"What's her name?" I asked. "We'll see if we can find her and make some kind of suitable arrangements."
Sebastian breathed a little easier. "Thank you. Like I said, you can name your price."
"We don't do this for money," I said.
Sebastian lifted a curious brow. "Really?”
"JD and I volunteer for the department."
"No shit? Sounds like the department’s lucky to have you.”
Jack smiled. "We like to think so.”
Sebastian gave me Madelyn’s number. "She likes to avoid the spotlight these days. Keeps to herself. She was always like that, working behind the scenes. Madelyn was more thanhappy to let me take the spotlight in the early days of the company. I had asked Giovanni to invite her to the fashion show, but I don't know if she showed up. Things got so hectic, and I was hoping to get an opportunity to talk to her. I wanted to smooth things out between us. This incident has made me realize just how precarious life can be. One day everything is perfect, and the next it can turn into a nightmare.”
"Savor the good times," Jack said.
“You get to a point in life where money can’t buy the things you truly want. I’d give my kingdom to go back a day and stop the attack.”
He seemed genuine.
I said to Sebastian, “If you don’t mind my asking, what caused the falling out between you and Madelyn?”
17
Sebastian gave me his sister's number. I called her, but it went to voicemail. I left a message. I figured if she wouldn't talk to him, she might talk to me.
I sent her number to Isabella and asked her to track Madelyn’s phone. Isabella was swamped when I talked to her, but she said she’d get back with me shortly. She had plenty of other things to do besides handle my requests.
In the afternoon, we headed over to the warehouse district for band practice. We pulled into the lot that was full of disheveled cars and vans. I found a place to park, and we hopped out and strolled to the main entrance.
The usual band of miscreants loitered out front—jet black hair and skinny jeans.
We hung out and shot the breeze for a few minutes, then stepped inside and ambled down the hallway.
The guys were in the room tuning up, noodling around. Wepushed into the small space and greeted Dizzy, Crash, and Styxx.
"I think it's time we record the second album,” Styxx said right away. It had clearly been on his mind. “We've got enough songs, and we’re solid.”
"Sounds good to me," Jack said.
"I want it to have a live feel. I think we should rent a house, set up a studio, and knock it out. Kinda like we did last time. That worked. Someplace that has cool vibes.”
"That can be arranged," Jack said.
"I’ve been thinking. We don't need a producer. We don't need anybody else. We can engineer it ourselves. We did it before. It sounded great. No need to get anybody else in the kitchen messing up the stew.”
"You don't have to sell me," Jack said. “I’m on board.”
"We just need to find someplace with mojo.”
"I'll think of something.”
Styxx grinned, and there were high-fives all around.
"We’re making a record!”
"I've got an idea," Dizzy said.
