to have an “in” with Maddox too. I didn’t know what Solomon would say about me asking Maddox for help, but I figured since he knew everything, he probably already knew Maddox was working Katya's murder.
"Who is on your list?" I asked.
"Everyone." We laughed at the futility of our lengthy lists. "So, you want to put our heads together on this?" Maddox asked.
"Does that mean you want to see the blackmail letters?" I tossed back.
"Sure, but it would be good to get your thoughts too, since I don't suppose I can convince you to take a nice, safe case?"
"Nope, you can't," I smiled. I decided against telling him I'd already tried to remove myself from the case and gotten shot down. "Okay. I'm going to head home, but I'll share the letters if you share the autopsy and forensic findings. Deal?"
"Deal," Maddox agreed. "Although you know, I could just requisition the letters without making any deals with you?"
I did know that, so I just laughed and began to clear my plate.
"No, leave it. I'll clear the plates. It was nice having dinner with you."
"Yeah, I enjoyed it too."
"Better than eating alone, right?"
I nodded, stepping past him to retrieve my coat from the entryway. I grabbed it from the peg, turning to pull it over my shoulders when I knocked a couple of envelopes to the floor. I reached for them, intending to return them to the small shelf. As I turned them over, the top item wasn't in an envelope, and I blinked in surprise as I looked at it. A booking for two at a romantic, little inn near Lake Pierce for the weekend. Hurriedly, I dropped the papers onto the shelf, and turned as Maddox stepped into the entryway.
"Don't forget your ice cream," he said, handing me the carton. "I'll call you tomorrow."
Chapter Seven
"How do you know it's a romantic getaway?" Lily asked. I was lying in bed, and the first thing I'd done upon waking was make a coffee, return to bed, and call Lily.
"I'll send you the website. It's gorgeous. Ten bedrooms all individually styled. Queen-sized beds. Freestanding bathtubs. Views either above the lake, or the gardens. Couples massages. Do I need to say more? I've been trying to get a free weekend with Solomon to go there over the last few months."
"Definitely not taking his mom," said Lily. "Did you ask who he is taking?"
"No! I put the papers back on the shelf and pretended I didn't see them."
"What happened then?" Lily gasped.
"He gave me my ice cream and we hugged and kissed..."
"Say what?!"
"On the cheek, Lily! And then I left and came home and found four missed calls from Solomon."
"Did you call him back and tell him you couldn't answer because you were having an intimate dinner for two with your ex on the table where you once did it?" Lily asked breathlessly.
"No, I said my phone was in my purse and I didn't hear it."
"Oh. So, what are you going to do now?"
"Nothing."
"That's not much fun. I thought we could stake out Maddox and find out who his new girlfriend is. What if it's that detective? The one he may or may not have done the nasty with?"
"He swears he didn't and I believe him and... I don't know. What if it is her?" I asked, thinking of Detective Rebecca Blake. I hadn't heard her name in a while and didn't know what happened to her after Maddox joined the FBI.
"We need to find out."
"We don't. I don't. This is his personal business."
Lily snorted. "Sure it is. That's why we're analyzing it at seven thirty. Let's face it, I'm dying to know and so are you."
"I'm not stalking my ex."
"It's not stalking if he doesn't know about it. We all know that. I think it's the law."
"I'm pretty sure it's not."
"But are you positive?"
I thought about it. "Yes, I'm positive stalking Maddox is not okay."
"So you're going to ask him instead?"
"No!"
"Good thing. You can never show casual interest in your ex's new smooch-partner. That is the law. I'm positive about that one."
"I agree. Do I tell him I saw his booking? Or pretend I know nothing and wait
"Who is on your list?" I asked.
"Everyone." We laughed at the futility of our lengthy lists. "So, you want to put our heads together on this?" Maddox asked.
"Does that mean you want to see the blackmail letters?" I tossed back.
"Sure, but it would be good to get your thoughts too, since I don't suppose I can convince you to take a nice, safe case?"
"Nope, you can't," I smiled. I decided against telling him I'd already tried to remove myself from the case and gotten shot down. "Okay. I'm going to head home, but I'll share the letters if you share the autopsy and forensic findings. Deal?"
"Deal," Maddox agreed. "Although you know, I could just requisition the letters without making any deals with you?"
I did know that, so I just laughed and began to clear my plate.
"No, leave it. I'll clear the plates. It was nice having dinner with you."
"Yeah, I enjoyed it too."
"Better than eating alone, right?"
I nodded, stepping past him to retrieve my coat from the entryway. I grabbed it from the peg, turning to pull it over my shoulders when I knocked a couple of envelopes to the floor. I reached for them, intending to return them to the small shelf. As I turned them over, the top item wasn't in an envelope, and I blinked in surprise as I looked at it. A booking for two at a romantic, little inn near Lake Pierce for the weekend. Hurriedly, I dropped the papers onto the shelf, and turned as Maddox stepped into the entryway.
"Don't forget your ice cream," he said, handing me the carton. "I'll call you tomorrow."
Chapter Seven
"How do you know it's a romantic getaway?" Lily asked. I was lying in bed, and the first thing I'd done upon waking was make a coffee, return to bed, and call Lily.
"I'll send you the website. It's gorgeous. Ten bedrooms all individually styled. Queen-sized beds. Freestanding bathtubs. Views either above the lake, or the gardens. Couples massages. Do I need to say more? I've been trying to get a free weekend with Solomon to go there over the last few months."
"Definitely not taking his mom," said Lily. "Did you ask who he is taking?"
"No! I put the papers back on the shelf and pretended I didn't see them."
"What happened then?" Lily gasped.
"He gave me my ice cream and we hugged and kissed..."
"Say what?!"
"On the cheek, Lily! And then I left and came home and found four missed calls from Solomon."
"Did you call him back and tell him you couldn't answer because you were having an intimate dinner for two with your ex on the table where you once did it?" Lily asked breathlessly.
"No, I said my phone was in my purse and I didn't hear it."
"Oh. So, what are you going to do now?"
"Nothing."
"That's not much fun. I thought we could stake out Maddox and find out who his new girlfriend is. What if it's that detective? The one he may or may not have done the nasty with?"
"He swears he didn't and I believe him and... I don't know. What if it is her?" I asked, thinking of Detective Rebecca Blake. I hadn't heard her name in a while and didn't know what happened to her after Maddox joined the FBI.
"We need to find out."
"We don't. I don't. This is his personal business."
Lily snorted. "Sure it is. That's why we're analyzing it at seven thirty. Let's face it, I'm dying to know and so are you."
"I'm not stalking my ex."
"It's not stalking if he doesn't know about it. We all know that. I think it's the law."
"I'm pretty sure it's not."
"But are you positive?"
I thought about it. "Yes, I'm positive stalking Maddox is not okay."
"So you're going to ask him instead?"
"No!"
"Good thing. You can never show casual interest in your ex's new smooch-partner. That is the law. I'm positive about that one."
"I agree. Do I tell him I saw his booking? Or pretend I know nothing and wait
Similar Books
