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“Yeah. We’ll see what happens when he shows up at ‘Alicia Rollins’s’ house.”
“You’re those kind of partners?” Nancy asked, startling them both.
They turned to find the older woman giving them an interested stare. Gabe hurried to Nancy’s side, taking her suitcase. Which was enormous.
Nancy was grinning. “I knew it. I picked you two as sweethearts.” She snapped her fingers. “I still got it after all these years.”
Molly laughed. “How long are you staying in Huntsville, ma’am? Six months?”
Nancy shrugged. “Until you say it’s safe for me to come home.” She wagged her finger. “And don’t you leave me hanging, young lady. I expect an update.”
“Absolutely. I promise.”
Tulane-Gravier, New Orleans, Louisiana
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 11:45 A.M.
On the downside, Broussard hadn’t left his office yet. On the upside, the reporters were having a field day wondering who could have been behind the murder of “alleged hit man Cornell Eckert.” So far, they were looking at all of Eckert’s past misdeeds. Or ones he’d been rumored to have committed.
Eckert had been pretty smart. Had never left evidence behind that could convict him. Except for that one time. And then I had him exactly where I wanted him.
Of course, now he’d lost Eckert permanently, but it was what it was.
Lamont closed the browser, silencing one of the reporters in midsentence. They didn’t know their heads from a hole in the ground. Lucky me.
“Sir?” A young woman stood in his doorway uncertainly. It took him a moment to place her. Oh, right. Ashley’s replacement. “Just a reminder that you have lunch with the senator today. Your driver phoned to say he was downstairs waiting. He’s afraid that you’ll be late, what with the traffic and all.”
Shit.He’d forgotten. That wasn’t like him at all. “Thank you, Carrie. I should be back by midafternoon.”
“Very good, sir. Your next appointment isn’t until four.”
He shut down his computer and cleared his desk, feeling rattled. He hadn’t prepared for this meeting and it was important. Like, life-changing important.
This was one of the men he needed on his side for his own Senate run. Drawing a breath, he glanced in the mirror next to his door as he left his office. He looked good.
He looked normal.
He looked senatorial.
Grabbing his briefcase, he left his office, only to run smack-dab into the new guy. The man stepped into his path, forcing him to either shove him out of the way or stop.
Lamont stopped, but let his irritation show through. “Jean-Pierre,” he said evenly. “I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
Jean-Pierre was from New York City, which made him despicable enough, but add to that the earnest way the man looked at every single case and it made Lamont want to vomit.
Lamont had never been that earnest, even when he was just starting out. He’d pretended to be that earnest so that he could snag wife number one, but it had all been a lie. Jean-Pierre was like a damn puppy, panting for scraps. The man had no self-respect at all.
Of course, I might be feeling a little tetchy because he’s Ashley’s new boss.For all of her naivete, she’d kept his office spinning like a top. And she fucked like a porn star. He was going to miss that.
“Lamont.” Jean-Pierre smiled like a movie star. “I won’t keep you. I just wanted to thank you for sending Ashley my way. She’s already organized my schedule and created a database for my cases.”
Lamont forced his lips to curve. He had to be sociable. He hated being sociable. Especially to slick, save-the-world phonies like Jean-Pierre. The man’s name wasn’t even Jean-Pierre, anyway. It was his middle name. His first name was Kaj. What kind of name is that?
Lamont nodded graciously. “You’re most welcome. She was an excellent assistant.”
Jean-Pierre tilted his head, his smile dimming. “Then why did you transfer her to me?”
Oh, so the city slicker has him some teeth. Good to know.He decided to be honest. “Because she’s young and pretty, and I have a jealous wife,” he said ruefully. “There was never anything going on, y’understand, but wives...” He shrugged. “You know how they can be.”
