Page 13 of Sighs By the Sea

"Maggie," he says and draws the word out. I have to suppress a shiver. Definitely a shower moment coming later. To distract myself, I flip a page in my notebook. It's more to have something to focus on other than the man staring at me. “Okay, so, Lucas Jenkins.” I sneak a glance at him, and he nods for me to continue. "Do you know anyone that might want him—”

Grayson holds up a hand. “He can’t spell yet.”

I understand his request. Even without Georgie in the room, he doesn't want wandering ears to hear anything untoward. “D-E-A-D?”

“Specifically? No. If I had to guess, maybe the Ukrainian mob.” I jot that down, though, of course, it is obvious.

"And what about your family?"

He's shaking his head. "They don't have pull anymore. The money's gone, and friends went with it. Lucas would never work for free."

That gives me pause. The way he said, 'friends' doesn't sit well. We are talking about the mob, after all. "Any family that isn't in jail that might have money left? What about your cousin, Tilly Jacobs? Her net worth shot up to $2.4 million in the last two years."

"$4.6," he says.

I'm confused, so I tilt my head to the side. "Uh, her value?"

"Yes. With the additional yacht purchased under a business loan last year, and the apartment we're currently sitting in, her net worth is now $4.6 million. See, I'm a criminal but an honest one."

Okay, not what I expected. I slap the notebook closed on my knee. "You're telling me, your cousin has nearly doubled her net worth in the last two years?"

He chuckles. "Better yet, she started with about $45 bucks in her pocket when she came back from a decade in Costa Rica. That was three years ago."

Ah, I see. Costa Rica? Definitely, something isn't on the up and up. No one makes that kind of money. As if he knows what I'm thinking, Grayson adds, "And everything is in order. No mystery deposits or unaccounted merchandise sales. She keeps every receipt, even from company-bought lunches. Just a bit of luck and good business sense in her books. Scouts honor."

"And what is the mob version of the scouts?" I ask before I can stop myself.

But instead of snapping at me, he grins. "Still scouts, but with lessons in escaping zip ties and how to bribe crooked cops."

I bark out a laugh. "Touché, Grayson, touché."

His chin dips, but his eyes stay on me. It makes him look all the more menacing and, honestly, a little bit hot. See? I'm a giant mess. But damn, he's a beast of a man with looks that can slay me with a single smile. "Tilly Jacobs never had pull, and before you ask, Miranda has no idea who Lucas was."

That crosses off a few names. Narrowing the suspect pool is always a good thing. But I'm pulling out my phone. I select Harry’s contact info and quickly update him on where I am. He asks if I need backup. I take a quick look at Grayson. No, this is not a man that would hurt anyone. “Look, I’m gonna have my sister pick me up and stay here for the night. You can head back.”

“You sure, Margaret?”

“Yes. But I’d like to know which Chernobog members have a connection with our recent reformed felon. Can you run it for me?” I'm trying to talk in code so Grayson doesn't know I'm checking up on things. The entire reason I'm here is to make sure he's not about to be offed by some contract killer.

“No problem. Stay out of trouble. I know how your sister gets.”

I laugh. “No worries, Harry.” We hang up, and I tuck my phone back into my pocket.

Grayson is studying me again with that same intensity in his eyes. “You have a sister in San Diego.”

It isn’t a question, but I feel compelled to explain regardless. “Younger. She’s at UCSD studying to become a physicist.”

Grayson’s eyebrows rise. “Impressive.”

“You’d think, but she’s a bit of a party animal. Don't blame me, though. She got that from her cousin, Jade. Owns an adult arcade and bar.” I laugh at my own blunt words, unsure why I'm even explaining anything. Probably nerves. Grayson’s face doesn’t change. “As for the mob. Any names that stick out?”

His eyes become unfocused for a moment, like he’s calculating. I nearly laugh at the sight. “They have a hitman. I don’t remember the name, but I might be able to call around to find it.”

“Were they aware of your deal?”

He looks down at his hands. “A few. Ones I trust. But word may have gotten out. I can check with Miranda, that’s my cousin.” I nod. That would help speed up our search.

George comes back out, fully decked out in a full Batman costume. The thing even has fake muscles. In his tiny hands is a giant box. “Miss Maggie, look what Daddy bought.”

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