Now she hastily turned to dart around the edge of the church, narrowly avoiding the two young boys who were sneaking a smoke out of sight of their parents. Avoiding a collision, she sent the boys a chiding frown before she was hurrying down the narrow lane.
Out of breath by the time she reached Max’s SUV, she yanked open the door and climbed in.
Max closed the computer he’d been working on as he glanced at her in surprise. “Done already?”
“We have to go to Tony’s condo,” she told him, buckling her seat belt as Max turned to place his laptop in the backseat before sending her a puzzled frown.
“Now?”
“Right now.”
“Okay.” He started the vehicle and headed down the narrow path. “We’ll go back to the penthouse and call Lucas. He’ll want to go with us.”
“No.” She leaned forward to type Tony’s address into the GPS. “We have to go now.”
Max instinctively picked up speed, bouncing over the deep ruts. “What’s the hurry?”
“I just learned that Tony’s father is anxious to get in and start selling off his son’s possessions.”
Max shot her a startled glance. “Today?”
She nodded. “As soon as he can get everyone to leave the funeral.”
“Shit.” He reached for his phone, which he’d left on the seat beside him. “I’ll have Lucas meet us there.”
“Just hurry,” she muttered, ignoring her companion’s clipped conversation as he spoke with Lucas.
She logically knew it was a long shot that they would discover anything that would reveal who’d killed Tony. After all, the cops had already searched the place. If there had been actual evidence they would have found it. But deep in her heart, she couldn’t squash the hope that there might be something that was overlooked.
It helped to keep at bay the fear that whoever was stalking her was going to get lucky and kill her before they figured out the mystery.
Which meant they had to get there before Tony’s dad managed to arrive with a moving truck and empty the place.
Max disconnected the phone and tossed it on the dash. “He’s not happy,” he informed her. “He wants you to go back home.”
Home. Mia shuddered. It was a word that should inspire feelings of comfort, not fear.
The fact that someone had stolen that from her made Mia’s dark mood even darker.
“The penthouse isn’t my home. And I don’t have to have Lucas St. Clair’s permission.”
“It’s not about permission,” Max said, generously overlooking her bitchiness as he turned onto a main road and headed toward Shreveport. “It’s about keeping you safe. Not to mention the fact you just got out of the hospital.” He sent her a worried glance. “You should be resting.”
She blew out a sigh, reminding herself that none of this was Max’s fault. His only sin was trying to help protect her.
“I need to find out who killed Tony,” she said, her voice low as she tried to hide her fear. “No matter how much you and Lucas try to protect me, I won’t be safe until the murderer is behind bars.”
He kept his gaze on the thickening traffic. “You could try trusting us to handle the investigation. We’re pretty good at it, you know.”
She didn’t doubt it for a minute. In fact, if she had to choose between the local detectives or ARES to solve the crime, she’d put her money on Lucas and his friends every time.
But that didn’t mean she was willing to crawl into her bed and tug the blankets over her head until this was over.
Since her mother’s death she’d had no choice but to take care of herself. Her father simply didn’t have the tools to raise a daughter. Which meant handing over control of her life to someone else was more terrifying than hunting down a killer.
“I have no intention of deliberately putting myself in danger,” she promised her companion. “But I’m not going to sit around and wait for someone else to solve my problems. It’s not who I am.”
No doubt sensing that her streak of independence went far deeper than just needing to be involved in the search of Tony’s condo, Max gave a low chuckle.
“Lucas is going to have an interesting future.”
* * *
Zigzagging his way through the traffic with a recklessness that earned him several honks and a dozen middle fingers, Lucas headed over the bridge into Shreveport. He was forced to slow his pace as he hit the residential section of town and weaved his way through the suburbs before he at last pulled into a parking lot.
At his side, Teagan gave a low whistle at the sight of the double-story brick condos that overlooked the nearby lake. “It’s nice to have friends in high places,” he murmured.
Lucas frowned, struck by his words. He’d seen the financial reports, but until this moment he really didn’t consider just how generous Tony’s benefactor had been. Now he truly allowed himself to take in the manicured grounds that surrounded the condos and the large pool next to the tennis court.
A long way from the swamps.
“Yes,” he murmured, his mind churning. “You know, there can’t be a long list of people in the area who can hand over a couple grand every month in cash.”
“Drug dealers,” Teagan suggested.
Lucas gave a shake of his head. It didn’t feel right.
“It’s possible,” he said slowly. “But Tony couldn’t be more than a middleman if he hasn’t hit the radar of the local DEA.” He nodded toward the elegant condos. “They’d have to be doing a substantial business to pay him for this place.”
Teagan shrugged. “Maybe he was making meth in the bathroom for some extra cash.”
Lucas snorted. Tony was a great guy but he wasn’t the smartest tool in the shed. If he’d been making meth he would have blown the place up with his first batch.
Giving a shake of his head, Lucas was shoving open his car door when Max’s silver SUV pulled to a halt beside him.
“Damn,” he muttered, his gaze trained on Mia as she was climbing out of the vehicle.
Every fiber of his being vibrated with the need to toss her over his shoulder and carry her far away from the condo. Hell, he wanted to take her away from Louisiana.
