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“Get up,” I said harshly.
“Your gun.”
“What about my gun? It’s not going anywhere.” I nudged him in the temple.
He moved slowly, his eyes wide. He sat up.
“Please. I’m done. I’m leaving town. When you didn’t come around within twenty-four hours, I figured you were done with me. I won’t be an issue. Just let me go.”
“You know a little too much for that. How am I supposed to let you live?”
“Because my word is as good as gold.”
“Is it? You told Brad Steel you’d investigate his case. Your word wasn’t so good then, was it?”
“Please. Just let me be. I have a family.”
“So does Steel.”
“I know that. He… Since when do you even care about Steel’s family?”
“I don’t.” Dumbass move on my part. “I told you to get the fuck up.”
He rose, trembling. He wore a T-shirt and pajama bottoms. While still holding the gun on him, I fished a piece of paper out of my pocket. “Here’s where you’ll send our portion of that last deposit.” I handed it to him.
“This is a different account number.”
“So?”
“So…in all the time we’ve been doing this, nothing ever changed.”
“Things change sometimes, asshole. Why do you think we haven’t been here? We were working on moving things around.”
Good save on my part.
“Right. Okay. I can’t call in the transfer until morning.”
“Yeah, you can.”
“But—”
“Why do you think we moved things around? To get round-the-clock service, that’s why. Make the fucking call.”
In reality, my father had set up round-the-clock service years ago. Whoever the psychos dealing with Morey were, they didn’t have my connections. At least not yet.
Good to know.
Morey walked slowly to the phone sitting on a table in the corner of his bedroom. I held the gun firmly at his head as he dialed and made the transfer.
“Where’s your gun?” I asked.
“Same place it always is,” Morey said.
Yeah, he was good. A good PI had good instincts. At least I’d gotten my money back. Far from all I’d paid him in the past year, but the big chunk I’d deposited to draw out his tormenters.
Too bad it hadn’t worked.
“I want all your files,” I said.
“I’ve given you all the information I came up with.”
Another thing I’d been afraid of. “Why don’t I believe you?”
He trembled. “I’m leaving town, damn it. Why do you have—”
“Shut up!” I rammed the gun into his nose.
He winced.
“I happen to know you haven’t forked over everything. Get the damned files. Now.”
Another hunch paid off.
“In my office. Downstairs.”
“Let’s go, then.”
I held the gun on him while we walked down the stairs and to the spare room he used as an office on his first floor. Would he notice the two others weren’t there? Maybe, but I kept the gun trained on him. I was his worst nightmare at the moment.
He opened a file cabinet and pulled out several manila folders. “This is everything.”
“Everything, huh?”
“Everything you don’t already have.”
“Just so I’m certain, you’re going to sit down at your little desk here and write down everything you know about this case. Every fucking thing. Got it?”
“But—”
“You want to live to see your wife and kid again?” I nudged the gun against his temple.
“But what’s the point? You already have—”
“I’ll take that as a no.” I cocked the gun.
“No! Please. I’ll do it. I’ll write it all down. Everything I can remember.”
“Good. You do that.”
“It’s a lot of information.”
“Of course it is. Now start writing.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Daphne
I’d taken Dr. Pelletier’s advice to heart. I’d tried to stop observing every little detail about everything.
But it was a difficult habit to break. I was still determined not to lose a moment of time.
Theo stood before me, his demeanor as unreadable as it always was.
Except something stood out. Something I’d never noticed before, no matter how observant I’d been.
Theo Mathias had cold eyes. They were dark brown, yes, but they were as cold as they’d been the first time I’d met him, when he was wearing icy blue contact lenses.
“I’ll be sure to tell Brad you stopped by,” I said again.
“Thank you, Daphne.” He reached toward me and pulled me into an awkward hug. “Good to see you.”
“You too.”
Then he was gone, as mysteriously as he’d come.
Something warm cupped my cheek. “Hey, baby.”
I opened my eyes and smiled. “Brad.”
“Sorry, I didn’t want to wake you, but once I saw you lying there so beautiful, with your hair splayed on the pillow like a silky curtain, I had to wake you. Had to see your smile.”
“I’m glad you’re back. What time is it?”
“Four a.m.”
“Why didn’t you stay in the city?”
“That would have made more sense, but I couldn’t stay away from you any longer. I need you, Daphne.” He pressed his lips to mine in a soft kiss.
“I need you too. So much. Come to bed?”
“Absolutely.” He rustled around, undressing, and then slid into bed next to me, opening his arms.
