Page 114 of Joker in the Pack

“No, we bloody shouldn’t. We’ve hit a nerve, and that means we’re getting closer.”

“But isn’t that dangerous? I mean, he must have been near the cottage to know we’re pulling the place apart.”

Nye shook his head. “He’d need to have looked in the windows, and Spike’s set up motion sensors. The control room would have called me if anyone got that close.”

Or perhaps he was just psychic. I’d got to the stage I’d believe anything.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. My guess is that Carol’s been asking more questions and one of them’s touched a nerve.”

“The insurance thing?”

“Could be. The smell of money brings out the monster in people. But I do have a small piece of good news.”

Oh boy, did I need that. “What is it?”

“My team have found Larry in a homeless shelter a couple of towns away. He lost his sales job a few months back after he made inappropriate advances towards a colleague. My guess is he hasn’t told Betty.”

“So he’ll be feeling the pinch as well?”

“Exactly. With the amount he earned, he’d have been under pressure paying Eleanor two grand a month. If a new demand came, he’d be sunk.”

“But I wouldn’t blackmail him!”

“He doesn’t know that.”

“What happens now? Do we talk to him?”

“‘We’ don’t do anything. You’re not going anywhere near that man. He’s under surveillance, and when he goes out, Spike’ll take a closer look at where he’s living.”

“Is that legal?”

Nye gave me a look.

Right, I forgot. This was the new Olivia. New Olivia lived daringly on the dark side. At least, she did as long as she could manage the “lived” part.

CHAPTER 33

A COMBINATION OF turning my entire bedroom upside down and the nasty phone call a few hours earlier left me drained. And worse—our efforts were in vain. I groaned as I surveyed the mess. It looked as if a poltergeist had thrown a tantrum in there.

“How about we sleep on the couch tonight?” Nye suggested.

“I can’t.” Damn my OCD. “I’m so sorry, but I just can’t leave it like that.”

Nye rubbed a hand over his eyes. “It’s okay, Liv. We’ll put it back.”

It was nearly two in the morning by the time we got some semblance of order, and the moment we could see the bed again, we both collapsed into it.

“I never thought I’d say I was too tired, babe, but I’m too…”

I didn’t hear the last bit, because I fell asleep.

Beeping from outside woke me the next morning, and I rolled out of bed to see a truck trundling down the driveway. A second one soon followed, along with half a dozen cars.

There were definite advantages to sleeping fully clothed. My feet stayed warm, Spike didn’t see me naked, and it saved ten minutes in the morning. My mother was probably having afterlife palpitations, but I took a deep breath and blocked her out. Nye went to open the front door while I brushed my teeth, and by the time I got downstairs, he was holding a briefing in the kitchen.

“Every box, bag, and basket gets examined. We’re looking for something small, possibly documents, and they might be in an old padded envelope. Anything you’re not sure of, call me, and if I’m busy, put it aside for checking later. Any questions?”

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