Maybe they’d migrate to the Arctic.
A large hand suddenly gripped his upper arm, squeezing with enough force to jerk him out of his dark thoughts.
“Do you want some advice?” Teagan asked.
“No.”
“You’re getting it anyway.” Teagan tightened his grip, making Lucas wince. “Don’t try to keep her out.”
His gaze never wavered from Mia as she walked toward the condo, her concentration on her purse as she searched for some missing item.
She was still dressed in the skirt and jacket that hugged her lush curves, with her hair tugged into a tight knot. His body instantly responded to her sexy librarian look. Hell, he was a male. And he’d fantasized about this woman for years. But it also reminded him that she’d just come from a dear friend’s funeral.
“Easy for you to say,” he muttered.
“Think about it, St. Clair,” Teagan pressed. “We’re all here to protect her. If you try to treat her like a helpless little woman who should stay home and wait for her man to save the day, she’s going to rebel.” He deliberately paused. “You don’t want her going rogue.”
Lucas grimaced. They were the same words he’d told himself over and over. It didn’t make him like them any better to hear them from his friend.
“I hate this,” he growled.
“We’ll keep her safe,” Teagan swore, climbing out of the car.
Lucas swiftly followed behind, his long strides allowing him to reach Mia’s side at the same time that Teagan was taking her hand and smiling down at her with the dazzling charm that made women melt.
“Hello,” the younger man murmured, lifting Mia’s fingers to his mouth.
Lucas placed a possessive arm around Mia’s shoulders, tugging her close to his side. Christ. It was a wonder he wasn’t growling like a dog with
a favorite bone. “Mia, this is—”
“Teagan,” he smoothly interrupted. “You’re even more beautiful than your picture.”
Lucas reached out to grab Mia’s hand, firmly pulling it out of his friend’s grasp. “Back off,” he warned.
Teagan laughed. “Hey. Women should always have choices.”
Looking distinctly overwhelmed, Mia held up the key that she’d obviously been searching for when she was digging in her purse. “This should get us into the condo.”
“We’ll go through first.” Max took command, plucking the key from her hand.
Mia’s lips thinned, but she didn’t protest when Max took the key from her fingers and headed toward the nearest condo. Unlocking the door, Max followed by Teagan slipped into the house and disappeared in the shadows.
Lucas stayed at Mia’s side, his arm still wrapped around her shoulders. They didn’t speak, but he counted it as a win that she didn’t try to pull away.
In less than ten minutes Lucas received the text he’d been waiting for.
“All clear.”
Gritting his teeth, Lucas led Mia into the condo, flipping on the light to reveal a large living room that was . . . beige. The walls, the curtains, and even the carpet. Beige. Beige. Beige.
There was a brown leather couch along one wall and a matching chair that was arranged to view the massive TV in one corner.
That was the only indication that Tony had even lived there.
“What are we looking for?” Teagan asked, glancing toward Mia.
She bit her bottom lip. “I really don’t know.”
Lucas gave her a small squeeze before he lowered his arm and turned toward his waiting friends.
“A phone. Receipts. Anything that might connect Tony to a partner,” he said.
The men nodded before they headed up the carpeted staircase to the upper rooms.
Mia lifted her hand to press it against her temple. Lucas was instantly concerned. He’d known she was pushing herself too hard.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his hand lifting to touch her chilled cheek. “You look pale.”
She dropped her hand, belatedly realizing she was giving away more than she intended.
“Just a headache. Nothing a couple aspirin won’t cure.”
His fingers trailed down to trace the line of her stubborn jaw. “The funeral must have been difficult.”
She nodded, her eyes dark with pain. “It was.”
“You meant a lot to Tony,” he offered, understanding that there was nothing that would make Tony’s death easier to accept. The only thing Lucas could do to help was track down the person responsible. “I think you were the only friend he could truly count on.”
She released a shaky sigh. “I wish . . .”
“I know,” he murmured as her words trailed away.
She closed her eyes before visibly gathering her composure and taking a step back.
“We should look around,” she said in firm tones, turning to head toward the nearest doorway. “Tony’s dad won’t wait long to come and empty the place.”
Lucas followed her into a room that looked like an office. Mia crossed directly to the desk in the center of the floor while Lucas chose the file cabinet near the window.
He frowned as he pulled open the drawers to find . . . nothing.
“There’s nothing here,” Mia muttered.
Lucas swallowed a curse as he turned to watch her straighten from the desk.
“Either Tony never bothered to use this room, or someone was here before us,” he said.
“Detective Cooper?”
“Maybe.” He glanced toward the window. The area was isolated enough to make it easy for someone to slip in and out unnoticed. “Or maybe the killer returned after he shot Tony and took everything that might name him as a suspect.”
“Not everything,” Max said as he stepped into the room.
Lucas moved forward, a flare of hope slicing through his frustration. “What did you find?” he demanded.
Max grimaced. “You have to see it to believe it.”
Lucas arched a brow. That sounded ominous. Holding out his hand to Mia, he waited for her to join him before leaving the office and crossing the floor of the living room.
Max jerked his head toward the stairs as he moved to stand next to the front door.
