Page 10 of I Can't Even

The watch was the least of my concerns at this point.

It was downright terrifying that anyone would have to deal with that kind of worry. The sad fact was, unless you were trained to deal with it, nobody could really protect themselves.

If the public only knew how bad it was…

“Two weeks after the watch went missing—it was a Rolex Submariner, by the way—some gang member’s wad of cash was misplaced. But so were his drugs. Which he got pissed about and started accusing the staff of stealing.”

“A few days after that, some hoity-toity society princess had her thousand-dollar bangle set stolen,” Hollis added in.

“Actually, I have a theory about that,” Auden insisted. “I don’t think that was this Robin Hood at all. I think that was just the princess being a bitch. They had to cut that bracelet off to get to her hand because she broke her arm in several places. They gave it back to her in pieces, I think. She threw a fit and threw it away. I think someone from that person’s family came in later and tried to fish it out of the trash, but it was gone.”

“Interesting, but what makes you think all of this going down is on Ellodie?” I wondered.

But almost as I was speaking, Quincy asked the same thing.

“So, you think someone, more accurately that woman, is responsible for all of those incidents?” he asked curiously.

“Maybe not all of the instances were her,” Auden answered. “But it’s suspicious because she was the only one in the room when that money went missing. And the drugs.”

I’d met Ellodie only twice, and both of those times were very brief.

But I didn’t get a bad vibe off of her.

If she was behind this, there had to be a very good reason.

And, because I always liked a good mystery, I started to grin.

“Uh-oh.”

“What?” Hollis asked from her perch on the edge of Quincy’s seat.

“He’s getting that look,” Quincy murmured, his eyes gleaming. “You’re about to never let that girl rest, are you?”

“Not for a second,” I said.

I was like a dog with a scent, now.

I wouldn’t—couldn’t—leave it alone.

“What does that mean?” Hollis asked, sounding intrigued. “Y’all are acting like this is something funny.”

“It is funny.” Auden chuckled. “And it just made my job easier.”

“Why is it funny?” Hollis pushed.

“Because Quaid is fucking annoying,” Auden said. “Once he gets it in his head that something has to be done, or taken care of, or fixed, he doesn’t rest until it’s to his satisfaction. And he just set his sights on Ellodie Solaire.”

Damn right, I did.

Plus, I’d already been halfway there when she wrapped those perfect lips around my fork.

“What are y’all out here talking so seriously about?” Dad asked as he came out to the porch with meat, while Mom followed with the potato salad.

My sister, Ande, was right behind them with a kid in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. Her husband, Keene, was close at her heels with another child in his arms.

“Go play, Tex,” Keene said as he set the boy free.

“You, too,” Ande said as she dropped down to her haunches and let Addison go. They had named her after my baby sister who’d taken her own life.

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