Page 28 of Wicked and Ruthless

“You don’t understand how Haisley works. She’s stubborn as the day is long, and right now she’s not speaking to me.”

“Because she doesn’t want to, and I’m guessing it’s because you screwed the pooch somewhere along the way. Figure out what you did, then try to talk to her when she’s not in a crowded bar with her girls and you’re not drunk. Maybe invite her out to dinner or?—”

“I can’t invite out a woman who’s blocked my messages on every conceivable platform and pushed me away last night, so fake name it is.”

“Boy, you really pissed that girl off. What did you do?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” And that was the rub. “We didn’t fight. She just…mumbled some BS excuses, pulled back, and ran off to Cali.”

Ethan scowled. “It’s been a couple of years, but I remember that woman being really into you. I would have sworn you two were headed to the altar. And the maternity ward, the way you went at it all the time.”

“Me, too.” And a possibility that had once scared the hell out of Nash had felt like a happy eventuality—until Haisley fled. “That’s why I need to figure out what happened. And if I have to be a little underhanded…isn’t that how intel works?”

“On a job, sure. In relationships? That seems like dangerous ground, but you do you.” Ethan swallowed the last of his coffee and stood. “Since I intend to start my New Year off right, I’m going to escort my horny little sorority princess out the door, get in a workout, meet her for lunch, then bring her back here for round two. See you later.”

Nash shook his head. “See you, man.”

When Garrison disappeared into his half of the house, Nash rededicated his effort to finding Haisley among the thousands of people in the online group. Finally, he located her. At least he thought she was RedHotSavvySleuth. Her avatar wasn’t her face but a cartoon of a curvy bombshell in a trench coat, but her bio claimed she was a feisty redhead who lived in Lafayette. How many could there be in this group? Then he tracked her latest posts, noting the cases that interested her most tended to be the ones that needed attention.

That gave him an idea.

As JasperThePrivateDick, he agreed to the group rules, posted to the newbie forum, fielded welcome messages, then did a little digging on the disappearances happening at the nearby mall. Shockingly, he couldn’t find much. Finally, he asked the general forum if anyone was looking into this case. Since he claimed to live in New Orleans, he asked if anyone living locally could shed some light.

Thirty minutes later, RedHotSavvySleuth welcomed him and said she hadn’t heard of the case. But she said she’d been to that mall many times, so she’d love to hear more.

Grinning, Nash immediately slid into her DMs. “I’m coming for you, baby. Let’s connect.”

His eyes narrowing in concentration, he typed out a response, trying to strike the right balance between curious and friendly with a tinge of flirt. Once he hit Send, he leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the screen. Anticipation coursed through him.

The soft ping of an incoming message made his pulse jump.

RedHotSavvySleuth: Thanks for bringing this case to my attention. I’m hoping the police are all over the disappearances at that new mall, but Lafayette’s finest aren’t all that great, in my experience. Tell me more.

JasperThePrivateDick: I couldn’t find a lot online, which seemed odd. So I started thinking… CSI seems like it’s tackled some tough cases and had some successes. Because this is a local issue, any chance you’re up for tackling a mystery in your own backyard? I’ll provide all the help and backup I can. And be your sounding board, of course.

Tense minutes ticked by as Nash waited for Haisley’s response. He hoped like hell she didn’t shut him down. Finally, the soft ping of a new message broke the silence. His breath caught in his throat as he read it.

RedHotSavvySleuth: I’m a bit out of touch locally since I’ve just moved back home after being away for a couple of years. Admittedly, I’ve been looking for a good distraction. The thought of taking on a local case is intriguing. I’ve never investigated one before. Anything else you can share?

Gotcha. Nash’s lips curved into a wolfish grin. Haisley might have played hard to get last night, but online, when she had no idea who he was, her curiosity and her unwavering sense of justice would give him the in he needed. Drawing her in deeper would require an admittedly deft touch—and a delicate balance between flattery, facts, and intrigue.

JasperThePrivateDick: Beyond the fact young women are disappearing—five in the last year or so—I can’t find much. Nothing about an official investigation. But I only got a tip about these disappearances last night. They piqued my interest. Have you heard much locally?

RedHotSavvySleuth: Nothing. Now that I think of it, that’s weird. The city’s rag usually reports any sort of criminal behavior, even a stolen bike or garden tools out of someone’s garage. I can’t imagine why they haven’t reported on something this big.

JasperThePrivateDick: Maybe someone is trying to keep it hush-hush? Possible corruption at play? Seems to be plenty of that everywhere these days. This case is something I’d love to sink my teeth into, but I live too far away to do the legwork. Since we started talking, I’ve read some of your posts. You’re insightful, and you have a can-do attitude. Your local knowledge would be invaluable. I think we’d make one hell of a team. I have experience working disappearances, and I’m tenacious. You game?

RedHotSavvySleuth: You make a compelling pitch, but I’m starting a new job tomorrow. I don’t know how much time I’ll have.

Fuck. Had he come on too strong? Or maybe she’d been hit on by a fellow crime solver before.

JasperThePrivateDick: I get it. My schedule is erratic, and my job is demanding, too. I swear I’m not a perv hoping to send dick pics or ask you for nudes. I really want to get to the bottom of these disappearances, and I’m not close enough to do it myself. Don’t these women deserve our help?

RedHotSavvySleuth: They do. Clearly, someone taught you how to pack extra-heavy bags for that guilt trip.

JasperThePrivateDick: Don’t we all have grandmas? And I did mention that I’m tenacious. It’s one of my charms…

RedHotSavvySleuth: Charms? Is that how the people in your life would phrase that quality?

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