Page 24 of You Found Me

He knew her basic history. He was pretty sure the guilt was caused by family, not the boyfriend, but something about the entire situation tickled the back of his mind. Edward wouldn’tbe the first kid from a powerful family to take a stroll into the darker side of human behavior.

He sent a quick text to Spencer to check it out. When he looked back up, he found her watching him with a curious expression.

“You don’t have to worry. It’s not them. Trust me.” She fished a limp fry out of the bag and flipped it back and forth with a frown.

“I’m paid to worry, Ms. Bellamy.”

“You like it, don’t you.” She tossed the feeble piece of potato back into the bag. “The worry. It makes you feel important.”

He blinked at the verbal hit-and-run. “I didn’t mean it like that. I protect people who need my help.”

“Uh-huh. Because it makes you feel useful. I get it. No judgment.” She let out a sigh. “It’s a good thing. Feeling useful. Anyway, don’t bother with Edward. Pretty sure the only reason he wanted to go out with me in the first place was Lizzie. She invited him and his family to a meet-and-greet in New York, and I guess he thought one sister was the same as another. Funny part is Lizzie would totally fit into their little world, but he had no hope of catching her eye. She was fresh off her divorce andnotinterested. But she likes the behind the scenes, and she likes to stay out of the public life just like them. Me…not so much.”

He didn’t miss the wistfulness in her voice, but he let it go. He wasn’t here to be her friend or her therapist.

He scanned the list, wondering who else they’d missed in their background search. “We have a Mr. Harris who was seen with you on the red carpet two years before Weston, but that’s a long gap in between with no obvious entanglements. Was there anybody else during that time?”

“Is this really helpful, or is this just an excuse to snoop into my love life?” She pulled her feet up under her and snuggled into the chair.

“It’s part of the process. In cases like these, it’s usually someone you know or have met who wants more than you’re willing to give. Ex-lovers, colleagues. People in your orbit. Unfortunately, your orbit is bigger than usual.”

Her eyes flashed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He held her gaze. “It means you’re popular and your list of casual acquaintances numbers in the thousands.”

“You make popular sound like something horrible.” She scowled at something just over his shoulder.The cameras, he thought. Or memories. “You know, it’s such a double standard. Every time I even glance at a guy, they write about it like it’s the end of days. Women trail after Marshall like ants at a picnic, but nobody cares. Nobody cares about all the women Edward and his family have left by the side of the road, either. It’s just boys being boys. But I hold hands with someone for two seconds on a red carpet or at a restaurant, and next thing you know I’m a homewrecking whore with a bad attitude. It’s not fair.”

Sympathy flared briefly in Ward’s chest. It wasn’t fair. It also wasn’t relevant. “Fair has nothing to do with this.”

“So you agree. There is a double standard.”

“Yes.”

The idea of this pampered princess comparing her privilege to actual suffering itched at him. He wanted to explain to her what unfairnessreallylooked like for most people. Like being forced to choose between prison or the military, for example.

He gestured at the screen to get the conversation back on track. “Anything else I should know about anyone on the list? Anyone we missed?”

Her eyes still held a spark of something, but he wasn’t sure it was anger anymore.

“You thought I was spoiled and self-centered and flighty the second we met. Before, probably. You had your opinion allworked out based on all the crap.” She waved vaguely at the cameras.

He was a little surprised she’d picked up on it, but so far, she hadn’t proved his first instincts wrong. “My personal opinion isn’t relevant.” He tapped the screen. “Focus, please.”

“I think you hit all the lowlights.” She crumpled the bag of greasy takeout with both hands, then tossed it at the trash can.

Ward watched the meal he’d brought her land with a loud thunk. He’d waited in line for twenty minutes for it, thinking it would somehow make this conversation easier.

She hadn’t noticed the effort any more than she’d noticed the hours of hard work his team continued to pour into this case. She took people for granted, and it grated. It confirmed his opinion that she was a selfish, entitled pleasure-seeker with no concern for anyone but herself.

She hadn’t been wrong about his opinion. He just hadn’t formed it based on media coverage. He’d formed it based on two weeks of experience. But that didn’t matter. He had a job to do, and he wasn’t about to let her distract him from it.

“I need you to take this seriously, Ms. Bellamy.”

She gave him a flat stare. “The first five names are all Marshall groupies. I didn’t stick with any of them for more than three months. They run in the same circles, they’re at all the same parties, and none of them would have to sneak into my dressing room as a delivery boy. The next ten I don’t recognize by name at all. Maybe if I saw their faces. I’m better with faces. There’s one further down I know. Jason Jackson. He’s a super VIP who’s at all of Piper’s concerts. He’s harmless. Besides, he’s in love with Piper. Not me.”

He moved Jackson to the top of the list. “No one that passionate is harmless, Ms. Bellamy. Thank you. This was productive.”

“Isn’t it time to admit that you’re never going to find him and you’re just spinning this out for a big paycheck?”

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