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Charlie nodded.
“Once they got engaged, he became controlling.” Aubrey wrung her hands. “I told her he wasn’t going to stop after they exchanged vows. Something like that always gets worse. But she wouldn’t listen. She thought he was her Prince Charming.”
No such thing. A perfect example of why Charlie hated fairy tales. Rather than be a damsel in distress, she believed in rescuing herself.
“What happened to Haley?” Aubrey asked.
“I don’t know. I’m trying to piece it together.”
“He used to tell her that if she didn’t do as she was told that he’d make her disappear. I guess he finally made good on that promise. Not the first time, either. You know his first wife died? The newspaper said it was a tragic accident. Stated Seth had been cleared of any suspicion.”
The coincidence of two women Seth had been married to snatched out of his life—one an accident, the other disappeared—was too strong, too far a stretch to be happenstance. Or to be ignored.
“Did you ever hear him threaten Haley?” Charlie asked. “Witness the abuse firsthand?”
Aubrey shook her head. “No. Only what Haley told me.”
Then the cops would dismiss it, calling it hearsay. “When was the last time you spoke to her?”
“It’s been months. Not since Seth started coming to the club almost daily. I noticed he started paying less attention to the girls while he’s here. He’s always meeting with somebody. This is like his second office. I told Haley about it. She asked me to spy on him. But it was too dangerous. I told her no. Then she stopped talking to me. I ran into Rafe a few weeks ago. Asked him how she was doing. But he hadn’t seen her in ages, either.”
“Who’s Rafe?”
“Rafael Martinez. Herfriend,” Aubrey said, using air quotes on the last word.
Maybe Brian was right about a third party. “Was Rafe her lover?”
Aubrey shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, but I kind of got that feeling. Like she was relying on him to help her break free of Seth. Haley had this way with men, of luring them in, making them feel special. As though they were the center of the universe. When she wanted to be, she was mesmerizing.”
“Any idea where I can find Rafe?”
“He works at the floral shop on Grand Avenue.”
“Thanks for talking to me.” Charlie was sure that this conversation could put Aubrey at risk.
“If you really want to thank me, don’t come back here again. Not unless it’s to tell me that you found Haley. Or Seth has been arrested.”
Chapter Six
Charlie pulled into a spot a couple of doors down from The Prickly Poppy floral shop. She took off her baseball cap and ran her fingers through her hair before she climbed out and headed for the door.
“Please tell me this is a happy coincidence,” a familiar male voice said from behind her just as she reached the shop, “and not something that’s going to stick in my craw.”
Swallowing a sigh, she turned on her heel and faced Brian. “Let’s call it a coincidence and leave it at that.” Although surprisingly, she was happy to see him.
“Are you here to buy flowers?” he asked, drawing close enough that she had to tip her head back to meet his eyes.
A quiver ran through her belly, but she steeled herself against it.
Her first instinct was to lie. It would’ve been simpler, avoiding the discussion that they needed to have, but Brian had been a stand-up guy with her to this point. As far as she knew, he hadn’t betrayed her trust. Not only did she owe him honesty, but he also had an easy way about him that made opening up more comforting than cringeworthy. Which was a first for her.
“No, I’m not here for flowers,” she admitted.
“Is the reason going to—”
“Stick in your craw?” she said, finishing his question. “Yeah, I think it will.”
Brian stiffened. “We had an agreement. I’ve kept my end of the bargain. I’m now assigned to the case. Free to investigate. While you’re lying to me, running around, still endangering yourself.”
