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Lorelei’s gaze flicked toward Detective Hartley, who was sitting with his supervisor, but she just as quickly refocused on Brook. Their client seemed to want to say something about the detective’s presence, but she smiled at her husband instead.
“Shall we?”
Brook monitored the couple as they turned to one another on the edge of the dance floor. Robert took Lorelei in his arms and began to move in time with the music that had conveniently slowed in tempo.
“Adeline Murphy seems very fixated on you,” Theo observed as he crossed his ankle over his knee. The empty chairs around the table seemed to amplify their privacy. “For claiming that she likes to keep to herself, she’s certainly turning over a new leaf.”
“I have a feeling that she’s only here because of Sophia.” Brook absently traced the rim of her coffee cup. Her thoughts turned to the family dynamic between the two women. “If we are to assume that Sophia doesn’t know that her mother gave Adeline up for adoption a few years before giving birth to Sophia, there is a good chance that Sophia’s anger would push both Francis and Adeline away.”
“I thought that maybe Kingston was Sophia’s father until I got a look at the man whose name was listed on her birth certificate. There is no mistaking that Sophia resembles her biological father.”
“Adeline wants a sister as much as she wants to forge a relationship with her mother,” Brook reasoned as she casually glanced in the woman’s direction. She was sitting next to the same woman from earlier. “I don’t believe that Martin Kingston has revealed to Francis that their biological daughter has been in town for almost a year.”
“Do you think Kingston paid Adeline off? I guess that would make sense considering that Adeline has remained silent this entire time.”
“Maybe.” The more Brook thought about Theo’s assumption, the more she gave it credence. “Run with it. See if you can’t get a response from Adeline. I’m going to try and have a private conversation with Lauren Kim. It seems that she is about to leave the dining room.”
Theo stood and took hold of the chair so that Brook didn’t have to push back so hard. She thanked him as she picked up her clutch, sidestepping the table as they each went their separate ways. Bit had been unusually quiet during the meal, only offering up one piece of information regarding Rachel Lee—her vehicle was in the parking lot of the country club. That meant she was in attendance and filling in for her roommate.
Brook intended to seek Rachel Lee right after having a brief discussion with Lauren Kim. The artist had slipped through the crowd before Brook had been able to see which direction she’d gone after leaving the dining room.
“Excuse me,” Brook murmured as she cut through a large group of people. Their stares were rather intense, and they made no pretense that they were curious as to what had caught her interest.
Lauren wasn’t anywhere near the attendant in charge of the coats, which meant that she’d gone in the direction of the restrooms. Only she wasn’t one of the women standing in front of the large mirror, but there was a good chance that Lauren was occupying one of the stalls. Brook purposefully took the time to reapply a coat of lipstick, having to go so far as to wash her hands to buy more time. Unfortunately, the women who had been inside one of the two stalls hadn’t been Lauren.
Bit would have mentioned if Lauren had left the country club.
Was there another restroom that Brook wasn’t aware of down the hall? There was only one way to find out, so Brook slipped out through the door while two women were busy washing their hands. Holding the door open for someone entering, Brook then stepped to the side and took advantage of the lull in foot traffic.
The plush carpet that had transitioned from the marble tile in the front foyer had thankfully cushioned the faint clicking of her high heels as she continued advancing down the hallway. It stood to reason that if Lauren hadn’t left for the evening and she hadn’t needed to use the facilities, she would have had to gone in this direction.
Brook wasn’t sure what excuse that she would use if someone questioned why she was in a restricted area, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it. The holiday music became more distant the farther she ventured down the passageway, and she eventually came to a stop.
Right or left?
Brook glanced over her shoulder to find a few women advancing toward the restroom. Not wanting them to catch sight of her, Brook made the swift decision to turn left. She brought herself up short the moment muffled voices could be heard from behind one of the numerous doors that lined the long hallway. She could only assume that she was in the administrative area.
“…done with all the charades, Maxwell. Done. We should have come out to your friends this past summer, but I let you convince me to keep our relationship a secret.”
“Do you want your art devalued? We never would have been able to have the exhibit last night. Everyone would have believed that I was favoring you, and that you didn’t get to be where you are by your own merit.”
Maxwell had stressed the meaning behind his words, but the tinge of frustration in his tone betrayed him. Whether or not Lauren could decipher between the two was unknown, but she didn’t come across to Brook as a fool.
“I don’t give a shit about others’ opinions. You’re the one who came up with that excuse, and I’m sick and tired of sneaking around like we’re doing something wrong. We’re adults. You don’t get to bring your arm candy to an event like this and then get to crawl in bed with me afterward.”
“Where are you going?” Maxwell demanded, almost causing Brook to leave her position next to the doorframe. “Lauren, the art world can be very unforgiving. I’ve seen how quickly perceptions can change. You don’t want to—”
“End things?” Lauren’s laugh was hollow. “You’re damn right I do. I’ll expect my payment for last night’s paintings by Monday morning, nine o’clock sharp. Consider our work relationship terminated, and as for our so-called relationship? You can go to hell.”
Brook had managed to time Lauren’s exit speech so that she was at the restroom’s door when Lauren came around the corner. Their gazes locked, and Brook gave the women a small smile in greeting.
“Lauren, I didn’t expect to see you this evening.”
“Business. Like yourself,” Lauren replied wryly without stopping.
“I didn’t get the chance to congratulate you on last night’s success.”
While Lauren still didn’t stop to continue a conversation that she clearly didn’t want to have, her steps did slow to the point that Brook was able to gradually catch up to her without appearing to be in any type of hurry.
