Page 23 of Ruthless Beast

I don’t know what to say after a bombshell like this.

“Okay. I’ll call you if there are any developments in the case. Until then, please feel free to call me if you have any questions or if you remember anything that might be relevant. Even if it’s a small thing.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

6

EMILY

“Sooo, how was last night?” Dannie asks, grinning from ear to ear.

“Amazing,” I gush.

“Did you ravage his sexy bod?”

“Honestly! What kind of girl do you take me for?”

“Oh, come now. Lucas is absolutely worth the off chance of coming across, let’s call it, available. I’d be all over him like white on rice if I were you. The man is beautiful.”

“I hear ya! I did have to focus really hard on not ripping off his shirt so I could check out whatever he’s hiding under there,” I chuckle.

“Shirt! I’d be keen to see what sort of weaponry he’s hiding in his chinos. I have a feeling it will be well worth the effort.”

“You’re incorrigible!”

“Uh-huh. Are you seeing him again?”

“I don’t know. We’ll see.”

“What is it? Is something wrong? You’re not acting like a woman who’s just been out with a Greek god.”

“I had coffee with Detective Cox this morning.”

And just like that, the mood turns somber.

“I see. Okay. And? Any news?”

“Yes, actually. The great detective has a theory.”

“A theory? Surely cops deal with facts and evidence rather than theory? Or did I miss something?”

“Cox seems to think that David’s murder was mob related.”

Dannie stares at me with a look of utter surprise that soon morphs into confusion.

“What? Mob? Are you serious?”

“He seems to think so.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would David be involved with criminals? No. I don’t believe it. Cox is full of crap. If you ask me,Columbohas seen one too many detective movies.”

“That’s what I told him. Not the bit about him being full of it, but certainly the part where David would never get mixed up in anything to do with the mob.”

“Do you want to know what I think?”

“Always.”

“I think you should talk to Simon. If anyone knows what David was or wasn’t into, it’s his best friend.”

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