Debra Webb - Colby Velocity

“That should make life a lot simpler.” Rocky plucked a cold French fry from his plate and popped it into his mouth. “For the case anyway.”

Kendra let the innuendo slide. She moistened her lips, shouldn’t have stared at his, but it was difficult not to. He had very generous lips for a man. Everything about him was a contradiction. His appearance gave away nothing of his past life. His slow, methodical manner of conversing totally belied his state school academic record. The man was incredibly smart and far more insightful than he apparently wanted anyone to know, including his current partner.

And yet he didn’t seem to get how this was going to play out. “Nothing about this investigation will be simple,” she warned. “This is a community filled with secrets and powerful people who know how to keep the important ones—unless it benefits them somehow to share those secrets. We’ll have to dig deeper and work harder for every single detail.”

Rocky propped his forearms on the table and leaned forward. “Good thing neither of us is the type to surrender without a fight.”

She resisted the impulse to recline deeper into the faux leather of the booth to regain those few inches of distance he had claimed. He’d done this at the hotel when he’d insisted on opening the door to her room and seeing her inside before going to his room next door. He’d gotten closer than he’d dared before, had looked her directly in the eyes and spoke quietly as if what he had to say wasn’t to be overheard. That it was somehow intimate. Maybe it was her imagination but she hadn’t noticed him doing that before.

She would be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that he’d made her shiver. Something no other man had done with such ease.

Quite possibly she was making too much of it. She’d had zero sleep and Yoni’s murder had her on an emotional ledge. She stared at her untouched food. Her appetite was AWOL. But she needed to eat. Coffee alone wouldn’t keep her on her toes.

She kept replaying every moment of last night’s meeting with Yoni. What had she missed? Had he said anything at all that should have clued her in to the fact that he was in imminent danger?

How could she call herself a private investigator when she’d completely misread the urgency in a potential client she knew so well?

“You shouldn’t beat yourself up.”

Kendra blinked. So now he was a mind reader? “I was just—”

“Thinking how you should have seen this coming?”

Definitely a mind reader. “Maybe.” Surely she’d missed something relevant in last night’s meeting. Something he’d said …

“He failed to tell you everything.”

She wanted to challenge that assessment. To defend her friend … she had known Yoni as well as anyone who’d worked with him could have. But logic told her that Rocky had pegged the situation. Yoni had been worried enough to contact her, to draw her from her new life. Yet he hadn’t once mentioned fear for his safety … only for his professional reputation.

“It’s possible he had no idea the source of the threat would go this far,” she proposed. “Frankly, his murder may prove unrelated to his reasons for coming to me. There’s no way to guess.”

“But you don’t believe that,” Rocky suggested with equal conviction.

“No.” Rocky was her partner in this assignment. Choosing not to be completely honest served no purpose. “I believe there is more … that he didn’t tell me.” It pained her to say as much, but it was true. “If that proves the case, then he had a compelling reason for leaving me in the dark.” Yoni wouldn’t knowingly put anyone in danger.

Rocky pulled out his wallet and dropped payment for their lunch on the table. “All we have to do is determine what that reason was.”

Kendra reached for the check the waitress had left, then for her purse.

“It goes on the same expense log,” Rocky reminded before sliding from the booth.

Giving herself a mental kick for again being slow on the uptake, she scooted across the bench seat and stood. “We should get into position to intercept Castille.”

“Since you know the way, why don’t you drive?” He gestured for her to go ahead of him.

She inhaled a whiff of his aftershave as she turned to go. The scent caught her off guard. She’d spent the last several hours in his company, seated right next to him and it wasn’t until this moment she noticed the earthy masculinity of it. Despite the abundance of food smells surrounding her, his scent abruptly reached out and permeated her senses.

Sleep deprived. Frayed nerves. Too much caffeine.

After a good night’s sleep she would be more herself.

But her friend would still be dead.

THE BROODING ARCHITECTURE of the exclusive club blended into the row of brick and limestone structures that flanked the tree-lined street far enough from Pennsylvania Avenue to allow some semblance of separation.

Luck appeared to be on Kendra’s side as she leaned against the bar on the side of the expansive dining room opposite the lobby entrance. The afternoon shift bartender who’d worked at the club three years ago was still on staff. He’d not only allowed Kendra and Rocky inside, he’d seated them at the bar with a wide-angle view of the entrance Castille would assuredly use.

“I’m still in shock.” Drea James shook his head as he checked his stock of liquors and whiskeys. “Yoni always made it a point to stop at the bar and say hello whenever he was here.” Drea shrugged, the shock he spoke of evident in the listless move. “It’s crazy. What’s happening to this world?” He reached down for a replacement bottle of bourbon.

“Was he still dating that girl …?” Using a cliched ruse, Kendra tapped her forehead as if she was attempting to recall the name.

“Leigh?” Drea frowned. “I don’t think so. He always said he was too busy for a real social life.” After a moment’s contemplation, he added, “She still asks about him though.”

“Really?” Kendra feigned surprise. Yoni not only hadn’t mentioned a girl, neither had his parents. “Maybe she hoped they would get together again.”

“Wishful thinking,” Drea said somberly. He glanced around, then leaned across the bar. “Don’t get me wrong, Leigh’s a cool chick, but Yoni was way out of her league. That dude was going places.” He pointed to Rocky’s glass. “More sparkling?”

Rocky held his hand over his glass. “No thanks.”

The bartender turned his attention back to Kendra. “I figure that’s the only reason Leigh worked so hard to get a job waitressing here. She’s looking for a sugar daddy. Know what I mean?”

Definitely. “I’d like to ask her a few questions. Will she be working tonight?” Whether she was seeing Yoni now or not, anything this Leigh person had noticed or overheard could prove useful.

“Not tonight.” Drea furrowed his brow thoughtfully. “Tomorrow night for sure.”

“Maybe I could call her?” Kendra prodded. She wanted the woman’s last name and address if she could get one or both.

Drea shook his head again. “I can’t get over you being a PI now. That’s wild.”

“It’s a different world,” Kendra agreed. Telling Drea that Yoni had visited her in Chicago hadn’t been on her agenda but the detail had compelled the bartender to open up. Yoni spent a lot of time in places like this meeting with colleagues and contacts. Any information she could obtain from this man might fill in numerous gaps. “The work has taught me that even the most seemingly insignificant detail can make all the difference in an investigation.”

Again Drea appeared to contemplate her words. As if he’d suddenly remembered something he picked up a pen and grabbed a cocktail napkin. “This is Leigh’s cell number.” He scribbled on the napkin. “And her address.” He pushed the napkin across the bar. “You tell her I said she needs to share anything she knows with you.”