Page 31 of Ruin Me

“Hey, Kent?” Omar’s voice penetrated my contemplative bubble, reminding me I had a business to run. “Just a reminder. You should head out for your monthly lunch with Ms. Finch.”

I turn from the scenery I barely noticed to nod at my assistant. “I’ll head over now. Call me if Madison heads out before I return.”

I headed to Mio Cuore, a DeLuca restaurant where discretion was as important as the famous people who ate there. Althoughthis was a standing meeting, I needed other answers after yesterday’s meeting with Fred.

As I approached the entrance, Detectives Glass and Salinas exited. They hesitated before nodding in greeting toward me. I returned the gesture, but felt their stare even as I disappeared inside the restaurant. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if they were at the restaurant as part of an investigation or for lunch. I couldn’t imagine them being able to afford more than an appetizer on a detective’s salary, but as long as they weren’t hassling me, I wouldn’t bother wasting more time on them.

Paulina arrived before me and sat at the table already sipping a glass of wine. A year or two separated our ages but whether genetics or plastic surgery, she appeared to be in her mid thirties rather than a woman entering her fifties. She wore her midnight black hair in a bob, not a single gray strand in sight. Her skin was smooth and her appearance was as slick as any lifetime politician who wielded their power to remain in power.

We exchanged pleasantries while I waited for the server to take my order.

When she turned her head, I compared her profile to the blurry image from the photo I saw yesterday. It was only a partial and I couldn’t be sure about the hairstyle. Women changed their colors, cuts, and styles frequently. I never kept up when my wife or daughter came home with a new hairdo, how would I remember when a woman I only interacted with for work wore the same style from months ago or if she’d changed it? With no obvious answer to condemn or clear her of my doubts, I kept my frustration from my face.

Once we were alone, she stared at me over her glass. “You’re holding up a lot better than I expected given the headlines.”

Already on alert, I peered at her more closely. Maybe I was being too sensitive. Her question referencing the murderssurrounding me was a reasonable question, but with the potential danger to Madison, I needed to silence my doubts.

“I’m no stranger to pressure.” I snapped my napkin open and laid it on my waist.

Okay, Paulina could have been at the cafe by coincidence. What remained was I had no proof she knew any of the murdered women. And if she did, what would be her motive for murder? And on top of the multiple killings, why would she frame me?

Paulina and I had a long history of acquaintanceship before we ever started working together. We never became friends despite attending the same high school and undergraduate university. She didn’t work in a competing field so we weren’t business rivals. She wasn’t a jilted lover I’d slept with and left like I’d done since Lola’s death. And I’d never threatened her career. Our business had the usual tension endemic to bureaucracy. I won some, lost some. Overall, I had more wins than losses.

So what would be her reason for targeting me and women loosely associated with me?

I gritted my teeth, concluding I’d overreached. The lack of progress in the investigation had me either grasping at straws or had my mind playing tricks on me yesterday. Yes, I wanted this situation to end. The sooner my name was cleared, the sooner Madison’s safety would be assured. Regardless, without Paulina commenting something less benign than how I’m not buckling under pressure, I was in the same situation as Madison. Searching for the real person who was after me. At the end of the day, I had to mark Paulina off my list. We had an understanding. She wouldn’t hold up my projects for illegitimate or petty reasons, and all I had to do was help her stay in her position. None of those things would inspire a bloodthirsty desire to frame me for multiple murders.

She smiled at my response. “With an answer like that, you should consider entering politics.”

“And make my entire day dealing with politicians?” I chuckled and shook my head. “No thanks. I prefer the business world.”

“The only difference between our worlds is who you answer to. I answer to the public and you answer to shareholders.” She arched her brow as she popped an olive into her mouth.

“Ahh, but I create the bureaucracy within my organization whereas you have to work within one created for you. Not to mention, your tenure is always at risk. I own the majority shares in my company. I and I alone control my tenure.”

Silence settled between us as the server placed our the antipasti course in front of us. Another reason Paulina chose Mio Cuore was it served food like traditional Italian restaurants found in rural villages in Italy. Course after course of delectable food to encourage long conversations.

“So you don’t intend to step down from your position while the heat is on you?” Paulina asked as she cut into the burrata cheese in her caprese salad.

“Why so interested in the inner workings of my company today, Paulina?”

She shrugged. “Understanding that the leadership in a company won’t change while said company has a dozen projects waiting for permits and licensing from my department is understandable. We have a foundation built on trust. Someone new coming in? Not so much.”

“Makes sense. However, rest assured, I have no plans to step down. But since you brought up my projects, my two largest ones are being delayed by your department.”

“I’ll look into it.”

“Please do. I provide you with a lot of support to ensure you can continue to approve my business proposals.”

“Speaking of…”

For the next two hours, Paulina and I discussed my various properties and the bureaucratic tape even she couldn’t intervene on for my benefit. I left disappointed Paulina wasn’t involved. She would have solved so many issues for me. How easy would my life be if I could focus on my budding relationship with Madison and not have to worry about someone in the shadows waiting to kill someone else while destroying my life?

CHAPTER 14

Madison

Two weeks passed without word about Elsie’s attacker or updates on the multiple murders shrouding Kent’s reputation. My contacts in the police and my team hadn’t discovered the connection the detectives on the case found that caused them to suspect Kent for Elsie’s attack. Other than their one date at the charity gala, there was nothing for the police to paint Kent as the perpetrator.

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