Tied Bond (Holly Woods Files, #4) (27 page)

“Yeah.. but it’s already known that he was a shitty husband, right? He cheated on your mom with Rosie, even though Rosie was an innocent party. Gullible, but innocent.”

“How do you think he met Mom?” Drake raises his eyebrows. “He told her the same thing, but she’ll never admit it because she’s too ashamed that she was gullible like Rosie. She’s too proud to admit she fell for such an old trick.”

“Right. So he has two ex-wives, and he cheated on them both. Excellent. Sounds like he should have signed a Serial Adulterer register or something.”

“Or gone on Jerry Springer. It’s pretty much the same thing.”

“True that. But think how easy it would be—you can check the sex offenders’ registry to see if a guy’s a rapist or whatever. How much nicer and happier would society be if adulterers had to sign one if that was the reason cited for divorce?” I tilt my head to the side. “So many people would save themselves so much heartbreak.”

“And you’d be out of a job, sweetheart, because you make eighty percent of your income by finding these adulterers.”

“Well, not out of a job. I’d have less work, but there would be first-time cheaters to catch still. Although I suppose you’re right. Heartbreak does pay my bills.”

“And for your shoes.” He snorts.

“Then it’s settled. No Serial Adulterer register needed.”

He laughs. “How did I know that’d sway you?”

“Because a pair of shoes are to me what orgasms are to porn stars? Precious, and when you get a good one, you pounce on it.”

“I have no idea how I lived before your flawless analogies.”

“It must have been just so boring.” I shake my head. “Can you tell me? About Wally? What it was like with him around? You must have spent some time with Kat when y’all were teenagers, right?”

“Sure. Mostly school breaks. She’d come for every one except for spring and every other Christmas when they were together.” He rubs his thumb along his jaw. “We didn’t really get along. I’m pretty sure she actually had a crush on me when she was thirteen.”

I roll my eyes.

He grins. “It made it hard, though, y’know? I didn’t really know her because she was here so infrequently, and because she didn’t know anyone else, she spent most of her breaks in her own little bubble. She used to run around town getting any and all kind of information for fake journalism stories.”

“I think your mom told me that, actually.”

“Probably. It used to drive her crazy. They’d go grocery shopping and then Kat’d disappear into thin air only to reappear again at the end of the trip. It was insane.”

“What was her relationship like with Wally?”

“What’s any teenage girl’s relationship like with their dad who they barely see?”

“Probably not great,” I admit. “But wouldn’t that have changed? Like, after he started teaching her how to run the business and stuff.”

“I don’t know, babe. Honestly. That stuff happened after Mom divorced him. Kat was barely sixteen when they broke up, and I didn’t see her again after that summer until the funeral yesterday. Then she didn’t even speak to me.” He sighs. “Why so many questions?”

“She got lumped with a business she probably doesn’t want. It’s struggling... She’d have a hard time selling a company barely turning a profit... Wally’s life insurance policy is insane... Think about it. He obviously screwed up her childhood. He cheated on her mom, divorced her, remarried, then rinsed and repeated his mistakes from his first marriage. He took away her stable family home to give her back a kind of stable family, but he took it away again because he couldn’t control himself. If she killed him and framed your mom, the life insurance policy would be enough that she could invest a couple of hundred grand into the business to make it strong. Then, when it recovered fully, she could sell it and make it back and more.”

“You’ve definitely watched too many episodes of
Forensic Files
—”

“lf such a thing were possible.”

“—but I have to admit, this makes perfect sense.” Drake shrugs. “The only problem is that I’m pretty sure her alibi checks out. You’d have to call Jason—and when I say that, I mean at a normal time of the day, sweetheart—and see what he says. He probably took her alibi.”

I sigh heavily and lean forward, resting my chin on my hands. “I’ll tell you something—if I get your mom out of this and in the unlikely event that we ever have kids, that’s a lifetime of babysitting booked right there.”

His lips tug to one side. “You know it.”

“D
o you know who Shane Atkinson is?” Bek pokes her head around my office door. “I had a client come in yesterday and she asked me to follow him, but I can’t find any record of a Shane Atkinson living in Austin or attending college there.”

“Nope, sorry. Has Carlton checked?” I look up from my laptop, where I’m catching up on my personal e-mails.

“Yeah. He says he’s pretty sure it’s a fake name, but without much information, he can’t get to the bottom of it.”

I shrug. “So bring your client back in and tell her that. Although the chances are, if he’s using a fake name, his date of birth and whatever else will be fake too.”

“How does she get the real info?”

“Is she in a relationship with him?”

“Yep.”

“Get his driver’s license from his wallet. That’ll have his real stuff on.”

“Thanks. I dunno why I didn’t think of that.” She laughs at herself. “Do you have a minute?”

“Did Jason call?”

“Yes.”

“Then sure. Come in.”’

“You’re such a bitch.”

“I know. Sit down and get on with it, woman.” I grin and shut my laptop. “What’s up?”

“He wants to go out again, but when this case is over. I’m still not sure. I don’t know if we’ve clicked.” She bites her thumbnail. “I want to think we have, but...”

“Go on the date, Bek.” I tuck my hair behind my ear. “It’s the only way you’re gonna find out.”

She opens her mouth to argue then swiftly closes it again. “You’re right,” she says quietly. “But I’m afraid I don’t want to.”

“You don’t have to go on a third. Just go on the second. Then, if after one full date, it doesn’t feel right, tell him you can’t see him anymore.”

