Page 25 of Nothing But the Night (Basic Instincts 2)

He chewed and swallowed. “Not long. About seven months. We finished a few weeks before he died. Though we were still in touch.”

“Who ended the relationship?”

“I did. I knew what Theo did before we got together. I thought I could handle it. For a while I did. He treated what he did as a job. Was professional about it. When we were together, he was only ever focused on me. But as we got more serious about each other, I was the one with the problem. I couldn’t separate who he was from what he did.” He paused to take a sip of coffee before saying, “I was stupid.”

“I think it must be a pretty normal reaction. Not many partners can be so open-minded.”

“I wasn’t open-minded. I was small minded. I worried what people would think of us. I was terrifiedmy family would find out. They would never have understood.”

Jason was touched by the melancholic sound of his voice. Roaul’s deep regret was clear in every word.

“What was he like?”

“Theo?”

“Yes. I never met him. All I know about him is what I’ve seen online and what his brother has told me. I know very little about him as a person.”

Roaul wiped his mouth on a napkin. The first glimmer of a smile appeared on his lips. “He was great. So full of life and enthusiastic about everything. He was a massive ball of energy. Supportive, too. He knew I was having trouble with my father. He was always there to listen when I needed him to be. Even after we broke up, I could still call him when I needed to talk something through.”

It fit with the picture Jason was already beginning to form. The Theo he had seen online was a character, a self-creation. To a degree, he suspected that was also true of the brother Marc had known. There had to be something richer, something deeper about the boy behind Hart Stone.

“That must have made it hard to believe anyone could hurt him.”

Roaul shook his head. “He had his share of haters. Most people who are successful at what they do attract negativity.”

“What do you mean by haters?”

“Trolls. People would send him all kinds of shit. They would comment that he was ugly. That he must be riddled with STDs because of all the sex he had. They called him dirty because of the guys he let fuck him. It was nasty. Theo used to laugh it off, but I don’tbelieve it didn’t get to him. It must have hurt in some way.”

“Did you ever witness anyone threatening him? Or was it all online?”

“Keyboard warriors. Those people who think they can say what they like from behind the screen of a blank profile.”

“So, he didn’t have any enemies you were aware of?”

Roaul finished the first half of his sandwich. “There was one guy who complained when Theo made more money from one of their collaborations than he did. I never understood the finer details of how it broke down. Sometimes they shared the production and editing costs of their film. Then they would each be able to post it on their own accounts. Other times, Theo footed the bill for the whole lot. Theo had way more fans than the other guys, so naturally he earned a lot more money.”

“I don’t suppose you remember the name of this collaborator?”

“His stage name is Trace Grey. I don’t know what he’s really called.”

Oh, yes. Trace-get-to-fuck-Grey. Jason was still waiting to find out his real name so he could pay him a visit.

Roaul grimaced. “I’m not sure how he made any money. He was ugly inside and out but had a massive dick. I suppose that’s all that matters to some people.”

“Was Theo worried about this guy? Did he ever get physically threatening?”

“Not that I’m aware of. I don’t think so. He’s another one who talks big online but doesn’t have the balls in real life.” Roaul paused with the second sandwich, halfway to his mouth. His brow furrowed. “Oh, hangon. Trace…his real name is something like Tyrone. He used to work at The Viaduct.” He grimaced. “I’ve no idea if he’s still there.”

Jason pulled out his notebook and scribbled the names. The Viaduct was Blyham’s men only sex club. Why hadn’t he thought of it before? If he was trying to track down sex workers, it was an obvious place to start. “Did Theo ever work there?”

“Not while he was with me. He didn’t have to. He earned enough from the websites and occasional escort work.”

Jason pricked up. “You knew about his escorting?”

Roaul chewed and nodded. He swallowed and sipped the coffee. “Theo was open about everything with me from the start. He said it was the only way our relationship could work, through honesty. I thought the same way in the beginning, but then it became too much for me to handle.”

“Did he ever mention Soloman Archer?”

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