Accepting that his friend would stay downstairs to keep watch, Lucas climbed the steps to the upper floor. Then, still holding Mia’s hand, he walked into the nearest bedroom and glanced around.
There was more beige, and a leather chair that matched the one downstairs. There was also a king-sized bed with a tiger-striped cover that looked like it’d actually been bought by Tony. Along the far wall was a dresser with the drawers open to reveal that someone had searched through the folded jeans and T-shirts.
Lucas shook his head. It seemed impossible to believe that Tony could live here for so long and make so little impression on the place.
Because it had never been his home, a voice whispered in the back of his head. He’d obviously tried to leave behind his dirt-poor childhood, but he’d never been able to settle in a condo that was more suited to a middle-aged banker than a young bachelor.
The thought had barely formed when Teagan poked his head out of the walk-in closet and gestured for them to join him.
“What’s going on?” Lucas demanded, stepping into the nearly empty space to discover that Teagan had pushed aside a hidden panel. “A secret door?”
His friend chuckled, squeezing through the narrow opening. “There’s more than one secret.”
Lucas joined Teagan in the cramped space, glancing in confusion toward the laptop computer that was set on a narrow shelf. “What is this?”
“I noticed a small hole in the wall,” Teagan said, pointing up. “I wanted to see what it was for.”
Lucas tilted back his head, looking at the small device that was mounted near the ceiling.
“A security camera?”
Teagan chuckled, reaching out to turn the laptop so Lucas could see the video that was currently playing.
“Not quite.”
Lucas grimaced at the sight of a naked Tony writhing on top of some woman who was blocked from the camera.
“Christ,” he muttered. Tony might not have bothered decorating his home, but he’d spent time and money to create his own private audiovisual playroom.
Yeesh.
“Lucas?” Without warning Mia was pushing her way into the room, giving a small sound of shock as she caught sight of the laptop. “We’re supposed to be searching for some clue to Tony’s murder and you’re watching porn?”
Lucas tried to turn her away. “They’re Tony’s sex tapes.”
“Eww. Seriously?”
Lucas waved a hand toward Teagan. “We can go through these later.”
Teagan nodded, reaching into his pocket to pull out a thumb drive. Lucas rolled his eyes. Only Teagan would carry spare computer parts with him.
Sliding the stick into the USB slot, Teagan tapped the keys to start the backup. At the same time he began to turn the laptop away even as Mia lunged forward to grab his arm.
“Wait,” she breathed, her eyes wide with shock. “Oh my God.”
Lucas studied her in confusion. What the hell?
“Mia?”
“That’s Vicky Fontaine,” she rasped.
Chapter Seventeen
Mia was absently aware of the two men regarding her with disbelief. No big surprise. The angle of the camera meant that the woman beneath Tony was almost completely hidden.
She could, however, clearly see the female hands that were grasping Tony’s bare behind.
More importantly, she could see the obscenely large diamond that was catching the overhead light with every movement.
“How can you be sure?” Lucas demanded.
She leaned forward to point at the screen. “I’d recognize that ring anywhere.”
Lucas made a sound of shock. “Can you zoom in???
?
The large, frighteningly beautiful man who’d introduced himself as Teagan did something with the computer that enlarged the image of the woman’s hand.
“God Almighty,” Lucas muttered. “You’re right. That’s her ring.”
Mia struggled to accept what she was seeing.
Tony and Vicky. He had to be twenty years younger than she was. Not to mention the fact that he was a boy from the swamps while she was the woman who swore she could trace her lineage back to French royalty.
It didn’t make any sense.
Lucas frowned, looking equally baffled. “Can you tell when this was taped?” he asked his friend.
“December third,” Teagan answered.
“That’s just a few days before he was shot,” Lucas muttered. “Are there any other videos?”
Teagan leaned over the computer, golden eyes narrowed as he concentrated on searching through the files.
“It looks like they go back at least five years,” he at last said.
“Check out one of the older ones.”
Teagan clicked on a file. Instantly the image of Tony in bed filled the screen. But this time the blond-haired woman was visible as she straddled Tony’s naked body.
“Same babe,” Teagan said, pointing to the flashing diamond on her hand.
Mia shivered. Tony and Vicky had been lovers for at least five years and he’d never said a word to her?
“I can’t believe it.” She shook her head. “Even seeing it on video doesn’t make it seem real.”
Lucas stiffened as a sharp whistle echoed from downstairs.
“Teagan,” he said in warning tones.
“Got it.” Teagan nodded, crouching down to allow his fingers to fly over the keyboard. Then, with a quick motion he was tugging out the thumb drive and slipping it into his pocket.
“What’s going on?” Mia demanded.
“That’s what I want to know, Ms. Ramon.” The voice of Detective Cooper made Mia’s heart miss a beat.
Turning, she watched as the lawman stepped into the closet. Belatedly she recalled the whistle. Max had been warning them that they were no longer alone in the condo.
“Detective Cooper,” she murmured.
The detective was wearing dress pants and a white shirt and tie, but the jacket was missing. His hair was mussed and he needed a shave, but there was no mistaking the grim authority etched into his face.