In fact, she could work here. No, she’s not a veteran, like most of my employees, but for Sofia, I’d make an exception. She’d be an asset to Fox & Falcon with her investigative experience, and she’s always been a hard worker…
I shake my head at myself.
Like Sofia would want to give up her business to work for me?
“Hey, Sofia?” Jester lifts his chin as he looks across the conference table at her. “What about this case from September? With the guy who claimed he slipped in his neighbor’s driveway? In your follow-up notes, it sounds like he was pretty pissed when you busted him. Any thoughts?”
Sofia’s forehead creases as she thinks. “I remember him. He called the office a few times, complaining. But…” She frowns. “He moved to Virginia not long after that. With his pregnant girlfriend. I got the feeling he was trying to move on.”
“Virginia’s not that far from here,” I remind her. “And if he paid someone…”
She turns to me. “I don’t think he had enough money for that, Nico.”
“He could have come into some money,” I retort. “Or stolen it.” To Jester, I add, “Email me his name. I’ll look into his finances. Check for any recent travel to New York. And if there’s anything suspicious, an old Army buddy of mine, Nolan, lives out that way. He could look in on him.”
Sofia lets out a tired sigh. Her shoulders sag. “I should have known this would take a long time. But I guess I was just…”
“Just what?” I ask.
“I was hoping something would jump out at me. Or one of the cases would trigger a memory. Instead, I’m just realizing just how many people could want me dead.”
My heart wrenches at the despair in her eyes. “Soph?—”
“I always thought I was doing a good thing,” she continues. “Helping people whose partners were cheating on them, people who were being taken advantage of… But I never thought about someone actually wanting to killme because of it.”
Wraith lifts his gaze from his laptop. His expression is somber. “There will always be bad people who’ll do anything to keep good from prevailing.”
Sofia stares at him. “I guess you’re right.”
I shoot Wraith a scolding look. Does he really need to remind her of that now?
He raises his eyebrows at me. He doesn’t have to speak for me to know what he’s saying.It’s the truth. And sometimes the truth is the hardest thing to hear.
He’s right. The truth can be unbearably painful at times. Sometimes the truth can be devastating.
“I’ll just keep looking,” Sofia murmurs to herself. “I’ll find something, eventually.”
As she turns her attention back to her laptop, I steal another quick glance at her. Smudges of purplish-blue shadow her eyes. Her forehead is lined with strain. Her face is pale.
She’s tired. Stressed. Working herself more than she should, considering she suffered a concussion only a week ago.
Three hours is more than enough,I decide.She needs to rest. Relax. Take her mind off this shit for a while.
Shutting my laptop, I say, “Okay. I think we’re good for today. We can pick this back up tomorrow.” I pause. “Or the day after.”
Sofia turns to me. Surprise is written all over her face. “What do you mean? We’ve barely gotten started. I haven’t even gotten to my December cases yet.”
“Soph. We’ve been at it for a while. I think it’s time for a break.”
“Nico.” Irritation tinges her voice. “I don’t needa break.”
Knight glances at me from the end of the table. I give him a tiny nod, and he returns it. Then he stands and announces, “You know, I’m starving. I think I’m going to head down the street for a sub. Anyone want to come with?”
Wraith, Houdini, and Jester all leap to their feet. “A sub sounds great,” Jester agrees. “Maybe some cookies, too.”
“I could eat,” Houdini agrees.
Wraith nods. “Same.”
