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“When I rode the shuttle up here, I sat in the back to ensure no one was behind us.”
“Smart.”
“Still…” Her voice faltered, revealing her vulnerability. Now that she’d said it aloud, the walls seemed to close in around her.
Sasha had been in war zones, served on protective details, and she could handle herself. But now that she and Toby were no longer partners, she didn’t have anyone to back her up—not that he’d actually been on her side. The illusion that she could count on someone other than herself was just that. A fantasy. “Honestly, Gregorio?” She folded her arms across her midriff. “You’re the only one I trust.”
“Who else knows you’re here?”
“No one.” She shook her head. “I kept it off my schedule.”Just to be safe.
“You think this is related to a current case?”
“That’s the only thing that makes sense.” Since the drama surrounding the dissolution of her partnership with Toby, her personal life had become dull and boring.
“Anything stand out?”
“Only the Santos investigation.” Everything else the firm was dealing with was straightforward. “Mrs. Santos—Brenda—suspects her husband of infidelity.”
Palms pressed together, Gregorio leaned forward. “And?”
“Surveillance shows he’s not cheating.” She shrugged.
“But?”
His perception didn’t surprise her. “Felix is definitely hiding something. Has secretive conversations in people’s cars. Takes a lot of phone calls outdoors.” Talking this through helped her relax, feel more in control. “He owns several businesses…nightclubs, a restaurant, a coffee shop, but the couple appear to be having financial issues. A couple of days ago, he bought his wife a brand-new vehicle, and paid cash, from what I can find. According to Mrs. Santos, they don’t have that kind of money. She had to get a loan from her sister to hire me.”
“That’s one of the missing files?”
She nodded.
“What are the others?”
Though he didn’t take notes as she gave him the information, she knew he was cataloguing every detail. “Anything else I should know?”
“No.” Sasha shook her head. “I have another meeting with Mrs. Santos on Monday morning to go over what I’ve learned.”
With a tight nod, he said, “Tell me about your business. Employees. How long they’ve been with you. Anyone you’ve had to fire or let go of?”
“We’ve been relatively stable.” Or at least since she’d managed to get Toby out of her life. “Pathways is a small firm. Besides me, there are three other investigators, and we have an office manager.”
He frowned. “I thought you had a partner.”
So he’d kept up with her since she saw him last? Surprised—in a good way—she answered, “Past tense. Ended a little over a year ago.”
“Any hard feelings?”
“Shouldn’t be.” Unease traced across her shoulders, making her shrug. “Maybe.” At the time they’d started their own agency, she’d thought she knew him. But crossing ethical lines wasn’t something she was willing to do. They’d had a heated argument, and it had ended with him storming out of the building. “He came out the winner. Cost me every last cent I had to buy him out.” Even though she was working harder than ever to make the business a success and pay bills, keeping her integrity had been worth it.
“Give me his full name.”
When she did, he scowled. “The same Toby who worked for Hawkeye?”
The same company where Gregorio had gotten her a job. “That’s where we met.” She shrugged. “He was my boss.”
Gregorio fell silent for a few moments, then asked for the names of everyone associated with her firm.
“I don’t think—”