“Um. Yes. The other night, I communicated via text with him.”
True and vague.
“What about?”
I’ll have to phrase it the way I did with Reed the other night. No doubt, they’ll compare notes before they arrest me.
“When Silas and I broke up, he took something that didn’t belong to him. And he finally let me pick it up.”
It. Her. Same thing, right?
“So you saw him that evening?”
A tremble makes my voice quiver. “No-nah-nope.”
Sounded totally normal, Lila. You’re doing great.
Lying to myself is my passion.
“So you didn’t get the item? The one he took? What was it, if you don’t mind me asking?”
It takesallof my strength to avoid spouting a nonsense phrase at him. Something tells me it won’t paint me in the best light if I colorfully deflect his questions by telling him my favorite color is soy sauce. “I got the item. He left it somewhere for me. And I do mind, actually. It’s personal.”
Because it’s a person. Again, I’m notreallylying.
Right?
He clasps his hands and nestles them under his chin, staring me down like a disapproving...Yep. You know what’s coming.I’m gonna say it.
He’s staring at me like a disapproving father.
He swipes his phone screen, bringing up another photo. “Has this man been by again since the night the other agent questioned you?”
It’s the photo of that creepy dude, apparently his name is Elliot, talking to Silas. Same photo they showed me in Mr. Votaw’s office after the accidental butt groping that’s haunted me every single time I’ve seen him since that fateful night. My butt cheek twitches whenever I think about it too hard.
Like right now.Twitch, twitch.
“No,” I answer truthfully.
Silas didn’t need to send him again to threaten me. Plus, he’s probably worried security will catch him if he shows back up. He’s gotta be in their facial detection scanners. Silas might be a monster, but he’s not stupid.
“Any idea what Silas and him are passing to each other?” he prods.
I shake my head.
Agent Dad flings his thumb in the direction of the baccarat tables. “Do you know Dana?”
Where on earth is he going with this?
“Yes, of course.”
“Did you hear what happened at her house the other day?”
My head kicks back and brows tightly furrow. “No.”
“Hmm. I’m surprised you haven’t heard. Even the cocktail waitress knew about it.”
“I don’t talk to many people here. I do my job and go home. That’s it.”
