Page 57 of Kill Me Sweetly

“Oh, yes. I mean new money is just as good as old money, isn’t that right?”

He nodded. “True enough.” He smiled at JJ and Mason. “I’d love to talk to you both more about some opportunities. Perhaps after I’ve done my rounds. I have a quiet place we can talk.”

“That would be wonderful,” Mason answered.

Once Harper left, JJ thanked Mallory for the assist, and she waved him off with a jolly laugh. I really hoped it wasn’t some legit side hustle Harper was going to toss our way, because I couldn’t handle all of this being for nothing.

JJ and Mason were telling everyone at the table how they met, when a man approached them.

“Pardon the interruption, Mr. and Mr. Columbus. If the two of you would follow me, Mr. Reese would like to speak with you.”

“Woohoo, go get ’em, boys.” Okay, maybe Mallory needed to be cut off.

Mason and JJ bade farewell to everyone, thanked Mallory again, and followed the man through the crowd that was beginning to thin out.

They were led through a set of double doors behind the dais, and from there they were guided across the foyer to an elevator.

“We’re going up, I presume?” Mason chuckled.

“Yes, Mr. Reese said to bring you to his office.”

The screen went fuzzy as soon as the doors shut, and I worried we’d lose our feeds. But once they opened and Mason and JJ stepped out, everything cleared up.

“This way,” the man ordered politely.

He knocked on an office door, and I could hear someone telling them to come in. The door opened to a huge office, like far too big for one person, but this was Harper Reese after all. Born into riches and knowing nothing else.

“Gentlemen.” He grinned and opened his arms in greeting. “Have a seat. I’ll pour us some drinks and then we can get to the good stuff.”

One of them always faced Harper, and I watched as he got them each a drink. If he slipped anything in there, I’d warn them. Then, I’d bust in there and tear Harper’s head clean off.

“Brandy okay?” he asked but was pouring three tumblers anyway, so their opinions were invalid.

“That’s fine,” Mason answered.

Once all three were seated, Harper took a sip and smiled at JJ and Mason.

“So, Mallory vouching for you after only knowing you for a couple of hours is remarkable. You both must have a way about you.”

JJ chuckled. “We have wanted to get into the inner machinations of lucrative and powerful things in the city since we moved here. We’re determined.”

Harper nodded, took another sip, and placed his tumbler on the table. “I don’t trust easily, so you’ll understand when I say I’ll have to check your backgrounds?”

“That’s totally understandable.” Mason tipped his glass to Harper. “We’d expect nothing less.”

Harper sniffed and relaxed in his chair. “There’s no harm in feeling you both out in the meantime. Tell me, what do you know about Alicia House?”

Mason shook his head. “Never heard of it?”

Harper got up and walked toward his desk to pull something out.

“The pink house,” Nick whispered. “That’s Alicia House. We haven’t been able to uncover anything much about it.”

“Sounds like we’re about to get our chance,” I whispered so Harper couldn’t hear me.

Harper returned with a brochure of sorts and slapped it on the table. Sure enough, it was the pink house Nick had mentioned. There were no others around, so it had to be the same one Four spoke about.

“This is Alicia House.” Harper sat again and grinned as Mason and JJ ooohed and aaahed over it, knowing full well it was a house of horrors.

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