Emily grinned. “Who was that snarled promise meant for, anyway?”
Shelly sighed and tilted her head toward Mia. “Her, I think.” She wrinkled her nose as if the thought stank.
Emily reached for the bottle and refilled Seth’s glass, taking a long swallow. “I’m not his date, you know.”
Mia leaned back in her chair. “No?”
“No.” The blonde rolled her eyes. “Our fathers have some crazy idea about merging the mining empires. It’s not going to happen. Well, probably.” She blew out a breath and frowned. “They can get fairly determined.”
Shelly traced a pattern on the tablecloth with one red-tipped nail. “You’re Philip Nightsom’s daughter, right?”
“That’s me,” Emily said.
Shelly nodded. “Your mine holdings are almost as vast as the Volk conglomerate. People solidify empires or political allies with marriages all the time. Better get on board now.” Slowly, she lifted her gaze to land on Mia. “I don’t suppose that’s your future, huh?”
“No.” Mia returned the woman’s stare evenly. She wouldn’t let some snob from Seattle make her uncomfortable.
Emily leaned across the table and topped off Mia’s glass. “What do you do, Mia?”
“She’s a cop.” Shelly said the words as if they tasted bad.
“Cool.” Emily smoothed down her dress. “What kind of cop?”
“Profiler.” Mia studied the woman’s expression. She seemed genuinely interested.
“Like of serial killers?” At Mia’s nod, Emily smiled. “I’m a writer—romantic suspense. Maybe someday I could pick your brain.”
“Anytime.” Mia relaxed against the chair. “I don’t suppose you know anything about the recent murder in Lost Lake? The death of Ruby Redbird?”
Emily shook her head. “No. Sorry.”
Shelly sniffed. “According to Erik, Mia’s looking at either Seth or Erik for the murder. How dumb is that?”
Emily shrugged. “Depends on if they did it or not.”
Mia’s breath picked up. “Do you think either Erik or Seth could’ve killed somebody?”
“Sure.” Emily’s eyes darkened. “We live in a dangerous world. I’m sure they could’ve killed. But a helpless woman in the middle of the forest? I don’t think so.”
“It sounds like youdoknow a little about the murder,” Mia said thoughtfully.
Emily lifted a toned shoulder. “Rumors travel fast. But that’s all I heard.”
“Have you heard that Ruby’s body was stolen from the morgue?” Mia asked.
No expression of surprise crossed Emily’s face. “No kidding. Well, that’s weird.”
Mia took another sip, her instincts humming. “It is weird. Tell me, as an author, why would somebody steal a body from a morgue?”
Emily wrinkled her nose, her gaze on the lights in the distance. “I can’t think of any good reason somebody would take a body.” As a liar, she wasn’t bad. But lying she was.
“I think you do know,” Mia said softly.
Amusement lit Emily’s dark eyes when she glanced back at Mia. “Prove it.” No heat existed in the words, but Emily’s chin tilted in challenge.
Mia frowned, studying the gorgeous blonde. She knew something. What was the big secret with these people, anyway? The commonality between Ruby Redbird and Emily was one of mining—they both lived in strong mining communities. Was something wrong with the mines? Could it be an environmental issue that would’ve been discovered in an autopsy?
“I’m heading inside.” Shelly stood in a flash of sparkles and sauntered back into the ballroom.
