Page 40 of Dirty Liars

“I’ll take some,” I said before Jack could answer for me.

“This is Dr. Graves,” Jack said. “She’s the coroner for King George County.”

“Nice to meet you,” Max said, nodding in my direction.

We stepped into the kitchen, and Max opened a cabinet that I saw was a built-in pantry and took out two bottles of water. The kitchen was small, but neat with white cabinets and shiny stainless-steel appliances. There was an island with three barstools that divided it from the living room. There were two arched doorways that must have led to a bedroom and bathroom.

“Have a seat,” Max said, gesturing to a white couch with bright blue pillows.

Other than the couch, a matching chair, and a patterned rug that matched the pillows, the only other décor in the room was a large-screen TV on the wall. No pictures, no personal items, nothing that would give away anything about the man who lived here.

“We talked to Nicholas Vasilios,” Jack said. “He mentioned that you used to be his head of security.”

“Still am technically,” Max said. “Nicholas loaned me out to Theo, and hired a temp to take my place. He told me Theo needed someone to watch out for him.”

“Was Theo in danger?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know if Theo was in danger, but he didn’t always make the best life choices. I was assigned to him after he met Chloe.”

“Chloe was one of those bad life choices?” I asked.

“According to Nicholas she was,” Max said. “I liked her. She was a sweet kid who was in way over her head. And I say kid because that’s what she was. I’ve got a daughter about her age, and if she decided to marry someone old enough to be her father you wouldn’t find all the pieces of him.”

“She didn’t have anyone to look out for her,” I said.

Max sighed. “No, she didn’t.”

“What do you know about her background, where she came from?” Jack asked.

“Nothing much,” Max said. “I know someone tried to run her off the road and it scared her. She started jumping at shadows and looking over her shoulder. I figured it had to be someone from her past.”

“Max,” Jack said easily, leaning back in his chair. I recognized that look in Jack’s eyes. It was like a lion just before he was about to pounce on his prey. “You’re the third person who’s lied to me about not knowing anything about Chloe’s background. It’s starting to piss me off. And before you say anything, if you read my file then you know I will find out.”

Max stared at Jack, his arms crossed over his chest. Finally he let out a sigh and said, “This whole thing is a mess. All I can tell you is that there’s a reason Theo took Chloe in under his wing, and it wasn’t because they were romantically interested in each other. Theo had once been in the same predicament that Chloe was in, trying to escape his past and get his life back. But not everyone has Nicholas Vasilios to come to the rescue with his checkbook like Theo did. Theo was lucky.”

“So Theo felt sorry for her and offered to marry her?” Jack asked. “Why didn’t he just pay off whoever was trying to get to her?”

“I think he tried,” Max said. “I don’t know the details. All I know is that Theo left town to make a deal for Chloe and some guy shows up at the house while he’s gone. Theo left me here to keep watch, and this guy walks up to the front door and rings the bell. I saw him on the cameras. So I get my weapon and let myself in the back door of the house. Chloe had just gotten out of the shower and was in her robe. She didn’t let him in the house, but whatever he said spooked her.”

“You didn’t hear what he said?” Jack asked.

“No,” he said. “She was pale and shaking, and of course Theo’s mother comes marching up seconds after the guy says his piece and leaves. But I didn’t recognize the guy and she wouldn’t tell me what he said or if he threatened her.”

“What’d he look like?” Jack asked.

“Mid to late twenties. Clean cut. Mixed race. Jeans and a T-shirt. I couldn’t see a car, so I don’t know what he was driving. He took off on foot toward the park and disappeared.”

“You ever see this guy around?” Jack asked, holding out his phone so Max could see the picture on it.

“Sure,” Max said. “Dickie Harlowe. I ran a background on him early on. Chloe was pretty stuck on him.”

“Yet she married Theo,” Jack said.

“Because he could protect her,” Max said. “That Dickie guy cared a lot about Chloe, and I think Chloe really loved him, but he’s kind of a mess. Drinks too much. I think she knew at the end of the day he wouldn’t be reliable. Chloe and Theo had an arrangement. She stayed in a separate suite in the house. She had her own space. Theirs wasn’t exactly a love match.”

“What about sex?” Jack asked.

Max shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. Everyone’s got needs, and they were going to be husband and wife. But I never saw them touch or flirt with each other. They were friends.”

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