Page 15 of A Hidden Past

“I wasn’t here when she died!” he exploded.

“Okay,” she said calmly, lifting her hands placatingly. “I’m just telling you what I walked up on. I’m talking to you because I want to know what I didn’t see. So, was there anything out of place?”

Nate shook his head. “No. Not that I could tell. Everything was where I left it yesterday. Even the vacuum.” His brow furrowed. “That’s odd.”

“What’s odd?”

“Well…” he hesitated a moment but this time Lena didn’t have to subtly threaten him to get him to talk again. “Clara told me that they were going to have friends over last night. She wanted the pool cleaned so they could all use it. But there’s no sign that they used it. I mean, I would say that they cleaned it after the party or had a servant clean it or something, but the vacuum was right where I left it too.”

“You think she lied to you about her plans?”

He hesitated, but his eyes told Lena that’s exactly what he thought. Or at least, what he wanted her to think he thought. “I mean, I told her that she had to wait twenty-four hours before using the pool, so maybe they moved the party.”

“Hmm. Maybe. How well did you know Lila?”

“I didn’t know her at all. I just cleaned their pool yesterday.”

“Did you talk to her?”

“Yeah, for like, thirty seconds.”

“What did you guys talk about?”

Nate’s eyes narrowed before he spoke, but Lena didn’t call him out on it this time. The kid obviously wasn’t telling her everything, but he was too on edge to push right now.

“Nothing. She just said hi. I was about to leave, so we didn’t talk much. That’s all.”

“Did you like her?”

“I didn’t fucking know her!”

"Okay," Lena said calmly. "I just mean, did you think she was cute?"

“Cute?”

“Pretty. Hot. Sexy. Attractive.”

He flared up. “You think I had something to do with this?”

“I think you’re not answering my—”

“Yes. Okay? She was hot. But I didn’t think of her like that.” Lena lifted an eyebrow, and he explained, “I mean, I didn’t… I…” he sighed. “Look, these are rich people. I’m not rich. It doesn’t matter if she dropped to her knees and begged me to screw her, I’m not looking for that kind of trouble.”

“Did she beg you to screw her?”

“No! For God’s sake, she just said hi! I said hi, then I said bye. That’s it.”

Lena held his gaze just long enough to make him feel uncomfortable, then nodded. “Okay.”

She stood and said, “My partner got your number. Keep your phone on. I might have some more questions later. Do yourself a favor, kid. Don’t leave your shit behind from now on.”

“Oh, trust me. I won’t.”

He got up and half-jogged away. Lena allowed him to walk about ten yards, then called, “Your vacuum.”

He swore and rushed back for the vacuum, then stomped away again. Lena watched as he loaded it into the back of a Ford Transit van, then got in the driver’s seat and sped off.

Harris walked up to her and asked, “How’d it go?”

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