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I opened my mouth to reply, but we pulled up at the venue and I lost the opportunity. I waited until all the cars were there before stepping out, signaling to the other security teams that they could get out, too. The band members followed and posed for the cameras before we moved them inside to the reporters the record label had invited to talk to them about the success of Emmy’s book.
Addi and I stood to one side of the room, watching them turn on their cosmic charm.
“We should talk, Matt,” she whispered, her eyes never leaving the band.
“About?”
“Your wife.”
The words were like a slap to the face, and I struggled not to react. “None of your business, Addison.”
“I know, but Frankie is, and she’s really messed up. Why don’t you just tell her the truth?”
“Which is?”
“That they were tragically murdered.”
I spun around, checking no one was close by listening.
“What the hell, Addi?” I spat out, shocked that she knew.
“Matt, I’ve known since the day you came to work for us. I manage a rock band. One of the most successful in the world. Did you think I’d just offer you a job because our lead singer met you in a club and took a shine to you? I did my due diligence and found everything I could, DCI Howells.”
“But…” I wanted to ask how she knew after Thomas worked so hard to cover up my past, but I was afraid to find out.
Addi tapped her nose. “I have my ways, Matt.” She must have noticed the tense look on my face while I panicked that a quick Google search would expose my past, because she spoke again.
“Well, actually, while it’s true that I did check you out, I only found out about your time on the force and what happened because it’s a freakishly small world. One of my friends—Aiden Gilroy—was in the force with you. I just happened to mention you one night at dinner when we realized you were the same Matt Howells that used to be his boss he filled me in.
“And you didn’t say anything to anyone?” I asked, raising my eyebrow at her suspiciously.
“My job is to look after the band, Matt, not spill your secrets. I figured you had your reasons not to tell us, and that’s fine. You’re good at your job and that’s all I care about. But I don’t understand why you won’t tell Frankie you’re not married.”
“Because I still am. I’ve never stopped loving my wife. Or my son. I can’t just pretend they didn’t mean the world to me because they were taken away from me. I can’t ask Frankie to accept less of me because they still have a huge part of my heart.”
“She’d understand.”
“I don’t deserve her. Look at her. She’s way out of my league. She’s an international superstar, for fuck’s sake. The whole world wants a piece of her.”
“And the only person she wants to give any part of herself to is you, Matt.”
I sighed, running my fingers through my beard, which was way too long.
“You’re both miserable,” Addi pointed out the obvious.
“She hates me.”
“Does she fuck,” Addi replied, shaking her head.
“I tried to talk to her earlier, and she made it painfully clear how she felt about me now. There’s no going back from that.”
“Look, this is me totally breaking the girl code, but read these.”
She handed me her phone, which was open to a message conversation between her and Frankie, time stamped from just after our conversation in her suite earlier.
Frankie: Can we sack Matt?
Addi: Nope
