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Lisa’s gaze darted between Luca, me and the door. “I think that makes sense. I saw Ava Saturday night. We worked the late shift. She left early, maybe around four in the morning. I stayed behind to clean up.” She sniffled and wiped her running mascara. “The following weekend, I happened to see her face in the newspaper. I don’t even read the paper. I was helping my daughter with a school project. I covered the floor. so she wouldn’t make a mess. And there she was. Ava’s story wasn’t even a full column.”
“I know.” Luca rubbed the side of his face. He did that slow blink he always did when he was extremely annoyed. “It was as if she’d made the news only because the paper had nothing else to print that day. Her death was a filler story.” He shot to his feet. “So what happened? There has to be a reason. She was killed shortly after she left the mansion.”
Lisa covered her ears with her hands. “I have a daughter. I can’t get involved.”
“You have to, Lisa.” I reached for her knee. “An innocent woman was killed. Your friend was killed. Was she your friend?”
“She was.” Lisa nodded. “We started the same day. The staff is so cliquey. She was kind of stuck with me since the beginning.” She let out a sad laugh. “I’ve wanted to quit since she disappeared. But the money is too good. I wouldn’t make a third of what I make here if I waitressed at a regular restaurant.”
“Is the money so good that you’re willing to put up with people like Nathan?” I scoffed.
“It is.” She met my gaze. Her mouth moved as if she wanted to speak but couldn’t.
“What is his deal? Daddy issues?” I scrunched my nose to make it sound funny.
The heaviness of the situation seemed to cling to the air in the room. Lisa wanted to tell us everything she knew, but she was scared.
“Nathan didn’t want me to talk to him.” She pointed at Luca. “He warned me to stay away if I wanted to keep my job.”
The day he assaulted me I asked him if he had killed Ava. At the time, I had said it to throw him off. I didn’t realize I had hit a nerve. “He knows we know Ava was killed.”
“He acted like he didn’t know she was gone.” Luca studied Lisa’s features.
“We all know. But we can’t say anything. Not that it matters. They have no proof.”
“They?” Santino leaned forward. “As in, you do?”
“I don’t know what I have.” She pressed her hand to her forehead, taking a few breaths. “Her last night at the club, she gave me a memory card for safe keeping. She told me not to tell anyone I had it. And she made me promise I wouldn’t look at the contents. I did as she asked.”
“Why didn’t you start there?” Enzo blew out a breath. “Why yank our chains for twenty minutes?”
“Because she didn’t know we were the good guys.” I stood and wedged myself between Enzo and Lisa. “We practically kidnapped her to bring her here.”
“I didn’t kidnap her. She wanted to come.” Santino smiled at her.
“Omigod.” She dropped her head between her thighs. “I’m so embarrassed. I’m not a sex worker. We’re encouraged to say yes to members if we want to. And we get to keep the tips.”
“Okay.” I pushed Enzo back into his seat. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way. Can we see this card? What kind of card is it?”
“It’s a SanDisk. You know the kind you stick in those old school cameras?”
“Do you still have it?”
“I got rid of it. I’m sorry.”
“Jesus Christ. We’re going around in circles.” Luca paced the length of the room. “I think she’s working with Nathan. Or he got to her.”
“I’m not working with anyone.” She stood. And for the first time since she got here, she didn’t seem so afraid. “Ava was my friend. I’m telling you the truth. There is a memory card. I can tell you how to get it.”
Enzo opened his mouth, but I beat him to it. “That can be helpful. What did you do with it?”
She shifted her attention to Santino. “I should’ve known. You were too good to be true.”
“What, you don’t think this is fun?” He gestured to the room at large before he dropped the act. “I can still make good on my promise.” He furrowed his brows, then shot a quick glance over to me before he spoke to her. “This place gives me the willies. What time do you get off? I have this condition. I can’t say no to redheads.”
“Are you serious right now?” I shoved him away from her. “She’s our key witness.”
“Okay, calm down, Sherlock.” Santino put up his arms in mock surrender. “She seemed disappointed. I hate to disappoint women. Especially one that looks like that.”
