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“Hello,” Willow’s groggy voice answered.
“Willow?”
“Lisbeth?” Guilt hit her again, but this was important.
“Sorry for the early call, but I have a big favor to ask you.”
“And it couldn’t wait?” Lisbeth heard the rustle of sheets.
“No. This favor is just between you and me, which means we aren’t telling Evelyn or anyone else.”
“Now you’ve got my full attention.”
Willow loved a good secret and was also good at keeping them. They’d often vetted people before accepting a job, but this bit of investigation hit a little too close to the bone.
“I want you to do a deep dive into Alex Monroe.”
“Mr. Boring’s father?”
Lisbeth huffed out a sigh. “Yes, and if necessary, enlist some of the shady people you claim to know who have privileged internet information.”
Willow’s silence echoed her shock. Lisbeth usually frowned on dishonest dealings or less-than-reputable sources Willow alluded to knowing. Typically, Lisbeth declined those kinds of internet searches, but this issue called for desperate measures.
“Wow, this must be big if you’re willing to take a walk on the dark side. What do you suspect?”
“I’m not saying I suspect anything because I don’t completely believe what I’ve heard, and second, I don’t want to sway you either way with whatever information you find. Go into this completely unbiased and put aside your opinions of Edward and his family.”
“You’re the boss, but I just want to go on record as saying I always thought there was something wonky going on, and Edward was much too good to be true.”
“Duly noted.”
“I’ll get on it right away.”
“Thank you, and again, I’m sorry for waking you. You’re a good friend.”
“That means a lot to me.”
She disconnected the call, knowing Willow’s fingers were already frantically flying over her keyboard. Lisbeth also flipped open her laptop and typed in the search engines at her disposal but came up with the same generic information—all claiming the Monroes were titans of the hospitality world with political ties and pristine reputations.
She got rid of a few emails, then called Juliet. What were best friends for if not to call in the early morning hours?
After only two rings, the phone connected. “Hi.” Juliet’s alert—but somewhat winded—voice filtered through the phone. Unlike Willow, Juliet adhered to a strict exercise schedule, which included an early morning run in the Hollywood Hills.
“Hey.” Lisbeth struggled with how to phrase the rest of this conversation. “How are you?”
“Good . . . and very curious as to why you’re calling me before six a.m. on a Sunday morning.”
Lisbeth huffed out a breath. “It’s been a rather interesting weekend, and I think I’ve reached an important decision.”
“Finally, come to your senses and call off your wedding to the most boring man in the world?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t go getting all mad—w-what did you say?”
“I haven’t exactly done it yet, but yes, I’m flying to LA later today to end it with Edward.” Saying the words aloud made her heart beat faster against her ribs.
“Oh, my God, I was only kidding. Are you sure? What made you change your mind? At your bachelorette, you were saying he was the man for you and—wait, you hooked up with Samson, didn’t you?”
