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Jesus. Fucking. Christ.
Anger didn’t cut it. I was enraged, my jaw clenched tightly enough an immediate ache bounced into my system.
“What the hell? What plan?”
She looked anxious, as if whatever her father had said to her had broken what little trust or respect she had for the man. “I don’t know. It has something to do with Dr. Davidson. Before you say anything, I didn’t let him in,” she insisted, studying my reaction intently.
“Did you accidentally leave the door unlocked?” There was far more terseness in my voice than I wanted.
She laughed, although there was no joy to the sound. “Are you kidding me? In this city? Not a chance. To be honest with you, I was frightened that he just appeared. I’m being used as a pawn. But why?”
“Why didn’t you tell me? Immediately.” My voice was little more than a growl. “Why? This is my house. The fucker had no right.” Hissing, I looked away, attempting to tamp down my rage. What the fuck was the asshole doing?
“Because I knew you’re become enraged just like you are right now.” She looked away. “And because my father still wants to rule my life.”
“I have every right to be angry.” I rubbed my eyes. The two of us were being used as pawns. What dark game was her father playing? Or was he in the middle of it as well?
“I know.”
“You’re a strong woman, Lark, but I promise you that I won’t allow your father to hurt you.”
“If only you could keep that promise,” she said quietly. “But something tells me someone is trying to dredge up something from your past that you’ve tried hard to keep locked away. There is no doubt my father is behind it. Am I right in that you have a dirty little secret that once exposed could destroy you?”
Goddamn the man. What the hell was he attempting to do, shove blame aside? Frame me for a murder he committed? “Maybe, although it was a long time ago.”
“You need to talk to me. This town has a long memory.”
“You said so yourself. You’re no longer on the case. I would guess by your reaction last night that Jeff was assigned to it.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t matter if there’s something you need to tell me. You don’t know what my father is capable of.”
“And he has no understanding of what I’m capable of. God help him if he finds out.” My booming voice sounded ridiculous even to me, but she didn’t seem fazed in the least.
“Maybe I can help.”
Goddamn the woman. She was sincere.
I jerked up, as if her biting words hurt more than the actual near tragedy years before. “As I said, it was a long time ago and has nothing to do with what happened to that girl.” My insistence held a tone that screamed that her subtle but powerful accusations held merit. She knew it. I knew it.
“Talk to me, Lachlan.” Her tone had softened yet I continued to feel the sting of her required admission.
“You’re off the case. It doesn’t matter.”
“That girl is dead. The second one I mean.” She exhaled, closing her eyes briefly. Her body was trembling.
“Jesus.” Now I was worried. There was no doubt in my mind she’d have a target on her head soon if she didn’t have one already.
“I found the single television you owned and turned it on this morning. They found her body washed up from the Potomac. She’d been strangled; this time there were ligature marks on her neck from a rope. The cotton rope was still attached to her neck. She hadn’t been weighted down, which meant someone wanted her body found. Do you know what that means?” When I didn’t answer right away, she allowed her breathing to become exasperated. “That means it’s possible there’s some crazed lunatic running around out there.”
Exhaling, I almost tossed the mug, the fury racing through me becoming uncontrollable. “The murders have nothing to do with me and you know it.”
“Maybe so, but given Ernest Davidson is a member of your special club, I doubt the police will care. He warned me for a reason. My father warned me for a reason. Tell me what you know.”
I spun around to face her, shaking my head. “What good will that do? The woman he’s accused of killing was an escort. Did you know that?”
It was as if a light bulb went off in her brain. “Oh, my God. Why didn’t I think of it? E.”
“What are you talking about?”
