AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ainsley locked eyes with the older woman. “I understand,” she said. “But I only want to know what Santiago says, not what anyone else talks about. And I’m willing to pay for the information.” She slipped her hand into the back pocket of her pants and withdrew an envelope.
Alva and Brody exchanged another look, this one assessing. For a moment, Ainsley thought they were going to refuse her bribe. But then Brody extended his hand and took the envelope.
He handed it to Alva, who opened it and flipped through the bills inside. The older woman glanced up, the look on her face making it clear she wasn’t impressed with the offer.
“Half now, half after you tell me what he says,” Ainsley said, injecting a defensive note into her voice. “Do we have a deal?”
Brody looked at Alva, who gave a subtle nod. “Yes, Mrs. Rodriguez,” he said, sticking his hand out to shake hers. “It would seem that we do.”
“Excellent.” Ainsley smiled. “Thank you for your help.”
“Normally, we don’t operate like this,” Alva said. “But in cases of infidelity...”
“I understand,” Ainsley said, offering the absolution the other woman seemed to be asking for. “I wouldn’t have asked, but after what he’s done, I’ll never trust him again.”
“There are some things that can’t be fixed,” Brody said seriously.
“I trust you’ll remain discreet?” Alva asked. She seemed a little anxious, but there was a calculating glint in her eyes that made Ainsley think this was all just an act designed to make it look like they’d never taken a bribe before.
“Of course,” Ainsley replied. “If Santiago’s lawyer were to find out I paid to get this information, it would only hurt my case during the divorce.”
Alva nodded, apparently satisfied by her response. “All right. We’ll do what we can for you. Mind you, we can’t force him to admit to anything. We can only encourage total honesty.”
“I’ll take any help you can give me,” Ainsley said, trying to sound relieved.
“I think we’ll be able to get you what you need,” Brody said. He reached out to give her shoulder a pat, and Ainsley steeled herself not to flinch away from the contact. “Just relax and try to enjoy your time here. Even though your marriage is over, you might still find the seminars useful.”
“That’s true,” she forced herself to say. “Maybe I can learn how not to make the same mistakes twice.”
Brody smiled, a teacher pleased with his pupil’s response. “Exactly.” He dropped his hand, making Ainsley sigh internally with relief. “We’ll see you at the first seminar,” he said.
Ainsley nodded. “Looking forward to it,” she replied.
The Woodses began walking away, and Ainsley turned and started back down the hallway that led into the dining room. After a few steps, she drew up short.
Brett was standing in the doorway to the dining room, that perma-smile fixed on his face. It was clear he’d been watching them, and a shiver ran down Ainsley’s spine at the knowledge he’d been spying.
“Did you get the help you needed?” His voice was perfectly pleasant, his demeanor calm. But just as before, Ainsley’s skin crawled at his proximity.
“Yes, thank you,” she said.
He stepped to the side, his hand out to indicate she should precede him into the dining room. “May I escort you back to your table?”
“No, thanks,” she replied quickly. “I can find it just fine on my own.”
He nodded as she slipped past him, fighting the urge to contort her body to get as far away from him as possible. This time, she felt his eyes on her back as she headed toward Santiago.
She took her seat across from him, and he nodded at her. He lifted his coffee cup and held it in front of his mouth while he spoke. “You appear to have a shadow,” he said softly.
Ainsley tried not to shudder. “I know.”
“It’s not just you,” he added. “I’ve noticed that one of the employees follows anyone who has gotten up from the table. They stay at a distance, but it’s clear they’re watching where people are going.”
“Making sure we don’t talk to each other?” she wondered aloud. “Or keeping people from snooping?”
“Maybe a bit of both,” he said. “Everything go okay?”
“Yep,” she said shortly. “They took the bait. Now we just wait and see how this plays out.”
