Page 149 of Heartless Legacy

Austin asks, “So it’s still in the testing phases?”

“That’s right. We’re very fortunate to be some of the first people to get access to it.”

Connor nods. “That’s great. Things like that take off so quickly. Austin, this might be a good opportunity for that player on your dad’s team. He’s still looking to partner with a nutrition brand, right?.” To LJ’s friend he says, “Maybe you could give us the info?”

She smiles and shrugs. “I can mention it and get back to you.” Her smile gets even brighter when Finn takes his seat across from me. I feel a hand on my knee, and there’s a knowing smirk on his face as he tries to extract my fork from my hand.

My phone rings. I check the caller ID and abandon our under the table tussle to answer it. “Hello? Yes, this is she. Okay, thank you. I’ll see you then.”

“Everything okay?” LJ asks as I get to my feet.

“Yes.” I give her shoulder a squeeze. “I’ve been waiting to get an appointment, and they just called with an opening.”

Chapter 88

Thea

I’m not sure what remote site Alexz is dialing in from, but I’m in a secret room in the back of a bar on Cannery Row, in Monterey. Delta Team who lives in my building is here as well.

We wait as Alexz scribbles his signature on a stack of papers before handing them off to an assistant I haven’t seen before. What number are we up to? Eleven? Twelve? He finishes up and looks into the camera. “Delta Team, I understand you have an update.”

The guy in charge, Stanford, says “We found the woman in the picture you sent us sir, and you were right. It appears she’s the catalyst for Ms. LaReaux’s first move. The woman’s mother worked in the cafeteria at the high school where Moira was a student.”

Alexz nods, and asks, “Where is this woman now?”

“She died about eighteen months ago, sir. The police report says it was a hit-and-run accident.” Stanford straightens, and glances at me before saying, “There’s something else, sir.”

“Let’s hear it.”

Stanford holds up a grainy old photo. “Miss LaReaux, do you recognize him?”

“Sure. That’s Billy. He was the first boyfriend I remember mom bringing around. He had squeaky shoes.”

“He’s the second cousin of Joe Winthrop.”

Glancing around the room, I ask, “Am I supposed to know that name?”

Alexz says, “Winthrop is a lower legacy family. The head of the family line is always a city councilman.”

“So that’s two people with ties to Canyon Falls?” My brows furrow as I take in Alexz on the screen. “I don’t understand why mom stayed in Nevada, instead of leaving the state and starting over somewhere else.”

Stanford’s smiling, showing off his slightly crooked front tooth when he says, “I think Delta Team deserves a raise, boss.”

“Do you?” Alexz chuckles.

“Yup, because my man Asher may have found something that can answer Miss LaReaux’s question.”

I lean forward and say, “Any time there, buddy.”

“Your mother was a cocktail server in Vegas, right?”

“Yeah. Off and on for years. Whenever I was in foster care, that’s where she’d go to earn money fast. Then she’d come back to whatever city I was staying in, and show the courts she was stable enough to take care of me. My placements in foster care got longer and longer. I guess it was getting harder to make good tips.”

“I think there’s another reason your mother preferred Vegas.”

“What? Like a man? That’s not raise worthy news, Stan. Vegas casinos and showrooms are where she met a lot of the guys she dated.”

He says, “Miss LaReaux, I have reason to believe your mother was traveling from Vegas to LA.”

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