Page 34 of Connor's Claim
Music thumped, the DJ playing a mix of ‘Closer’ by Nine Inch Nails, an anthem the crowd chanted and moshed along to.
The steps I trotted up vibrated under my feet.
Genevieve leapt from a booth and embraced me, so pretty in her long black skirt and silver cropped top which displayed a toned belly. A bejewelled choker covered her throat, sparkling in the light.
Perched on the table with her expensive heels on the leather seat, Cassie gave me a wave then hopped down.
The two of them directed me behind the bar to a staff-only cloakroom, Genevieve shutting the door on the noise, and on Mick.
Taking a seat on a bench, she regarded me. “I’m glad Shade decided to let you out.”
I laughed. “I went to work all day, too, so I guess I’ve been a good little prisoner. What are we doing in the staffroom?”
“We can have a drink and a dance in a minute, but it’s too noisy out there to hear each other, let alone concentrate.”
“Yup, and we have business to attend to.” Cassie leaned against the door. Her tiger-stripe black-and-gold dress had long sleeves and a high collar but was ultrashort, baring toned legs.
Even more, I was grateful to Connor for bringing me the less formal dress. It might not have been made for clubbing, but if I’d worn a suit dress here, I would’ve felt so out of place. I took a seat on the opposite bench to Genevieve.
Cassie lifted her chin to me. “What have ye got?”
I blinked. “Regarding the two councillors? I did some data gathering. First, can I ask why they’re on your suspects list?”
Genevieve clasped her hands together in a pose of readiness. “Councillor Slaughter was a regular customer of Cherry’s, we’re pretty certain, and he was seeing her the weekend she died. When Natasha was killed, he was here in the brothel, so that’s a watertight alibi. But, we know from Cherry that he had a friend she didn’t like.”
“He’s tight with councillor Blake. They’re always together.” I pulled a face, recalling the two of them whispering about me earlier. Then Connor’s words took over the feeling. Fuck those two men. They’d earned my dislike and disregard.
Genevieve said, “Blake also has no alibi for either killing, though to be fair we focused less on him. Which is why we need you.”
I recited the bio I’d drafted on Slaughter, with where his money came from—mostly investments, all the councillors had multiple income streams including the average salary they were paid for their government work—and more personal details. “He’s the father of three.”
Genevieve recoiled. “Wait. He’s got kids? That isn’t in his profile on the council’s website, or his own. I know because I searched specifically for that.”
“They’re by three different baby mamas, and the only reason I found out was because I heard him boasting about it to anotherman at my house. Then I went looking and his child support goes straight from his salary. Three ways.”
“That doesn’t sound like a man who’d kill a woman because he got her pregnant,” she muttered.
My heart sank. “Which of the women was pregnant?”
“Cherry. She was my friend, too.”
Cassie had taken out a pen and notepad, scribbling things down as we spoke. She stuck the pen behind her ear, holding back her wealth of dark curls. “Considering his alibi for Natasha, it’s appearing less and less likely that he’s involved.”
“Shame. It would be nice to bring that asshole down.”
Both women stared at me, and Cassie snickered.
“You’re a secret badass, Everly.”
My cheeks warmed. “Let’s just say he’s not my favourite person. Anyway, moving on to Blake.”
I outlined his dull life, a twenty-five-year marriage with a wife who worked as a GP, and two grown kids. “The only thing vaguely scandalous is that she’s been having a long-term affair with another doctor at her practice and he sleeps with anything that moves here.” I blew out a breath, something not quite adding up. “In both cases, they’re not nice men, but killing women is a far reach from being a dog. I think my next step would be to dig deeper and see if I can link either of them to Natasha.”
Cassie flipped her page. “I discovered something. The brothel doesn’t send a bodyguard out with the women Blake buys anymore. They always do it as a default for when women have new clients, but cease it if they feel safe. It’s the same with Slaughter. Both men have women go to their house or office and no bodyguards escort them. That says something, doesn’t it?”
I blanched. It did say something, but beyond the fact Blake and Slaughter were considered safe. There was always a guard with the women who came to my house to see my father. I’d takehot coffee out to the guy if the evening wore on. The brothel had never stepped that back.
Genevieve shook her head. “Again, how do you know that, Cassie?”