Page 55 of Justice for Francesca

“Back in their days at The Library, they were on a short-term contract.”

“Explain, please.”

“You need to read more,” Francesca grumbled. She put down her burger, wiped her hand on her napkin, and picked up her soda to take a drink. “BDSM clubs often use contracts between couples to outline the terms of their relationship as part of the consensual piece of their motto—Safe, Sane, Consensual. It will have a time length, hard and soft limits, schedules, expectations of exclusivity… basically an outline of how they want the relationship to go. Haven’t you ever heard the basics ofFifty Shades of Grey?”

Cruz gave her a look of disgust. “Yes, I’ve heard of it, and don’t take that sassy tone with me, or I’ll paddle your ass.”

Rolling her eyes and giving a laugh that sounded like more of a snort than a chuckle, she threw a ketchup packet at him. “Then why are you asking me to explain?”

“I heard you were an expert in this BDSM stuff and just wanted to see if you’d actually say anything specific out loud. I’m very disappointed in you.” He threw the packet back at her.

“Why in the world does everyone think that?” she pondered. “One undercover job does not make one an expert.”

“Mostly, I think everyone just wants to envision you in sub gear.”

“Oh, for God’s sake… What do you people think I was wearing?”

“Leather and chain ensemble?” Cruz teased.

“Yeah, no. Wore what I’d wear to any other nightclub.”

“Which is what? Because I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress, let alone heard of you going to a nightclub for fun.”

“Anyway.” She emphasized each syllable. “Since all of the clubs are intertwined in the computer records here, I confirmed that the relationship was contracted for six months. They were in month four of the contract when Cosmos had a security gig in Europe for some minor royal family in a country whose name I cannot pronounce. He was supposed to be gone two weeks. Tilly was taken about a week into the gig?” She consulted her notes. “Five days in,” she corrected.

“No deets on the outfit. Deflection. Got it. I’ll just keep imagining leather and chains.”

“Jiminy Cricket! Dresses with short skirts, heels. Happy now?”

“I’ll be happier when I see pictures of said outfit. How did he respond to her being abducted?”

“Giving me freakin’ whiplash,” she mumbled. “He flew home within a couple of hours of receiving the news. Offered his company’s investigative resources to help supplement the FBI. Seemed pretty distraught, according to the agent in charge. They were exclusive, according to the contract, but he was honest when he said he hadn’t been intending to extend the contractat the current one’s end. Tilly was young, Cosmos was thirty-eight, so he felt like it wasn’t a good match. She was some sort of internet influencer and too public for him to engage with beyond the NDAs of the club.”

“Does he have an alibi?”

“No. Same as Triumph. Left at the same time, went home, went to bed, only he came back early this morning to check the video feeds on the new cameras they installed yesterday.”

“But both men are in the clear for Mila and Jessa?”

“Yes and no. Tilly was Triumph’s alibi for both murders—they were at home together both nights. Saw no one outside of each other. Cosmos was verified in Chicago for Mila’s murder, but he was on his own at his local apartment the night and morning of Jessa’s murder. Supposedly, he was with a couple of friends from out of town, but they left to go back home the next day. He said they were likely ‘on a project out of the country and would be unreachable for the foreseeable future to verify that information,’” she read from her notes.

“What the hell does that mean?” Cruz asked around a mouthful of his sandwich.

“I think he’s talking about an old friend from The Library and his co-worker. The friend is named Lobo. I don’t know exactly what he does, but he’s huge, grumpy as fuck, and looks like he could stop your heart by shooting you with a rubber band.”

“Not kill you with a napkin?” Cruz teased.

She chuckled. “Too cliché. I’m guessing he’s former military turned private security? Cosmos refused to give me any information on him.” Cautiously, Francesca schooled as much emotion out of her voice as possible. She knew he was going to ask about Tripoli’s alibi, and she really didn’t want to answer that question. Picking up her burger, she concentrated one hundred percent on what it looked like as she beat him to hisobvious question for her. “You never said. What did you find out about Michael?”

Silence. She continued to chew, contemplating the meat, cheese, pickles, and bun as if they were the most interesting content in the room.

He allowed her to take two more bites, including chewing and swallowing, before he replied. “Avoiding the elephant in the room? Okay. I’ll allow it. For ten seconds because that’s all it will take. No Michael.”

Her head popped up, a confused expression on her face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, Michael is missing. We can’t find him.”

“That’s impossible.”

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