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“I don’t think the cars were actually following you. I think they were following me. But Ahmadi must have put the pattern together whenever you came around and Mullen snapped pictures of the cars.”
“Why didn’t he just tell us that?”
“Because, whatever else he is, he’s a sociopathic billionaire. I’m sure he enjoys making us work for the information.”
“I can see it. He’s very cold. But he told you he couldn’t determine who it was, right?”
“Right.”
“So he wasn’t able to trace the license plates, right?”
“Probably.”
“What does that mean?”
“It could mean one of a few things—none of them great. I hope we’ll know more after we talk to Potomac.”
As they walked on, she linked her arm through his and snuggled into his side.
“I’m glad you told me.” She leaned up and kissed him on his jawline.
“Does that mean you forgive me for leaving town without telling you?”
She took her time answering. “It means I’m considering forgiving you.”
“Ouch.”
“Well, Ahmadi’s not the only person who wants to make you work for it.”
He gave a grudging laugh. “I earned that.”
“I’m glad you realize it. Now, about this hotel room, how many beds does it have?”
“Oh, don’t worry,” he said. “We’re not going to need to have a cot sent up.”
“Really?”
“Wait and see.”
8
The lobbyof the Savoir Faire Hotel oozed with understated elegance. Every surface shined and sparkled; the enormous vases were filled to bursting with lush arrangements of flowers in bloom; and the furniture placed strategically throughout the space looked inviting, comfortable, and luxe.
“Why are you staying here?” Leilah whispered as their footsteps echoed with each step across the vast gleaming marble lobby.
She wasn’t unfamiliar with affluence. The racing world was filled with drippingly rich team owners. But the vibe in racing was flashy and ostentatious, whereas the Savoir Faire whispered its wealth.
“I needed a place that wouldn’t raise an eyebrow at cash, and this one happens to be convenient to the archive.”
“Wait,thishotel is accustomed to taking cash?”
“A lot of emissaries, diplomats, delegates, unofficial ambassadors—power brokers from foreign countries—stay here. When people like that go abroad, many of them prefer to deal in cash, in the local currency.”
“Why?”
“I have no idea, and, frankly, I’m not sure I want to know. Whatever the case, nobody blinked when I paid the first night’s bill in hundreds.”
He led her past a tea room, a French restaurant, and a swanky bar to a bank of elevators that required a key card for specific floors. She glimpsed a couture dress shop and a chocolate shop down the hall.
