Page 76 of High Roller

I pull the chair from in front of the vanity, the same one she tied me to, and sit.

“Does your husband have rules about your cell phone?”

She frowns? “Rules? Not exactly. I was given a phone that was cleared with the mayor’s security detail, and he often reminds me not to go anywhere without it.”

“Why do you think he feels the need for that reminder? I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t take their phone everywhere.”

Lili laughs. “I hate that damn thing. If I could, I would go back to a plain old flip phone with no apps or internet access. I’ve been known to just leave it on my nightstand.”

“Why would your husband put trackers on you that are tied to your phone’s tracking system instead of something independent.”

Lili frowns. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

I sigh and drag a hand through my hair. “This is perplexing. We may have to move you, so be ready.”

Her face turns white, and I realize what she thinks I’m saying.

“Not the warehouse. I made most of that up to scare you. We do have one, but there is no cell, and I’ve only killed two people there.”

“Oh, well, if it’s only two then I clearly have nothing to worry about,” she says sarcastically.

“I promise I’m not trying to scare you, Lili. If we move you, you will be made comfortable, I promise. And I’ll try to make sure it’s somewhere you can get some fresh air.” It’s time for me to get out of here before I make a bigger mess, so head for the door. “I’ll leave you to your stretching.”

As I reach for the knob, she calls after me. “Victor, wait. I just remembered something.”

I turn and wait expectantly.

“The hairpins. The ones I was wearing in my hair are new. And my husband did not give them to me. My mother-in-law’s hairdresser did. I can give you his name.”

I type the name she gives me into my phone and send it to Owen along with an explanation. “There are some calls I need to make in my office. Shout my name if you need something. I’ll keep the microphone on.”

As I walk back to my office, I pray that the information Lili gave us is enough to put an end to this madness once and for all.

Chapter 24

Lili

MylegstrembleasI try to work through my usual yoga routine, and I know it’s not because I’m out of shape. It’s only been a few days since my last full workout. This is all nerves. Since Victor and Owen left, I’ve been replaying the last time I got my hair done, trying to spot any signs I might have missed that he was trying to plant a tracker on me. But it was a normal appointment other than the fact that my usual stylist got sick at the last minute, so I used my mother-in-law’s person.

“Victor?” I say out loud.

The speaker in the corner crackles. “Yes?”

“I remembered something else.”

“Go ahead.”

“The reason I saw Darius that day is that Shara, my usual stylist, got sick at the last minute and canceled. Find out if she was really sick.”

“That’s very good, Lili. Thank you.”

It’s weird to be talking to him without him being here and without a phone. I wonder if he can see me, but I haven’t seen anything that looks like a camera.

When he doesn’t say anything else, I return to my yoga, but my heart isn’t in it, so eventually I give up and curl up on the sofa.

Grace pokes her head in sometime later holding an old digital alarm clock. “Thought you might at least like to be able to tell what time it is,” she offers as an explanation for her visit. We plug the clock in, and set it based on the time on her phone. She seems nervous as she works, glancing at me and looking away as soon as she catches my gaze.

“It sounds like you might be moving,” Grace says after a minute of awkward silence.

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