And what about Wyatt?
He still hadn’t shown up.
I pushed off from the wall and hurried to the elevator on shaky legs.
I needed to check something.
I needed to be sure.
I clutched my phone tightly as the elevator deposited me in the lobby. I hurried across the deserted space, my footsteps loud against the marble floor. I slipped into the vintage phone booth and opened the secret door to the speakeasy.
My heart continued to pound like the galloping hooves of a runaway horse.
Breathe, Emersyn,I reminded myself as another wave of lightheadedness swept over me.
I nearly tripped down the steps but made it safely to the wall of photographs. I found the one of the band playing on the small stage in the corner. Peering closely at the picture, I saw that I was right.
My heart sank.
The earring I’d found in Bodie’s apartment was a match for the one the singer wore in the photograph.
It didn’t belong to his ex-girlfriend.
He must have found it here in the speakeasy. Probably in the lost and found basket.
Which meant he knew about the secret room and the booze.
Bodie knew his liquor. He probably realized right away that the old bottles would fetch a good price when sold to the right buyer.
The gold leaf on Freddie’s body hadn’t come from Yolanda. It had come from Bodie. He used gold leaf in his work. Some must have stuck to his clothes or skin, and when he fought with Freddie over the old liquor…
I needed to talk to Detective Callahan.
I rushed up the steps to the secret door.
And crashed right into Bodie.
Chapter
Fifty-Six
“Hey, Bodie.” I tried my best to sound casual, but my voice came out a little higher and more breathless than normal. “I didn’t realize you knew about this place.”
He had his hands on my upper arms, as if to steady me after our collision, but instead of letting me go, he tightened his grip until I almost yelped.
“What was it that clued you in?” His blue eyes had gone hard.
The sight sent shards of ice into my blood.
I fought to keep the fear off my face. “About what?”
He smirked and hauled me out of the phone booth.
The hallway and lobby were both deserted.
“You know what?” He wrenched my phone from my hand and tossed it into the booth. “I don’t even care. I know you put things together, and that’s enough.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied, even though it was likely pointless.
