Page 45 of Be Very Quiet

“As I was telling Liliana, I went to school a state away from the killings ten years ago. It was big news at the time, and the guys in my fraternity were fascinated by it. I heard about the recent murders here in Miami, and when the news reporter said the blood had been drained from their bodies, it jogged my memory. I pulled up the old news stories and saw Liliana’s name. To say I was shocked is an understatement. Then I thought it might’ve been another woman with the same name, but one paper printed her picture.” Rex glanced at everyone in the room. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? The Mortician is back and killing again.”

“That’s not been confirmed,” Luca cautioned him. “And no, Audrey and Chris are friends looking to start their own fitness studio. I’m here to reconnect with Liliana.”

Liliana wasn’t sure Rex believed him. For one thing, Christian and Audria didn’t act like budding entrepreneurs. Plus, all three had an air of authority about them. It was apparent, at least to Liliana, that they were law enforcement of some sort.

A bell chimed on Rex’s phone. “Sorry, that’s my appointment. I need to go.” He stood and picked up his briefcase before turning to Liliana. “If there is anything I can do, please let me know.”

“I will.”

With a nod, he left.

“Don’t you think it’s strange that he dug into the case and found out about Liliana’s connection to The Mortician?” Christian asked.

“He knew some details of the past victims and admitted to being fascinated by the case,” Audria added. “Maybe he decided to emulate Rader. That would explain the inconsistencies.”

“Rex?” Liliana shook her head. “He’s not a killer.”

“He’s on our suspect list,” Luca told her.

They could add him to it, but he wasn’t the guy. He’d only been kind and decent to her, and from the stories she’d heard about him, he treated everyone that way. If he liked to snatch prostitutes off the street and brutally torture them, there would be some sign of a deranged mind, wouldn’t there?

Liliana looked out and spotted Rutger with a gym bag over his shoulder. He didn’t have classes until the evening, so it was unusual for him to be here. “I’m going to ask Rutger if he’s seen Douglas Speke.”

Liliana left her office, not the least surprised when Luca followed her out, but he stayed back, giving her privacy to speak with her friend.

She was so lucky to have Rutger teach twice a week for her. He owned wildly successful dojos in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. He didn’t need to do it, but he did because she’d asked him. His sessions were the most popular on the schedule.

“Rutger.”

The martial arts instructor who had given her back her confidence turned at hearing his name. “Hey, Lil.”

“I didn’t think you taught until this evening.”

“I don’t, but I’m covering the early class.”

“Where’s Douglas—Rutger, what happened to you?”

He touched the bruise around his eye. “I needed to talk to you about that. I fired Speke last night.”

Liliana’s eyes widened in surprise. “You did? Why?”

“Because I heard about what he did to you from several people. When I asked him about it, he laughed it off and said you’d panicked. I know you, Liliana. You don’t overact. Ever. Plus, attacking the boss is a fire-able offense in my book, and I told him as much. He didn’t take it well. We fought . . . well, he sucker-punched me, but I made him pay for it.”

“Oh, Rutger, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m glad I found out what kind of person he is. He said some nasty things that I didn’t appreciate. He won’t be able to find a job as an instructor in south Florida.”

“After he grabbed me, he apologized.” Kinda. Douglas had said it with a snarky tone, which had irritated her.

“Doesn’t matter.” Rutger crossed his arms. “He burned his bridge here. We’ve never talked about it, but I know what happened to you, Lil. I know about Ted Rader.”

Liliana tried to hide her reaction. She didn’t think anyone in Miami knew about her past and now there were two people in the span of a few minutes admitting they had known all along. “How—” She cleared her throat. “How did you find out?”

“I’ve known since the day I met you. You were so skittish and panicked whenever anyone got too close to you. I thought you were running from an abusive relationship. I wanted to make sure you were safe and that someone didn’t track you down. A buddy in the police department ran your name for me.”

It was an invasion of privacy, but she didn’t blame him. She had been scared of her own shadow back then. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

“Because it was your story to tell. If you wanted me to know, you would’ve told me.”

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