Page 52 of Forever Golden
“What are you doing out here?” Dusty asks, snapping me out of the state of utter shock I’ve drifted into. “You’ve got a phone call.”
I don’t even bother answering his question. Instead, I’m rushing back inside where I take the call off hold and answer.
“This is Blue.”
“I took your advice and downloaded that app,” Detective Roby says on the other end. “Any chance this Little Birdie Pandora speaks of is you?”
I nod, still winded and confused. “Yes, sir.”
“So, she delivered something to you today, right? What was it?”
I glance down at the envelope I’m still clutching, and for half a second, I consider not telling him. But it’s actually the contents that has me realizing I need his help. Wealldo.
“It’s a proof,” I confess.
“A proof? Like an image of some sort?”
“More like for a poster.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
I so wishIdidn’t understand, but I do. And Pandora was completely right—there are at least a million reasons why this absolutely cannot happen.
“It’s a campaign poster,” I finally share with the detective. “For Vin. He’s… running for mayor.”
Roby is silent on the other end at first. “Shit. Guess we now know why good ol’ Vin asked you to make a clean break by the two-month mark.”
“Actually, Idon’tunderstand,” I cut in.
Roby sighs and when he speaks again, his tone is gentler, almost compassionate. “I assumed it was a north side versus southside thing, classism, but it’s bigger than that. With Hunter’s conviction, Golden can’t risk his family name being associated with yours. He doesn’t have a background in politics, so he’s gotta work extra hard to prove himself. Yeah, the city knows him as a staunch businessman, but not as much else. He has to appear to be above reproach when this shit goes public. That means cleaning up anything he thinks might cost him his shot.”
“He wants to control everything and everyone,” I say mostly to myself.
“Which would make it a whole hell of a lot easier to hide possible criminal activity,” Roby reasons. “Guess I know why I got so much pushback when I tried to fire up the task force. Who knows how deep this shit runs? Half this department could be on Golden’s payroll.”
“So, you believe me?” My voice is quivering when I ask, because I know I still haven’t proven my case much more than I had this morning, but itsoundslike he believes me.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us, and I’m not making any promises, but… yeah, I think there could be a connection,” he finally says. “If you think of anything else that might help, don’t hesitate to call. Morning, noon, or night.”
I’m on the verge of tears. “Okay.”
And I plan to do just that. As soon as I talk to West and we agree on what’s safe to share and what isn’t, I’ll fill Roby in on the details.
“I’ll be in touch, but you stay safe in the meantime. If you seeanythingthat seems off, call my cell. The number hasn’t changed.”
I nod and feel so much relief.
Maybe, just maybe, we have a fighting chance.
Finally.
Chapter 19
WEST
Tightening the knot of a red tie around my neck, I consider this to be one of the few useful skills my father taught me. So, if he’s ever fishing for accolades, this is all I have for him.
A new black suit, a fresh haircut, and in less than an hour, I’ll have the hottest girl in this hemisphere on my arm. Usually, I avoid this particular dance like the plague, but for some reason the idea of it doesn’t repulse me this year. Without thinking about it too hard, I know why.