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I want him to be on my side.I want, for once, for someone to actually be on my side.Was that asking for too much?She didn’t think so.
Henry rubbed his head against her thigh.Not an alarmed motion.Soothing.Comforting.
Her fingers stroked lightly over him.Okay, so she did have someone on her side.“I didn’t kill Ivan.”Just so everyone could be clear.“Eb didn’t kill Ivan.”
His jaw hardened.
“But whoever set the fire at my place could have.It would have been easy enough to set the fire, then grab the bat from the back of my truck.While we were all scrambling at my place, the arsonist could have gone to Ivan’s bar.Slipped inside.And took some swings.”Her words came out all flat and calm.Pretty amazing given the way her insides were twisting and heaving.
“Interesting.”Madeline tapped her chin.“Do you think this mystery arsonist is the same person who killed your husband all of those months ago?”
“Certainly a possibility.”A cool retort.
“Anything is possible in this world,” Madeline agreed.
She thinks I’m guilty too.Must be really hard to be so certain that another person was a killer, but to have zero hard evidence.Naomi was just so—done.“Did you know he was a psychopath?”Naomi asked, her voice still just as calm as could be.“Did you know it all along?I mean, what—you’re the boss, isn’t that correct?Hudson’s boss?Eb’s boss?So maybe you knew.Maybe you knew that Hudson was a twisted killer, and you didn’t care because he was your weapon.Yourkiller.You aimed him, you pointed him, and you got him to take out anyone in your way.”
All traces of mild amusement fled Madeline’s face.She bounded forward.Grabbed Naomi’s hand and jerked her close.
A hard growl filled the room.
Actually, two growls.One from Henry.Sweet Henry.
The other from Eb.
Madeline immediately let go of Naomi.Blinked.A calm mask slid over her features.“Detective…” She slanted a glance toward Clark.“You need to get out of here.Shut the door.Make sure we are not disturbed.”
“But—” Clark began.
“And no fucking watching from the room next door.I think we’ve had more than enough of that, don’t you?”She shooed with her hands.“Go.”
Grumbling, swearing, he did.
Even as the door shut behind him, Madeline pulled out her phone and made a quick call.Into the phone, she barked, “Get eyes on the detective.No one sees or hears what is happening in this room.Make certain we are secure.”She hung up.Slapped the phone down on the table.Madeline rolled back her shoulders.“I hate dealing with locals.Always such a pain in my ass.”She marched toward the one-way mirror.Squinted.
Why was she squinting?Naomi was pretty sure there was no way to see through the glass, at least, not from this room.“I’d like to know if a hitman is on my trail.Then I’d like to know if you knew Hudson was a psychotic killer.Two very important points.”
Eb growled again.“I want to know about those points, as well.”
“Simple questions,” Naomi continued determinedly without glancing his way.Her focus remained on Madeline.“You can answer them with a yes or with a no.”
Madeline spun toward her.Said nothing.Did that count as a maybe response?Or just a generalfuck you?
“Are you going to respond?”Naomi pushed.
“Did you kill Hudson?”Madeline asked.“You confess first, then it can be my turn.”
Yep.She did not like this woman.Fact established.
“I’m getting Naomi to a safe house,” Eb said.“She’s the one in danger.She’s the one I’m protecting.”
“Oh?”Madeline’s delicate brows climbed.“And here I thought she was the one you were going to send to jail.You’ll have to excuse my confusion.”Her gaze was considering as it swept over Naomi.“Must have been some, ah, intense get-to-know-you session that you and Eb have recently shared.I am dying of curiosity.How do you get men so wrapped up in you?”
“My magic vagina,” Naomi returned without missing a beat.
Eb choked.
Madeline’s jaw almost hit the floor.