot, like secretly. And in that big ass house of theirs, I never knew if she was hiding in some secret wing or had left. Calvin thought she might have been cheating on him. But Kat thinks she was feeding info to the enemy. I assume she meant Mueller, but I imagine he isn’t—or wasn’t—the only Ashby enemy.”
He blinked. “Wow, thanks Maddie.” He shook his head and typed some notes on his phone before gifting me with a wide smile. “Beck called her a disgruntled housewife.”
I laughed at that accurate assessment. “She was actually. She wanted Calvin to leave his family because of Ava. It’s kind of ugly. Calvin married her because she got preggo. Were they even in love? Who the fuck knows?”
The waiter came by to drop off our salads and I poked at mine with a fork, stabbing a perfect cherry tomato. “It was like all of a sudden, she got angry and bitchy. Calvin thought it was pregnancy hormones, but dude, he’s like twenty something years old, barely older than me, and wears fucking flannels and glasses. What does he know about girl hormones?”
I popped the tomato in my mouth and sighed. “Not a fuckin’ thing, that’s what he knows. Sorry, Jamie. I get a little worked up.”
“No, don’t be sorry. You’re plenty helpful, Madds. You’re not trying to help me make detective, are you?”
“Me? Hell no. I have to see you in your cop uniform first. Or it’s just a travesty of justice. I mean…”
“A travesty of justice?”
He laughed when I jutted my chin out defiantly.
“Weirdo.”
“Thanks, G-man.”
He shook his head, his smile affectionate. I could tell I was something more than a burden, more than a brash border who worked for him.
“So, how are other things at Ashby Manor? Besides the murders that is.”
I shrugged and sipped my soda. “They’re fine, I guess. I mean, I feel like I don’t belong anymore. Like an employee or something. I mean, I like my job, and Ava is a little angel, but I feel unwanted there. Well, except for Cal.”
Shit, should I have said that?
“I mean babysitting and all.” I added quickly. It was more honest than I planned to be, but Jameson was easy to talk to. “I think maybe it’s time I get out on my own.”
“You mean leave town?” He sat up a little taller and his brows dipped in concern.
“No, nothing like that. I like my job as a booker for the outcall business because I can do it from wherever and the pay is great. But maybe a little apartment in Glitz is just what I need to regain a little bit of my independence. Plus, when I find Molly, she’ll need a place to stay until she’s on her feet again.”
“You make enough money to get more than a little apartment, Maddie. You have to think of your safety, especially after what happened with Molly, who you still have to find.” He sighed and sat back when the waiter returned with our food. “I can help you look for her.”
I shook my head. “I appreciate that, Jamie, really I do. But you’re new on the job, and I don’t want you getting into any trouble on my account. I’ll see how much a private investigator will cost and if it’s too expensive, I’ll do it myself, which is what I should have done from the beginning.”
Why had I let Kat Ashby fool me into thinking they could help me? Why had I left it up to them without argument? Because I was broke, young, and hungry when I met Kat. The money and prestige must have fooled me.
“Why don’t you ask Calvin? He’s got impressive computer skills from what I hear.”
“He’s on thin ice for not keeping a leash on Bonnie, his pet rather than his wife. So, whatever I ask him will likely make it back to the family. Yeah, I’d rather not go to him with this. I’m on my own here, as usual.”
Jamie opened his mouth to say something and I held up a hand to stop him. “As it should be. Molly is my sister, and if anyone is going to get into danger or trouble for looking, it should be me. I got this.”
Jamie put his fork down and folded his hands over his plate. He gave me a look that I can only say pierced the heart of me. “Unacceptable, Maddie. We’re friends and if you ever find yourself in trouble, call me. Always. Anytime. Any day. Got it?”
