Page 50 of The Cleaner

I scrub my hand over my face. “What happened?”

“He was found by one of the hotel staff. He’d asked them to change the sheets and make the room up for six that evening. The maid took one look at his body hanging and screamed bloody murder.”

I let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Shit. So, the cops are going to be all over this now?" Fucking cops are involved in everything.

"Yeah," Cole confirms. "They're treating it as a suicide. Whoever killed him did a fucking great job of ensuring that it looks like a suicide. Especially as there are threats against Leon.”

Now that’s news. “Who was threatening him?” I ask as I glance over at Lisa, who's quietly loading the dishwasher, giving me privacy for my call.

"Seems like everyone. His closest allies found out that he was planning on taking their daughters and selling them."

I let out a low whistle. “Whoever killed Leon knew what they were doing. None of our research came up with any signs he was doing that.”

Cole laughs. “That’s exactly it, Mav. He wasn’t. It’s all a set up to show that suicide was his only option.”

Fuck. “So, the Hanging Reaper is definitely not someone to mess with. My question is, how the hell does no one know the identity of them?”

There’s always someone who’ll know. But this Hanging Reaper, they have their cards close to their chest. Whoever they have on their side is loyal.

“I’m looking into it. Dad doesn’t seem bothered by it, but there’s just something about it that doesn’t sit right with me. I’ll let you know what I uncover. Stay safe out there, Mav. Whoever it is, they were close to you today. You missed them by minutes.”

"I will do. I’ll talk to you soon, Cole.” I end the call and toss my phone onto the coffee table, leaning back into the couch with a groan. Lisa finishes in the kitchen and comes back, curling up next to me again.

"Everything okay?" she asks softly, her hand coming to rest on my chest.

I wrap my arm around her, pulling her close. "Yeah, just some work stuff," I say, not wanting to worry her with the details. "Nothing for you to be concerned about."

She nods, but I can see the curiosity in her eyes. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" she says, her voice gentle.

I smile, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I know, babe. And I appreciate that. But trust me, this is nothing you need to worry about."

She seems to accept this, settling back against me. "Okay," she murmurs. "Should we finish the movie?"

"Absolutely," I say, reaching for the remote. As the film resumes, I can't help but think about Cole's words. The Hanging Reaper was close. I missed them by minutes.

My gut is screaming at me that something is going to happen and it’s not going to be good. Fuck.

Chapter

Twenty-One

LISA

“Travis,”I sigh as he answers the phone. “We’ve got a problem.”

It’s been over a week since I killed Leon and I’ve been waiting, watching, and listening. Maverick’s hell bent on finding out who killed Leon, and I understand the need for him to know, but crap, he’ll be getting dangerously close to uncovering me if he does.

Maverick left twenty minutes ago after I cooked us breakfast. It’s crazy how much I enjoy spending time with him. I’m falling so hard for him. Am I crazy? Probably. If he ever finds out what I do, he’ll probably leave.

"What's wrong?" Travis asks, his voice alert.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. "Someone came to take Leon out after I did.”

“Yeah, the fucking Cleaner did. I had no idea that he was also hired. Did he see you?”

Wait? Maverick’s moniker is the Cleaner? Fuck, how did I not know this? He’s one of the most feared men in Dublin. He’s known for making people disappear without a trace. He’s the go-to if you want someone to vanish and never be seen again.

“No,” I say softly. “But I saw him. Everything is just complicated now.”

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