Page 20 of The Inquirer

“That’s actually kinda my point,” I said. “Your families have done more for this city than some of the other ones that get all the credit. And I think some – if not the majority – hide the…less savory bits of their past to make themselves look better, my own family included.”

Shadae sniffed. “I imagine your daddy doesn’t think too much of that.”

“He doesn’t,” I agreed. Without even knowing it, she’d given me the perfect in-road to talk about Nyx. My parents had denied having anything to do with the PI’s presence in Savannah, but no matter how much sense their denials had made, I knew there were things Nyx was keeping from me.

“Speaking of your family,” Shadae and Brew exchanged a strange look, “Brew and I need to talk to you about somethin’.”

I considered asking if I could bring something up first, but manners had been one of the few good things my parents had drilled into me as a child. I disagreed with them on a lot, including when and where to abandon social niceties, but this is one time I would’ve agreed with them that interrupting would’ve been unnecessarily rude.

“Nyx came to us yesterday to talk to us about the reason she was in Savannah,” Shadae began.

Now, I was glad I’d waited. With them taking the initiative, I’d be able to learn what she’d told them without coming across like I was making baseless accusations. There was one thing I wanted to know first, though.

“I thought she couldn’t talk about her case.”

“She got permission from her clients,” Brew said. He glanced at Shadae. “Turns out, we’re related. Her clients and me.”

I frowned. That wasn’t the direction I saw things going.

Shadae picked the conversation up. “We can’t give you all the details ‘cuz it’s not all our story to tell. But we told the Douglasses – that’d be the clients – that we had to tell you at least part of it. You’re a good man, Bradyn, and it wouldn’t be right, springin’ this on you or you hearin’ it from someone else.”

So, Nyx had brought up my family. I hadn’t been completely off base about the meaning behind that phone conversation I’d heard half of in New York. Except neither Shadae nor Brew were talking about my film.

“You said you know your family history isn’t exactly what it claims,” she said. “Well, there might be some noise comin’ up about some of those lines. The Douglasses got a lawyer. We talked to her too, but we didn’t give her an answer about whether we want to be part of this or not ‘cuz we don’t rightly know. We need more than a day to think on it.”

“So, she didn’t tell you what she thinks my family did?”

Brew and Shadae exchanged another one of those looks.

“We know a few things, but–”

“You can’t tell me,” I finished Shadae’s sentence. “You do know I’d never tell my parents anything, even if they were still speaking to me.”

“We know, sugar,” Shadae said. “It’s not that we don’t trust you. If it was just us, we’d tell you everythin’, but we have to think of the Douglasses.”

They were right. I couldn’t expect them to share other people’s secrets. And it wasn’t like the Huxleys were my family. Not that I expected my family to keep me updated when whatever this went public. I couldn’t hold that against Shadae and Brew. They’d always treated me as more than an employee. Expecting anything more was unfair of me. I just hated feeling like I was the only one out of the loop.

Especially since being out of the loop apparently made me jump to conclusions.

“I understand.” I forced a smile that I hoped looked better than it felt. “If there’s anything I can do, just let me know. I don’t have much research done specifically on my family yet, but anything I can get for you or for the Douglasses, say the word and it’s yours.”

I felt like I was completely overplaying things, but I didn’t really know what else to say. I’d come here thinking that I’d have to ease into the idea of Nyx not being who she said she was and using them to get to me. Then they’d completely flipped everything on its head, and I felt like a complete ass.

“Let’s just see how things go,” Brew said. “Now, how about we get to the business of eatin’ and leave the jawin’ for a time when I ain’t so hungry.”

I reached for my fork. “I whole-heartedly agree.”

I was going to need time to think over everything I’d learned and decide where to go from there. I still wanted to know more about Nyx, but now, I needed to take into consideration what was going on with the Huxleys and how my investigation might affect them and whatever might happen between this kind couple and my parents.

I also owed Nyx an apology. I supposed there could’ve been ways for her to deceive Shadae and Brew about who her clients really were, but there was too much evidence that she really hadn’t been here for me.

I was more than a complete ass. I was the biggest kind of asshole, and I wouldn’t blame Nyx if she never wanted to speak to me again.

At least my steak was good.

Eleven

Nyx

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