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“Fair enough.” Jayson relaxed, crossing his ankle over his knee before pulling o his sweaty hat.

“How did you even know I was here?”

Jayson winced. “I might have popped a tracker under your car,” he confessed, obviously aware that Charlotte wasn’t going to be happy at the news. “It’s just to keep you safe,”

he added hurriedly.

“How exactly does that keep me safe?” Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest expectantly.

Jayson swallowed audibly. “Well, if you go missing, we’ll know where you are.”

“You’ll know where my car is,” Charlotte corrected. “And who’s we? Is everyone down at the station monitoring my movements?”

Jayson’s grimace intensified. “Not everyone. Just the task force. Less than a dozen.”

The idea of a dozen cops watching her like a fish in a bowl gave her the creeps. She hadn’t thought about the other side of this. The strangers in a room talking about her. About Alex.

“I didn’t want to freak you out, but I figured since you went to Alexandra’s house on Saturday afternoon and didn’t leave until Sunday night, you’d have made some major progress. People are starting to get a little antsy and I’m hoping for something—”

“Something to show that I haven’t wasted over six months of investigating time?” Charlotte guessed.

“It’s not like that —”

“You know it’s hella creepy that you’re watching me like that, right?” She smiled. “But I know it must be killing you to stand on the sidelines and wait.”

Jayson gave her shoulder a playful shove. “Yeah, that and I miss you like crazy. I didn’t realize that you make up like ninety-two percent of my social circle.”

“Lies and slander. You have a thousand friends. You just feel bad for me because you’re a hundred percent of my social circle.” She smiled.

When Jayson smirked, one of his dimples cut into his cheek. “Well, not a hundred if you spent the weekend at Alexandra’s house, so fill me in.”

“I haven’t gotten any proof of what she’s doing yet,”

Charlotte admitted. “I’m honestly not even sure she’s running a side business out of the spa, but I guess she could have some other location.”

Jayson shook his head. “She’s a creature of habit. Other than her house, the spa, and swanky socialite crap, she doesn’t go anywhere. The house is out because they’ve had cameras set up on the public utility polls for years and there’s never been any unusual activity. She rarely even has guests over. It has to be happening at Ataraxia.” He cocked his head to the side. “Unless you saw something at her place? What the hell were you doing there, Charlie?”

The question had a cutting, accusatory edge despite Jayson’s boyish features retaining their carefree demeanor.

“What do you mean, what was I doing ? I was getting close to her. Breaking into the inner circle.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You know, like you told me to do.”

“I’m pretty sure I didn’t tell you to spend the weekend at her house.” His lips curled into a knowing smirk. “And I’m even more sure I specifically told you not to sleep with her.”

He searched her face for the truth. “You didn’t sleep with her, right?”

Charlotte didn’t like the judgment clinging to his words.

“I have to earn her trust, Jay. And I need you to trust me to do that.” She couldn’t bring herself to tell him the whole story. Knowing could compromise his place in the investigation, but she couldn’t lie to him either.

“I do trust you, Charlie. With my life.” He put his hand on her forearm and gave it a squeeze. “I just don’t want you to get in over your head. This is precarious enough as it is.”

Charlotte clasped her hand over his. “I know what I’m doing, Jay. I’m going to get you want you need. What we need. I promise.”

Jayson took a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just so hard to just guess at what’s going on.”

“I know the feeling,” she joked, guilt transforming her throat into a desert. “Now are you going to tell me what the hell you’ve been up to without me all these months? Like who the hell talked you into facial hair?”

Jayson ran his hand over his well-trimmed beard. “I’m o cially done playing teenagers on the internet. You don’t like it?”