Page 52

I turned to her and studied her face, her skin highlighted pale pink in the setting sun as she stared up at me with big eyes the color of rich honey. “Experience.”
“Of course.”
“I can’t tell if that’s sarcasm or not.”
“It’s not. I’m just not used to having someone around with your... skills.”
I automatically thought of all sorts of other skills I had that I would love to show her, but I yanked my dirty mind right out of the gutter. “Well... unique circumstances. Hopefully you won’t need my skills for long.”
“Right.” She faced the flame of the grill again, giving me her profile. “So, what’s next?”
There were so many places I could take that. Simple and to the point was probably best. “I’ve got a company I trust coming to set up a better security system at your studio, complete with video cameras. I’ve put them in touch with the cleanup folks and they will go in as soon as they’re done. I’ve got a guy coming out tomorrow to put a system in your car. Then I still have some questions I need answered.”
She was so still, you’d think she hadn’t heard me except for the way her breathing hitched. “I know. It’s been—”
“Not just questions for you,” I interrupted, making her snap around to me, surprised. “I have questions for your friends at the studio too. Deanna, Whitney, and Sofia, for starters.”
“That’s a waste of your time.” She folded her arms across her chest, clearly agitated. “They’re my friends.”
“Yeah, well, they’re also some of the closest people to you and they all work with you. At the place that was just vandalized.” I folded my arms, mimicking her stance. “So, I have questions. I’m assuming you told them the truth about what happened?”
“Not all of it, but enough. I just said it was a robbery.”
I nodded in approval.
“And how are you going to talk to them without giving away who you really are?”
“I’m not. I’ve got friends who are cops. They’re going to ask my questions for me as part of the investigation into the break-in.”
“It’s that easy?”
“It’s that easy.” I pivoted to go grab the meat. “But that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook,” I shot over my shoulder as I stepped inside.
I didn’t say more as I helped her get the food prepared, then we sat to eat. It was strangely quiet without Elizabeth’s chatter at the table, and I realized how quickly I’d become used to eating meals with the two of them. I was going to have to ice that shit down, and fast.
Not more than two bites in, she dropped her fork with a loud clatter, the words spilling from her as if they were just too much to hold back any longer. “His name is Christoph Donato. He was the director of the ballet program where I did a summer intensive in Italy.”
Slowly, I set my own fork down as I took in this information and processed it along with everything else I knew. “Director?”
“Yes.”
“Does that mean he was also your boss, or whatever you call it in the dance world?”
She blinked at me. “It was a learning intensive, not work.”
“Your teacher, then.”
Her cheeks began to flame as my questions became clear. “He was, yes.”
“I see.”
Her spine snapped straight, though her cheeks stayed bright pink. “If you’re insinuating that I was some naïve little ingénue who let the older, distinguished dance god take advantage of her, or some other bullshit, you can just shove that theory right up your ass.”
I sat back, intrigued by her fire. “Your words, not mine. Personally, I’d never call him a god. He sounds more like a limp dick piece of shit who doesn’t deserve the title of man. Anyone who would dare treat a woman that way, especially a woman like you, is not worth the air they breathe in my book. And to throw away a child?” I shook my head, lost for words. “I hope I have five minutes alone with him someday, is all I can say. He’ll be praying to meet his God then.”
She gaped at me as I picked up my fork for another bite. “I’ve never met anyone like you before.”
“Thank you.”