“Knock knock.” Alison appears in my doorway in her work clothes, a sheepish smile on her face. “Sorry. I just wanted to check in on you after last night.”

“What happened last night?” Bek asks us both.

“Trent and I kind of took the reins for Bond Family Dinner Entertainment.” I pause. “It didn’t end well.”

“Noelle, it ended with you going out to your dad’s range and shooting the crap out of a target.” Alison laughs.

“It was the target or Trent. Out of the two, the range is less illegal, but only just.” I smile and look at Bek. “Call your client and see if she can get the guy’s real name. Then advise that she runs away from that relationship.”

“Gotcha.” She gets up. “Dunno why I didn’t think of that, either...” she mutters, walking out of my office.

I shake my head as she goes, and Alison laughs quietly.

“What’s up?”

My sister-in-law looks at me with a sympathetic expression. “I wanted to make sure you’re all right. Trent went way too far last night.”

“I’m fine. Honestly, going to dinner was a mistake anyway. We just need to avoid each other until this case is closed.” It’s the only way we’re going to retain any of our sanity.

“I’m sorry for what he said.” She sits in the chair Bek just got out of. “I’m pretty sure he has a headache this morning from the full force of the family going against him.”

I shrug. “He’s an idiot. What can I say?

“There is that,” she agrees. “Did you mean what you said about the life insurance policy? It was really that much?”

“Yep.” I pull the policy from beneath my laptop and show it to her. “I think Kat is involved. The business is barely running a profit, and I think she hated it.” I finish explaining my theory to her.

“Well, have you checked out the business finances? Carlton could probably find it, right? The less money they’re making, the more likely and realistic your theory is.”

“Do you think so?”

“Of course. You know I wouldn’t say it otherwise. I know Trent is going to get a warrant to search Wally’s house again and see if they can find a copy of the insurance policy, but if you could come up with a motive for Kat to have killed him, then they have to look down other roads of possibilities.”

“Right... Because Gianna’s evidence is circumstantial. She had no motive to kill him.”

“But money would be a motive for Kat.” Alison hands me the policy back. “I know you’re trying to prove she’s innocent—yes, I know, there’s no other reason for y’all to be fighting so bad,” she adds with a smile. “And this wouldn’t exactly put Gianna in the clear, but it’d throw a wrench in the works. You need to pursue this, Noelle. It could be your only chance.”

“I think so too. And, while I do this, you organize girl’s night for tomorrow. I need margaritas and nachos.”

“It’s a date.” She throws me a mischievous smile over her shoulder as she disappears.

“Carltooooon!” I yell. Damn, I’m lazy. Can’t be bothered to get up or even call him.

“What?” He runs into my office, a McDonalds cup in his hand. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just couldn’t be bothered to move.” I smile. “I need you get me the finances for Cotton’s Classic Cars for the last five years. Can you do that?”

“Can I do that? Do you not know me?” He sighs and turns. “I can do anything you ask me, except get video tapes from an unknown and unnamed location. I’ll have these by dinner.”

“Thank you. I promise, when this is done, you can have a day off to blow up your mines or whatever it is you do.”

“Not even dignifying that with an answer.”

I grin.

Point to me.

If Rat Dog is here, I’m going to lose my shit.

I’ve successfully avoided it for a week, and now, I’m hoping to do it again. It was a little disheartening to have to leave the office without having the information Carlton was tracking down for me, and it was only overshadowed by the realization that there would be no quiet dinner for me tonight.

Nice of Drake to break it to me on the phone. In a voice message. All I wanted to do was go home, get into my pajamas, and sleep. That’s it. All I want. But no... Here I am, pulling into Gianna’s driveway for what’s sure to be a dinner as equally awkward as last night, because Drake already told me he’s going to break it to her that he knows she’s my client.

Should have faked a stomach virus.
Rookie mistake
.

Drake’s truck is already here, and I’m equal parts happy and not. Happy because it means he hopefully got the toughest part of the conversation out of the way, but not because it means I’m going in there and it’ll be all sorts of awkward.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

I haven’t had enough sugar today for this. For life, actually. If I could go home, I would.

Is it too late for the stomach virus?

Yep? Thought so. Ugh.

I knock on the door and push it open. Immediately, Rat Dog starts up his high-pitched, shrill yapping. He’s doing it so enthusiastically that he’s actually bouncing off the ground with each bark. I’m torn between telling him where to take his Rat Dog ass and giving him a treat for his enthusiasm.

He’s not much in the way of a scary guard dog, but if I were trying to break in here and this thing started barking the equivalent of a tornado alarm, I’d run like hell in the opposite direction.

“All right, Bentley. Bed!” Gianna demands.

He immediately stops barking and trots off to his bed. He growls as he lies down, and if I were a dog, I’d bite his damn head off.

Gio and Bentley—one is attempting a love affair with me and the other wants to kill me.

What’s the middle, here? A goldfish? Cat? Turtle?

Probably the turtle. They don’t care much.

“I don’t know what it is about you,
cara.
He just doesn’t like you.”

“Yeah, well,” I say to Gianna, “the feeling is entirely mutual, as you know. If he weren’t yours, I’d have hit him with a frying pan by now.”

“I don’t doubt it.” She smiles, but it drops quickly. “Drake told me he knows.”

“Sorry.” I wince. “It kind of happened when he was put on leave. I couldn’t hide it.”