When recognition never dawned, Slade broke the awkward silence. “You don’t know us,” he said smoothly, keeping his expression pleasant for the bouncers who were keeping an eye on all the girls. “We’re here to ask you about Toby Land.”
“No, don’t look back,” Evan said, chuckling softly as though he found something amusing. A second later, he pulled out his wallet and a wad of cash. “We just want to know if you’ve seen him lately.”
Her big blue eyes, ringed by lashes coated with too much mascara, glanced from Evan’s face to the money in his hand and then back up. “Not in a while.” There was disappointment in her tone.
“You two close?” Slade asked.
“We were. We dated for a while.” She added a smile for anyone watching. “He’s not allowed in here anymore.”
“Can you tell us what business he had with your boss?” Evan made a show of peeling off what appeared to be ten-dollar bills.
Although she was pretending she wasn’t interested in the money, Serendipity’s gaze darted back to the cash in his hand before meeting his eyes again. “It had something to do with his travel agency. That’s all I know.”
Evan nodded, passed over two bills.
“Do you know where else he might go if he’s not home?”
She shook her head. “You’re gonna have to buy a dance.”
Slade’s gaze shifted, and that was when he noticed one of the bouncers moving toward them.
“How much?”
“Twenty for a lap dance, or fifty for a private dance.”
Slade figured they didn’t have time for more than a quickie, for lack of a better term. Evan must’ve thought so, too, because he peeled off two more tens and passed them over.
Serendipity stood tall and made a show of untying the sash on her robe. A moment later, the silk was sliding down her arms, revealing her trim, toned body and the matching red thong she wore beneath.
Eh. There was a hint of stirring in his loins, so maybe he wasn’t quite as dead as he’d thought.
“The last time I saw him was the night he left here and got arrested,” she said smoothly as she began gyrating her hips, going through the motions.
Evan rested his hands on the arms of his chair and stared up at her, smiling as though he was enjoying the show.
As she moved, Serendipity continued to tell them absolutely nothing. Yes, she had dated Toby for a little while. No, it wasn’t anything serious. He was doing something on the side, and it pertained to the travel agency, but she didn’t know what and didn’t want to know.
By the time the song was finished and Serendipity was putting her robe back on, they’d learned little more than they already knew.
“Thank you,” Evan said, passing over two more tens before she sauntered off.
They made it through one more song before heading out.
“Did you at least enjoy the show?” Slade joked as they were getting into the SUV.
“Not really my thing.”
Slade frowned. “You into guys?”
Evan’s head snapped over, and he frowned. “No. Why?”
Slade chuckled. “Just checkin’.”
Chapter Ten
“He’s out there somewhere,” Brantley told Reese, hoping he sounded reassuring.
It had been a gamble following the last cell phone tower ping to a remote area. They hadn’t found anything or anyone to confirm whether Toby had been out there at any point. The cabins Luca had mentioned were deserted, many of them crumbling in on themselves.
