Page 24 of Diamonds (Aces Underground #2)

MADDOX

T his gun is a find from Wanda’s Wonders, the antique shop down the street where I picked up some pieces for the haberdashery. It’s an aged brass pistol with intricate engravings and a dark wooden grip.

It’s not loaded. I doubt it would do anything even if it were.

But it looks like a gun. And I’m hoping that’s enough to freak Gimble out.

I really should get myself a real gun. I’ve been thinking about getting one for years to keep behind the register at the shop in case someone tries to rob me. I’m sure my old man is rolling in his grave knowing that I can’t properly defend myself.

Of course, that’s not the only thing I’ve done that would disturb his eternal rest.

Gimble breathes in slowly. “What… What is this about?”

I lean into his ear, lowering my voice. “Is there somewhere we can speak privately?”

He swallows. “My… M-My office.”

“Fine.” I slowly move the gun from his forehead to the small of his back. “No sudden movements, or I’ll shoot. And something tells me your housekeeper isn’t paid nearly enough to scrub that kind of mess off the floor.”

Gimble shudders and leads us to his office.

And I realize… I shouldn’t be letting him call the shots. He probably has a panic button in his office. All these rich bastards do.

“Not here. Take us upstairs.”

He turns his head, his eyes wide. “W-Why?”

“I think you know why, Gimble.”

He raises a shaking finger. “Stairs are that way.”

We go up the stairway.

I choose a door at random. “Is anybody in that room?”

He shakes his head. “Guest room.”

“There isn’t a servant or someone in there? Because if there is, I’ll be shooting you first and them second.”

“It’s empty, I s-swear.”

Small beads of sweat have emerged on his forehead. He just wants to get out of this alive. He’s telling the truth.

I push the gun into his back. “Open the door.”

He turns the handle and pushes it open.

He wasn’t lying. It’s a guest room, with lavish crimson curtains and a matching bedspread. Seven throw pillows of varying sizes and shapes on the bed, and an ornate wardrobe in the corner. The walls are lined with mustard-yellow wallpaper.

“Sit on the edge of the bed,” I instruct Gimble.

He does so.

“Alissa, keep watch at the doorway.”

She bites her lip and stands in the doorway, switching her gaze between the rest of the house and me.

I push the gun against Gimble’s temple. “All right, Gimble. This is going to be nice and easy. I have a few questions for you. If you answer them truthfully, I’ll be out of your hair, and you can go on living your perfect life in your McMansion here.

Now, tell me the truth. Is there anyone else in the house besides Kendra? ”

He shakes his head. “No. My wife is out to some socialite bullshit, and Kendra is our only full-time staff.”

“Only full-time staff? Are you expecting anyone else?”

“No. Not today. We have a gardener who comes every three days, but that’s it. He won’t be here today.”

“And how long until your wife gets home?”

He breathes heavily. “I don’t know, honest to God. I’m sure she told me, but?—”

“But you didn’t listen.” I shrug. “For your sake as well as your wife’s, I hope she’s busy the rest of the day. I’m sure there are lots of goodies at her society tea. Hopefully she won’t try to cut that line.”

Gimble widens his eyes. “That’s where I’ve seen you. You were at the symphony last night.”

“Good eye. Your wife tried to butt in front of my girlfriend”—I gesture toward Alissa—“at the snack bar during intermission.”

He drops his jaw. “Is that what this is about? My wife being a bitch?”

I chuckle. “Hardly. But good to know you can recognize a face. Let me describe another one. Young, hot. Pale skin. Long blond hair. Eastern European origin.”

He narrows his eyes. “That’s hardly a description at all.”

“Let me finish , Gimble.” I grind the gun into his temple. “This young woman would have been wearing a bikini. Black with white diamonds on it. Ringing any bells?”

Gimble’s lip quivers.

“So it does.” I lean in and speak directly into his ear. “Let me lay a secret on you, Gimble. You and I frequent the same club downtown. Aces Underground. I recall seeing you with a young lady who works— worked —there a few weeks ago. Svetlana. The Nine of Diamonds.”

Gimble’s face twists. “Please… Don’t tell my wife. You can have anything you want. I’ll write you a check. Anything.”

“Funny you should mention your wife,” I say. “Is there anything you’ve done with that young woman that Mrs. Gimble might find upsetting?”

He grimaces at me. “I think you’re aware, Maddox .”

I grin. “I thought it was odd that you pretended not to recognize me at first. I’m sure you’ve seen my face splashed over the front page of the Tribune more times than you can count. But that’s not the point. Tell me. Were you the last person to see her alive?”

“How the hell should I know if I?—”

“The Nine of Diamonds—Svetlana—was reported missing not long after your liaison with her.”

Gimble grimaces. “This may surprise you, but I didn’t exactly keep a personal relationship with the woman.

I have no clue what happened to her. Maybe she was deported, or maybe she just left town.

” He shoots me a side-eye. “Besides, how would you know about her, anyway? I’m sure your girlfriend here wouldn’t be too keen on you following other women’s footsteps. ”

I clap the back of Gimble’s head with my gun. “Keep my girlfriend out of your fucking mouth, Gimble. I know that Svetlana was your favorite. We need to know if you know anything about her.”

