Josh pushed his way past Taylor. “Who were you arguing with? Liza?”
Taylor mashed her glossy lips into a thin line. “Hey, you can’t just barge your way in.”
Josh let go of Charlie, who took off into the bedroom.
Taylor ran after Charlie. “My cat is in there, and she doesn’t like dogs.”
Josh hurried to get Charlie. “Hey, boy.”
Riley stepped in, taking inventory of the sparse apartment. The room had a fabric chair, a narrow end table, one stool at the bar that overlooked a kitchen, a stove, a fridge, and nothing else. The place was drab and felt cold and detached.
The cat screeched and came running out with Taylor trying to grab her furry tan-and-white animal.
Charlie trotted out with Josh holding his leash.
Once Taylor scooped up her cat, she cooed, “I’m sorry, Ivy.”
“Sit,” Josh said to Charlie, who obeyed his master.
“Why are you here?” Taylor asked as she put Ivy back into the bedroom and closed the door.
Josh walked around the kitchen, almost acting as if he thought Liza was hiding in a cabinet.
“We wanted to see if you’ve heard from Liza,” Riley said, not moving from the door. “We were also worried. If I’m right about the men from Boston, you could be in trouble since you work for Liza.”
Taylor sat on the arm of the dilapidated chair. “Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine. And I talked to Liza earlier today. She was on her way back to her apartment. Apparently, she had a client meeting in the city that I didn’t know about.”
Riley’s jaw came unhinged. “Why didn’t you call us?” She was ready to scream. “We’ve been worried out of our minds.”
Taylor picked at a nail. “I’ve been busy. I still have a job to do.”
Josh crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a death stare. Even angry, he was handsome.
Riley’s intuition was telling her something wasn’t right with Taylor, but she couldn’t pinpoint what. Still, a sense of relief washed over her, but it didn’t stick. Riley wanted to believe Taylor’s story, but she knew her best friend. Liza would’ve called. She wouldn’t have left Riley hanging, especially when they had plans and Riley had traveled all this way.
Riley gripped the strap of her cross-body bag. “What time did you talk to her?”
“Around noon. Look, I have to meet my fiancé for dinner.”
Maybe he was the person she’d been raising her voice to on the phone.
“You don’t sound all that concerned about Liza,” Josh said.
“I have my own problems going on. Besides, she sounded fine on the phone, although she was in a hurry. She said she was late in meeting you.” She pointed at Riley.
Charlie guarded the bedroom door as though he wanted to protect Ivy.
“Obviously, she didn’t meet me.” The sarcasm tumbled out. Riley’s nerves were fried. Her stomach was all in knots, and she had that bad feeling she’d gotten at the airport, multiplied a million times over.
Riley plucked her phone out of her purse and tapped on Liza’s number for probably the thousandth time that day. The line immediately went to voice mail.
Josh glanced at her. “No answer?”
Riley shook her head. “Taylor, when we spoke at the office this morning, you mentioned the two men from Boston. Why weren’t you supposed to say anything about them?”
She was still fidgeting with a nail. “Liza didn’t want anyone to know.”
Riley rubbed her neck. The day was catching up with her, and tiredness was setting in. “So Liza knew the men?”
