“Why would we know anything about it?” I asked. “And please don’t insult our intelligence with that “nose to the ground” bullshit.”
If she was surprised that I called her out, it didn’t show on her face. She was good, letting the silence sit between us, waiting for us to rush in to fill it.
We didn’t.
“Truth is, we got a tip,” she finally said.
Maeve shook her head. “A tip?”
“A tip that your friends here are involved in the kidnapping and sex trafficking of local women.” Detective Grabowski was clearly trying to freak out Maeve.
Bram leaned back, his posture casual, his expression placid. “Sounds like a prank.”
Detective Rodriguez shrugged. “Women are missing. We have to run down everything.”
Bram shook his head. “I’m sorry we can’t help. I’m sure you know we’ve got sizable investments in Blackwell Falls. Crime — especially violent crime, sex crime — is bad for business, bad for property values.”
Sometimes it still surprised me that Bram could sound like a business nerd when the occasion called for it.
“Unless that crime is your business,” Detective Grabowski said.
Bram’s gaze hardened.
“Except it’s not,” Remy said. “We own a couple laundromats, a car wash, some property.’
“Jack of all trades huh?” Detective Grabowski asked, making it clear he didn’t buy it.
Remy shook his head. “We’re real estate developers. We take old properties and renovate them, rent them out or hold them until they appreciate enough to sell. Some of those properties house businesses that cash flow, like the laundromats and car wash. It’s a pretty common business model actually.”
He sounded appropriately bored.
“Except you never have,” Detective Grabowski said.
Remy lifted an eyebrow. “We never have…?”
“Sold them,” Detective Grabowski said. “You’ve bought up a lot of property, but you’ve never sold a single one.”
“Market’s still rising,” Bram said calmly. “Knowing when to sell is half the strategy.”
Another silence descended between us. No one moved, not even Maeve, who was as still and unreadable as the rest of us.
A fucking queen.
Finally, Detective Rodriguez stood. She tucked her notebook into her pocket, along with her pen, then nodded. “Thanks for your time, we really appreciate it.”
We stood too and Detective Rodriguez produced a business card. She handed it to Remy.
“Do us a favor and call if you get a line on anything?”
“Sure thing,”’ Remy said, pocketing the card. “I’ll show you out.”
They were almost to the stairs when Detective Rodriguez turned around, her gaze fixed on Maeve.
“You said your last name was Haver?”
Maeve nodded.
“Was your sister…?”