“Why do you care so much?”

Alissa barrels into the room, her hands balled into fists.

“Because we think she might be dead , Mr. Gimble. Her friend, May, who was the Seven of Spades, is dead, and right before she died, she mentioned that her friend Svetlana, the Nine of Diamonds, had disappeared after her five-year contract with Rouge was up.”

Gimble’s eyes widen. “They wouldn’t… Rouge wouldn’t…”

“Right now, your only concern is what I would or would not do, Gimble,” I snarl, prodding him harshly with the gun.

“Fine, fine.” Gimble squeezes his eyes shut. “I’ll tell you. Would you at least put the gun down?”

“Fat fucking chance,” Alissa says.

I turn my head toward her, my eyebrow raised.

Damn. She’s brought a little fire to this interrogation as well.

“My girlfriend is right,” I say. “If you give us information that we determine is worthy of your pathetic life, then I’ll consider putting the fucking gun down. Keep stalling and your wife will be wiping your splattered brains off this hideous wallpaper.”

“All right,” Gimble says. “Yes, you’re right. The Nine was my favorite. I took her to the private areas many times. But everything we did was one hundred percent consensual, I swear. And I always paid her well for her services.”

“When was the last time you saw her?” Alissa asks.

“Not long ago. Mid-January, I think. I booked her for our private session, and we…enjoyed each other’s company.”

I grit my teeth. “You sick bastard.”

I’m one to talk. I took a waitress into the private areas once. But only once. And I wasn’t fucking married.

“Was she acting strangely?” Alissa asks. “Did she seem nervous, anxious?”

Gimble shakes his head. “No. If anything, she seemed very excited. She didn’t speak, of course. They never do at Aces. But she had something of a bounce to her step.”

Alissa shifts her weight between her two feet.

“I had been going to the club for years, though, and it was pretty clear, mathematically at least, that her time at Aces was coming to an end. So I brought her a small gift. It was against the rules, but I sneaked it past Chet and gave it to her. A little token of my admiration, my thanks for years of companionship.”

“As opposed to the thirty-fucking-five years of companionship that your wife has given you,” I add.

He glares at me. “I didn’t say I was proud of what I’ve done.”

“What was the gift?” Alissa asks.

He takes a deep breath in. “A brooch. In the shape of a lotus flower. I picked it up in a little trinket shop downtown. It made me think of her—the beauty, the perfect shape. And it was bright pink. Women love pink.”

I roll my eyes.

“Did she take it?” Alissa asks.

“She did. She took it with a smile. She still didn’t say a word, but she attached it to her bikini top, wore it the rest of the night.

I remember her wearing it when I left. Rouge was glaring at her.

The servers aren’t supposed to add anything to their uniform.

But it was her last night. She gave me a chaste kiss on my cheek when I got my coat to leave, and that was the last I saw of her.

” A single tear runs down his cheek. “That’s all I know, I swear to God.

But please don’t kill me. And please, for the love of all that is holy, I’ll give you anything to keep this information from my wife.

My relationship with the Nine was purely physical.

It meant nothing. I have a reputation to maintain among my peers, for God’s sake. ”

“We’re not here to punish you for being an adulterous pig, Gimble. And I don’t give a fuck about your societal standing.” I remove the gun from his head.

He sighs in relief. “Thank God. Thank you for your mercy.”

I grab him by his collar. “Forget our faces, all right? If I see a cop car following us, I’ll call up one of my father’s old friends and have you arrested for soliciting prostitution.”

He swallows. “I swear. If you leave, I’ll just be happy to be alive. Happy to have my wife home safely.”

I throw him on the bed and turn to Alissa. “Let’s get out of here, babe.”

We quickly leave the house, thankfully avoiding Kendra in the process.

For the first time, I don’t open the door to the car for Alissa. I unlock it remotely and we both clamber in. I throw the key in the ignition and peel out in case Gimble was lying about calling the cops.

Alissa buries her head in her hands. “Another dead end.”

“Not necessarily. We know about the lotus brooch. There could be a clue there.”

She scratches her chin. “True. It sounds like it was against the rules for Svetlana to be wearing it.”

“You’re right. She broke the rules. Just like May.”

“Maybe that’s why she disappeared. She might have been placed on”—she makes air quotes—“ temporary suspension .”

“Except it wouldn’t have made sense for her to be suspended if it was her last night. So Rouge probably just said that she left. Found some dream job far away and took off. Most people would buy that.”

“May didn’t.”

I nod. “No, she didn’t. It sounds like they were planning on hanging out after Svetlana’s time at the club came to an end.”

“We could sniff around the club.”

I frown. “You’re still dead set on returning to Aces?”

“We have to, Maddox. It’s the only place we’re sure to find some clues.”

I sigh, check my watch. “All right. It’s a little late to go tonight. So we’ll get there right at opening tomorrow night. Everyone will be bringing dates for Valentine’s Day. Some people—the upper ups—get to bring more than one guest. The place will be packed.”

“So Rouge will be distracted?”

“If we’re lucky, yes.”

She grabs my right hand, gives it a squeeze. “Then it’s a date, Valentine.”