Page 35 of Connor's Claim
“It wasn’t hard to uncover good intel, such as Blake also likes two women at once but can’t always afford it. I’ve spent days talking to people. Doesn’t being in this place make ye want to get under its skin? I find it fascinating.”
With her fingers going to the choker at her throat, Genevieve’s expression shifted to consideration. “Not really. Is that bad? I love it, and can see myself maybe running a drop-in session for the women here once I’m qualified as a nurse, but that’s it. It’s Arran’s baby.”
Cassie sighed, some of the brightness leaving her. “Maybe it’s the fact I’m stuck searching for a purpose in life so trying on everyone else’s for size.”
There was a moment of silence, just the muffled music of the nightclub filtering through.
I broke it. “Want to talk about that?”
She shook her head once. “Not now. Let’s stick to the agenda.”
Right. I made a mental note that my new perhaps-friend had some soul-searching going on and could use a chat. “Is there anyone else you suspect?”
Genevieve said, “Our main suspect was a man named Don, a member of the Four Milers gang. But he was found dead in his burned-out car, so at most, he could only have killed Cherry because of the timing.”
“Either giving us a copycat or an accomplice.”
Genevieve pointed at me. “Exactly. And I like the use ofusin that sentence.”
I wrung my fingers in my lap. “I don’t mean to crash your detective party.”
“Uh, yeah, ye should.” Cassie beamed. “Did we just become friends? I think so.”
At my blush, Genevieve continued.
“We could use your help. The actual detectives in Deadwater are useless, and Cherry was my friend. I need to know what happened so the perpetrator can get what’s coming to him.”
“We also suspected your father.”
“Cassie!” Genevieve hissed.
Cassie wrinkled her pretty nose. “Shite, sorry. That sounded more tactful in my head, because if it were me, I’d want to know. We considered a lot of other people as well. Red, the leader of the Four Milers, Alisha, who works here, Moniqua, girlfriend to Genevieve’s brother.” Her lips twisted in dislike over the last woman’s name. “Arran even put forward one of the cops, Chief Constable Kenney. He protects the councillors and could’ve done the same to act against Natasha after she mouthed off about the club and the city.”
I knew Kenney—he came to visit my father often, and I was kind of hooked on the idea of them all sitting around in the group and coming up with this list. But I couldn’t get over that first listed person.
“Why my father?”
She examined her nails. “Sure ye want me to say?”
“Please.”
“Okay, but please don’t hate me. He’s a known user of sex workers, and he left here an hour before Natasha’s death. We invented the motive that he might want to protect the reputation of his councillors, in the case of Cherry. Though I’m not sure that stacks up anymore. Regarding Natasha, we’ve no idea. Does her name ring a bell as someone he might’ve known?”
I swallowed around a lump in my throat, horrified by the realisation that I wasn’t that shocked. My father hid his violence well, but it existed. His temper was short, and he dwelled onimagined slights. When I was little, he’d slap me to keep me in line.
He’d hit Connor, too.
Coupled with the fact he viewed women as disposable sex objects, it wasn’t the furthest I could stretch to. Yet I couldn’t share that. Not for the sake of loyalty, but if he ever heard I’d spoken about him in that way, he’d be incandescent with anger.
“I’ll see what I can find out.”
The two women swapped a look, then Genevieve stood. “Who’s up for a drink now? God knows I need one.”
Opening the door revealed a grumpy Mick, but he waved off my apology, and we returned to a booth with the black-and-pink skull logo of the club on the table. Without being summoned, a waiter brought over a tray of three cocktail glasses with a dark concoction inside. The drinks had a creamy top and coffee beans for decoration, studded around the shape of a skull added by a dusting of powder.
“What’s this?” I took a sip. God, that was delicious.
“Espresso martini.” Genevieve raised her glass in a cheers that we all chinked to.