My gaze swung over them one final time, and that was when I noticed Jinx was watching me. His eyes were open, but he hadn’t moved a muscle since I found them like this. How long had he been watching me? How much had he seen? Like it or not, Jinx knew me better than anyone. He could read me like a book, which was the very reason I kept him at arm’s length. It was easier that way. For everyone.
Without a word, I turned and headed for the kitchen.
An hour and a half later, after feeding Waldo, showering, and driving to work, I walked across the main floor toward my office. My footfalls were loud, gaining the attention of Rhyan, Willy, and Red Wally. They fell into step, eager to give me the morning update as they did every morning when I arrived.
“Where’s Jinx?” Rhyan asked, looking around as though I had the guy tucked in my fucking pocket.
“Give me updates,” I told her. I wasn’t in the mood for small talk, and I didn’t give a shit where Jinx was at the moment.
“Well,” Rhyan drawled the word into far too many syllables. “We’ve got a new client.”
“Who?”
“Astrid Levington,” Rhyan stated.
She said the name as though I should know who that was. “Which meanswhatto me?”
“The movie studio exec? She was in the news last year?”
Red Wally lifted a hand. “She’s the exec brought in to testify about that actor’s alleged sexual misconduct.”
Rhyan picked up the conversational ball. “She claimed she had no knowledge of any misconduct and had never had direct contact with him.”
I wasn’t sure why any of that mattered, but I indulged them anyway. “And now what?”
“She’s being blackmailed,” Willy offered, obviously feeling the need to confuse me more.
Of course she was. Because that was what happened when people lied. They set themselves up for extortion. If ever they learned not to lie, I would be out of a job.
“Who’s blackmailing her?”
“That’s what she wants us to find out.”
“What are they targeting her with?”
“Evidently, someone’s got photographs of them having coffee together a couple of years ago. Just two days after the first victim said he raped her.”
I hated these cases. I didn’t understand why people felt the need to lie about stupid shit. However, I’d been in this business long enough to know she hadn’t lied because she had coffee with the guy. No one would’ve given a shit. There was more to the story.
“Was the guy convicted?” I asked, glancing between them.
“No,” Rhyan said with a huff.
“Do you think he’s guilty?”
“Yeah.”
That made it even worse. Not so much for the woman being blackmailed. I didn’t give a shit about her. My job was to stop the blackmailer and to ensure nothing came to light. However, I didn’t take kindly to anyone taking from someone who didn’t give their explicit consent. I knew how the justice system worked, and too many times, it was inmyfavor. There was no justice for the victim, only a nice juicy cover-up for the guilty. Unfortunately, money and prestige trumped justice.
“There’s also a video,” Red Wally noted. “Of them …together… after they had coffee.”
I figuredtogetherwas a euphemism for fucking. That made far more sense than a photograph of them chatting over a cup of joe. That was real leverage and clearly something this woman didn’t want to get out.
“Have you seen it?” I asked.
He shook his head.
“Rhyan? You think we should take this one?”
