Page 12 of Skeletons in the Closet

Diem had been chewing a piece of gum since we arrived at the office. He leaned over and spat it into a wastebasket before finding another. Only then did I realize the hints of smoke that had surrounded Diem six months ago were gone.

“Wait,” I said before he kept talking. “Did you quit smoking?”

Diem’s attention moved to me, then away. “Yeah. Sort of. Four months ago.” He rapped a knuckle on the desk like he didn’t want to jinx his success.

I nodded, unsure if it was the type of thing that warranted congratulations or not. “Cool. Good for you. I’m sorry. You were saying?”

“Faye found those guns. Faye claimed the police came by looking for Noah. She—”

“Ohhh, I get it.Ugh. Blame the late hour and booze.” The pieces clicked. Diem was interested in knowing what the police wanted with Noah. I was his inside scoop at the department. I was tickled that he’d come to me instead of Kitty, although I wasn’t sure if it was information I could get. Our records department focused on specialized fields: homicide, missing persons, intelligence, narcotics, and terrorism. We didn’t house the information for the districts around Toronto. Each station would have its own filing system.

“What?” Diem asked.

“Go on.”

Diem spun the spinner. “Olivia… I can’t get near her because she’s got fucking bodyguards around her morning, noon, and night. Following her and doing surveillance has been tricky because of it.”

I frowned at the unexpected direction of the conversation. “Bodyguards?”

“She has a driver to take her to and from work, and she has a shadow whenever she’s at the office or goes out for lunch. They’re professional guys too. Hired from Bordeaux Security. I have an inside man there and found out it was a personal hire, not done through the fashion company, and Olivia was vague about her reasoning. She claimed she might have a dangerous stalker and was taking precautions. My guy couldn’t get more. It means my ability to… properly investigate this woman is seriously hampered.”

“Can’t your inside guy help you slip through the cracks? Tell her detail to look the other way.”

“No. He’s a janitor and has no connection with the muscles.” Diem shoved the spinner away and turned the iPad, swiping at the screen. “So far, Olivia’s been all work and no play. If I’m going to get answers, I need to get close to her or gain access to her computer or cell phone. My best bet is to get into her office since her husband is always home with the kids, and I doubt she’d keep anything incriminating there anyhow.”

Itsked playfully. “Isn’t that crossing some no-no lines in your business?”

Diem glared, and again, I held my hands palm up. “Not that I care. I don’t. Honestly. I’m fondly attracted to breaking the rules.” Then I winked to drive the point home, ensuring I made Diem squirm out of his skin.

He didn’t disappoint and referenced the tablet, clearing his throat. “There’s a… function on Sunday afternoon. A fashion… what-do-you-call-it? Where they display stuff and… I don’t know. Like a show, but… that’s not the word. The company is entertaining people in the industry and… doing a marketing… It’s a…” He threw his hands up. “I don’t fucking know what to call it.”

“A gala?”

He slapped the desk. “Yes. That. There will be two hundred or more guests. It’s a perfect time to slip into her office and check things out. The problem is, getting through the fucking doors. It’s by invitation only, and the building is secure. But…” Diem flashed me a hopeful look across the desk. “Certain people from the press will have open passes.”

It was late, and the gears weren’t quite catching, so when he paused as though expecting me to fill in the blanks, I asked, “Which means?”

“I need your help.”

I checked the time. Twenty after three. My brain was cloudy. “What is it you need me to do exactly? And I’m running out of steam, D, so less grunting and more explaining.”

“Get me inside.”

“How?”

“Act.”

“Diem, you make my head hurt. I know it’s not intentional, but you really, really do.”

“Um… play a part. Act. Like before with Aurelian. Remember?”

“Yes, but you’re still not being clear. Act what part? How does this help you get in the building?”

“Act like press or somebody who works for a magazine or a journal or… Christ, I don’t fucking know. Put on a suit and tie. Do that smart walk you do where you sway your hips. Wave a notebook and pen around. Flash your sultry, devilish smile at the people working at the front door. No one will care who you are. Gay or straight, they’ll get down on their fucking knees for you.”

I smirked as Diem’s neck went blotchy red. “You’re such a flatterer.”

Diem growled. “Just get inside the building, then let me in a back door. Do whatever you want while I find her office and determine if there’s anything to Faye’s suspicions. That’s it. That’s all.”

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