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“How did Vance contact hertoday?”
Bixby lifted a bony shoulder. “Email, I assume. I mean, Jeanette mentioned a couple of times that the man couldn’t be bothered to have a phone conversation. Which is pretty arrogant, considering the guy is probably going to spend the next decade inprison.”
“Listen carefully.” Ethan’s voice was hard, slicing through the man’s ramblings. “Armand Vance is not in Nova Scotia. He doesn’t know anything about this interview. Lawler was scammed by someone who lured herhere.”
Finally, the seriousness of the situation seemed to dawn on him. “Lured? But who? How?” He shook his head. “We’re very careful to double-check thesethings.”
“When did you last seeher?”
“Five or so? There are just four of us here. Joey, the producer, Stella, who does makeup and hair, Jeanette andme.”
“Is Stellahere?”
“Probably. Girl gets room service every night.” He rolled his eyes. “You ask me, she could stand a littlesocializing.”
“Call her. Get her down here.” They needed to question both the woman and Bixby, zeroing in on a list of Lawler’s potential enemies. After the man had obeyed, Ethan reached into his suit jacket and brought out a copy of the sketch the forensic artist had done. Unfolded it and showed it the other man. “Have you seen this individualbefore?”
Bixby squinted at it. “Hard to say. Sort of looks like half the people you pass on the street, doesn’t he? Doesn’t look familiar,though.”
Ethan tamped down his rising frustration. “Was the original contact set up by email,too?”
Spreading his hands, the man said, “I assume so. With the type of guests we schedule, the set-up is often hush-hush, but usually there are phone calls. Not this time,though.”
He caught Alexa’s glance. Recognized what she was thinking. Fornier had mentioned Anis Tera using emails that disappeared. But the man wouldn’t have utilized that technique when masquerading as a potential guest for the show. Lawler’s computer might give them valuableinformation.
“Any idea who Jeanette Lawler might be with rightnow?”
This time the man’s shrug seemed sincere. “We don’t really hang outside of work hours. I know Jeanette stayed in the last few nights we’ve been here, and that’s not usual for her. I’m assuming she caught some dinner and then went out for a night on the town. Joey probably did the same, although they wouldn’t be together because they both hunt the sameprey.”
The word was unfortunate, given the circumstances. “What do youmean?”
“Pretty young boys.” Parker smirked. “Jeanette likes her music loud, her drinks strong, and her men barely legal. Find the clubs in town that offer all three, and you’ll likely findJeanette.”
Ethan stepped away and used his phone to look up Lawler’s cell phone provider. Then he placed a call to them. The exigent circumstances were urgent enough to waive a warrant. He requested a phone ping to get Lawler’s location, then looked up when Nyle made a subtle gesture toward Bixby. Ethan nodded. The man had given them all he could. He could bedismissed.
A moment later Ethan disconnected, cursing his luck. “Lawler’s phone is dead or shutoff.”
“So now what?” Alexaasked.
He placed a call to Lieutenant Martin as he answered her. “We get a group of officers together and spreadout.”
* * *
It wasa far cry from the clubs in Vancouver. Jeanette brushed her hair back over her shoulder and leaned against the bar as she scanned the occupants. In this dress, sitting down wasn’t an option. The place was only three-quarters full. But it was early yet. Barely ten. And the dim lighting, the music pumping through the speakers and the better-than-average-looking bartender who’d yet to charge her for a drink tempted her to give this place achance.
Jeanette picked up her phone, intent on looking up other clubs in case she wanted to ditch this one later. Discovering the cell dead, she set it back on the bar, disgruntled. She’d already forgotten the club names from her earlierresearch.
She turned to catch the bartender’s eye. He hurried over. Definitely attentive. A possibility if she struck out with the younger patrons. “What time do things get going inhere?”
“Wednesday nights aren’t usually our busiest.” He crossed his arms and leaned over them across the bar, raising his voice to be heard over the music. “But we’ve been having Hump Days specials to draw in the crowds. Give it another hour, it’ll be shoulder to shoulder in here. You gonna stickaround?”
“I don’t know.” She twirled the straw of her drink between two fingers. The guy didn’t seem to recognize her, which was a plus. The place was dimly lit enough that maybe no one else would either. Not the way she wasdressed.
“I think you should.” Someone called to the bartender, and he shot them a quick look before turning to smile at her again. “Take my word for it. You won’t besorry.”
* * *
Ethan usedhis credentials to avoid the line and cover charge at Zoomey’s nightclub. When he and Alexa walked inside, the lights and sounds that met them was an assault on thesenses.