“He did that to you?” Fury clouds my vision. “Where is he now?”
“Nobody knows. He got what he wanted from us and disappeared back into the hole he crawled out of.”
“I’ll find him, and I’ll make sure he gets what he deserves.” If I don’t kill him first.
Her eyebrow arches. “Now you’re a hero? At my mother’s apartment, you refused that title.”
“I’ve learned life is a little more nuanced than I once thought.”
“Nuanced? How does a homicide detective accommodate nuance in the search for justice? It sounds like letting people off with a warning.”
“Nuance and justice are not opposites. I’m a private investigator with a focus on homicide, there’s a difference. I have a victim, and it’s up to me to find the perp and bring him or her to justice.”
“So you’re the Dark Knight? He ended up not being so heroic, didn’t he?”
“I don’t know about fictional characters. I live in the real world, and it’s time you did the same.”
She pulls her robe tighter and attempts to pass me. “Why didn’t you help me?”
Reaching out, I stop her by the shoulders. “I helped you the only way I could in the middle of active duty. I got you out of a bad situation.”
“You left Hana alone and exposed.” She pulls away from my grasp, turning her back to me. “As a Marine, you should know not to leave a man behind.”
“My choice was helping you.”
“I didn’t ask for your help.”
“Didn’t you?” That night is vivid in my memory. “I remember you getting very close and personal.”
She shakes her head. “You were offended. Or disgusted.”
“I was twenty-one, and you were sixteen. I was smart.”
“What are you now?” Her chin lifts, and she looks up at me.
My eyes slide from her full lips down her neck to her full breasts. The beautiful girl is now a gorgeous woman, and I want her so much. Only, there’s too much anger between us. I don’t like it, so I give her space.
“Now I’m tired. We should get some sleep. We’ve got a lot of work to do tomorrow.”
6
Blake
“Remember when we would slide down it?” Hana stands at the foot of the grand staircase in Uncle Hugh’s estate, our family home, running her hand down the wide railing.
“You were the only one small enough to slide down the banister. It hurt my hoo-hoo.”
Dirk gave us permission to come today and look for clues. After a fitful night of not sleeping, fighting all my twisted emotions, I finally drifted off at dawn. Hana always sleeps until noon, but it was a first for me. Dirk was at the house when I ventured downstairs in search of coffee, and he assured me the place had been swept by their team.
Actually, he encouraged me to come here and see if I could find anything unusual, missing, or new–anything I didn’t recognize. Norris led me to this office.
“If I can get you anything, Miss Blake, or if you have any questions, please ask.” The old butler had been so distraught. “We need to get your uncle back.”
“I agree.” I smiled, giving his hand a squeeze, and he left us alone.
Now I’m hesitating at the door while my sister lifts her old-school Canon EOS camera to her eye and snaps a photo of the grand entryway. “Are you planning to document the house?”
“For starters.” Rapid clicks fill the silence. “It’s amazing.”
I look up at the tall ceiling surrounded by the large, rectangular, second-floor balcony. Uncle Hugh’s home is more like a castle with dark, polished-wood paneling and ornate brass fixtures. It reminds me of something out of a classic Hollywood film, where the women wore beaded gowns all day and the men wore suits and fedoras.
“Is that a kitten?” Hana takes off towards the back hall, and I exhale a sigh, going into my uncle’s pristine office.
Everything that happened between Hutch and me last night presses on my mind. I’ve hated him so much and so long for what he did, for meddling in something that didn’t involve him, only to find out now his motive was personal.
All I saw was the threat from Victor to my family.
All he saw was the threat from Victor to me.
He did what he did to keep me safe. He never considered I would never choose my own safety over Hana’s. Or perhaps if he did, he didn’t care, and I don't know what to do with that. I never believed he felt more than annoyance towards me.
Speaking of annoying new information, a text from a blocked number appeared on my phone this morning. Apparently, the anonymous note was all theatrics. This dickhead knows my contact info, and he’s gotten bolder.
Skipping town will only set the clock forward. Fifty thousand, one week, or the video goes viral. -Papi-O
The price is going up.
I stared at the screen for a long time trying to decide what to do. If I’m going to play ball and keep this shit under wraps, I’ll have to reply. At the same time, I haven’t looked at this alleged porn film. It could be a hoax. Anonymous notes, blocked numbers, and ridiculous names do not inspire a lot of confidence.
Hutch claims he’s here to protect us, but if I show it to him, it’ll confirm all the bad things he thinks about my sister. No, I’d rather save him as a last resort if I can’t sort this out myself.
Fifty grand is more than my monthly allowance, but if I make a partial payment, it’s possible I can keep this guy appeased.
My brow is furrowed as I take a book off my uncle’s desk. It’s a ledger with names and amounts in it, like a list of payments for services, but it doesn’t make any sense. Sidorov, Alexeyev, Ivanov… Why was my uncle dealing with eastern Europeans?
“Hey, girl, what’s the good news?” Dirk interrupts my thoughts, and I glance up to see him standing in the doorway with that giant, scary, tattooed guy behind him.
“Not much.” I hand him the book. “Have you seen this?”
He takes it, scanning the names and numbers quickly. “It looks like a basic accounting ledger. Do you know more about it?”
“I have no idea about anything anymore, but it’s odd that all the names are foreign. Is there an eastern European community in Hamiltown?”
The big guy steps forward, and his brow furrows as he looks at the page. He doesn’t speak.
“I’ll ask Hutch if he knows anything about this.” Dirk squints one eye up at me. “If you don't mind?”
Shrugging, I hold out my hands. “Go for it. I hadn’t seen my uncle in years, so I’m sure Hutch knows more than I do about his business dealings.”
Hana bursts through a different door, chasing a bouncy orange tabby cat. Her cheeks are pink, and her blonde curls are slightly frizzled around her face.
She looks better than she has in a long time. “Is it okay if I run down to the stables? I want to photograph the horses.”
I look from her to our guards–I’m pretty sure Hutch told them to keep an eye on us, Mr. “I promised to protect you.”
Big and Tatted clears his throat, and Dirk gives him a nod. “Scar can walk down with her. Just to be sure everything’s okay.”