Page 67 of Nothing But the Night (Basic Instincts 2)

Jason realised he had no option but to pressure him. Time was tight and Blake wasn’t telling them much that they didn’t already know. “You didn’t approve of some of the models Theo worked with.”

“He could have done much better. He was degrading himself with some of those men. You only had to take one look at them to know they were trash. Theo could have done anything with his life. Look at how much his brother has achieved. Theo could have done that too, instead of taking it in the arse from guys who didn’t deserve him.” There was a crack of emotion in Blake’s voice. “He didn’t need to do any of that.”

Jason couldn’t work him out. He was kind of sad and exuded bitterness. From what he’d learnt of Theo, he would never have been interested in a man like this. Blake wouldn’t have stood a chance. Could his jealously have driven him to kill the thing he loved, along with two other men?No way.

“These boys,” Blake continued. “These content creators, they think they know everything. They think their dicks are so fucking huge they’re the secret to their fortune. But none of them last. They burn themselves out. Everything they do has to be recorded and captured to keep up with the never-ending demand for fresh content. They can’t even have a wank in peace because they need to film it. Theo put on a show of having a good time, he claimed he was owning it, butwould have gone that way in the end, and I couldn’t bear to watch that.”

“I’ve talked with Roaul, Theo’s ex. He said Theo enjoyed what he did. Tyrone confirmed it too.”

“It was an act. When you work with these boys on a regular basis, you get to see the sadness in their soul. They develop a haunted appearance.”

“I thought you said you didn’t do a lot of this kind of work,” Nadine said.

Blake gave a dismissive wave. “It doesn’t take a lot. The erosion happens fast. Do you really think Theo was the first of the local models to die?”

Jason stiffened. Nadine crossed the room and stood over Blake. “What?”

“You heard me. Theo wasn’t the first of the models to die because of this.”

* * * *

Marc was glad Jason had insisted he wait for Ryman to pick up him before heading to Soloman’s office. The older investigator had a clear-cut confidence about him that put Marc at ease. He was huge, from his head to his toes. Given Marc’s broken arm, Ryman was a strong, physical presence. Marc had been pacing the floor, getting increasingly anxious about the call from Soloman when Ryman had dropped by for him.

He drove with the same kind of assurance, boldly overtaking and executing some serious manoeuvres in the worsening conditions. Ryman would get them to Soloman’s office in the fastest time possible.

“You know he’s done nothing for this city except serve himself,” Ryman said, holding the wheel steady. “They’re redeveloping that section down river to put in a new port. You know who the main beneficiaries of thecontracts are? Soloman’s brother-in-law and his best mate from uni. The man is as bent as a corkscrew.”

“You’re not a fan, then?”

Ryman’s lips curled back from his teeth. “Can’t say I’m a fan of any politicians, but when it came to Soloman Archer, the residents of Blyham couldn’t have nominated a bigger piece of shit.”

Marc did not disagree. At the height of the Blyham Strangler hysteria, Soloman hadn’t made a single statement about what was happening in the city. It was peculiar that they had to rely on him now to shed some kind of light on the current spate of killings. If he could help them at all.

Marc had to remember that Soloman’s sudden return and the offer to speak to Marc might be nothing more than damage limitation for the sake of his career.

Ryman found a place to park along the street from the office.

The rain was belting down when Marc got out of the car. It washed over the tops of the pavements. He shoved his plastered arm inside his coat and hurried towards the front door. It was closed when he reached it but unlocked.

Ryman followed him in.

The hall was gloomy. The lights had been switched off. The office must have already been closed for the day.

Marc headed up the stairs first. Though he already suspected this would be waste of time, he was keen to see his brother’s some-time lover in the flesh. To figure out if there had been anything deeper between them than money and sexual transactions.

The reception desk was empty when they reached the top, and all of the lights were turned off.

Something was not right.

Ryman came around to stand in front of him. “Be prepared for anything,” he muttered, looking around.

Light came through one of the doors that led off from the main room.

“Hello,” Marc called out. “Anybody there?”

Silence, apart from the rain battering the roof and windows.

“I don’t like this,” Ryman said.

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