Cupter 173
I raised an eyebrow, “And?”
“One of them’s missing,” he seld, gritting his jaw. “He didn’t clock out that night and hasn’t been seen since.”
“Eliza must have paid him off,” I said, folding my arms.
“Probably,” Dominic admitted, his voice laced with frustration. “But my men are on it. If anyone knows what happened that night, it’s him.”
We stood in silence for a moment, the weight of everything pressing down on us.
“Eliza’s good at covering her tracks,” I said finally.
“Too good,” Dominic muttered. “But not good enough. I’ll find out what she’s hiding, even if it’s the last thing I do.”
1 slapped a hand against his shoulder. “We’re gonna get her, Dominic, One way or another.”
For the first time that night, a faint, determined smile curled Dominic’s lips. “Damn right we are.”
The next morning, Dominic and I left together to head back to the bar. The ride was silent, the land of silence that felt berry with everything left unsaid.
I caught glimpses of him a few times, his jaw clenched, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly. It was clear he hadn’t slept much either.
When we arrived, Dominic’s old friend, Anthony, was already waiting for us at the entrance. Anthony was a tall, wiry man with graying hair and a nervous energy about him. He extended a hand toward Dominic, who accepted it with a curt nod.
“Sorry, Dom,” Anthony said, his voice low, “I couldn’t recover the footage. Whoever did this, they knew what they were doing.”
Dominic let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s not your fault, Anthony. But we’re not leaving here empty–handed. Alex and I will take a look around.”
Anthony nodded quickly, gesturing for us to follow him inalde. “Of course. Whatever you need.”
The
bar was eerily quiet, the air stade at such an early hour, heavy with fumes of spill akohol. As I followed Anthony through the dimly lit hallways toward the room where they took Dominic had been talon. The room was smaller than I expected, with a bed shoved into one corner and a table with two chairs on the opposite side.
I went in, giving the room a good look around. “This is where it happened?”
Anthony nodded. “Yes. I made sure no one was messing with anything after Dom was found here.”
The room looked undisturbed. But that was what made me suspicious. I got up to the bed and began to crouch down to look if there was anything on the floor beneath it. Still nothing. Then I checked at the edges of the table to see if something had scratched a mark there, too, once again, nothing.
“It’s clean,” I muttered, rising and brushing the dirt off my hands.
Anthony stood in the doorway, wringing his hands. “Whoever set this up… they were careful
I furrowed my brow; it didn’t feel right and it was too orchestrated. Eliza was reckless, yes, but she was also cunning when it came to covering her tracks
“Where is Dominic?”
I looked over my shoulder.
Anthony jerked his thumb toward the hallway. “One of his guys just got here. He stepped out to talk to him.”
I nodded, walking towards the door. Something was wrong with all of this, my gut kept telling me.
When Dominic came back into the room, he said it all without having to.
“Bad news,” he muttered with a light voice.
I crossed my ans. “What now?”
The waiter, he started again, rubbing his temples. The one who served that night? He was found dead in his apartment. Apparently, he’s been dead Two days.
I left those words slap me into reality. All over again Raina’s voice echoed in my head, her fear of being watched, Nathan lorking in the shadows. I couldn’t rid myself of a sticky feeling that made me believe she might be right..
“Two days?” I said, my brain racing. “Do we know how?”
Dominic shook his head. “Not yet. My men are looking into it.”
I leaned against the wall and rubbed the bridge of my nose. “What are the odds, Dominic? What are the odds that Eliza and Nathan are working together?”
1/2
Dominic shot me a sharp look. “Eliza and Nathan? No way. They don’t even know each other.”
“Don’t they?” I fired back. “Eliza’s been covering her tracks pretty slick, but this, this is just too damned coincidental.”
Dominic hissed under his breath, pacing the room. “If she’s in cahoots with him. God help me, Alex,
- ex. I’ll idil her myself.”
I didn’t doubt him for a second.
+25 Bonus
