Page 31 of Puzzle for Two

“After you drop me off at my office,” Zach said quickly.

“What? No,” Alton protested. “We’re still having dinner.” He ineffectually pawed at Zach’s back.

“We’re going back to the office,” Zach told Chico, and Chico shook his head. Not in refusal, but like Zach was a bigger fool than he’d imagined.

“But we haven’t eaten.” Alton was still patting Zach. Like… What the hell? “Youhaven’t eaten.”

“Thanks, but I had all the dinner I need.” Zach crawled to the relative safety of the farthest corner of wide ostrich-leather seat. He felt tired and disgusted, mostly with himself. His goal was to get home safely, without any further fireworks.

The idea that Flint might be playing both sides had left him feeling unexpectedly, uncharacteristically depressed and full of self-doubt.

And Alton…

He was getting very tired of Alton’s efforts to corner him.

I hope to hell he didn’t spike my drink when I left the table…

It was not a good feeling to realize you couldn’t trust your colleagues, let alone your client. He could just imagine what Pop would think about all—or any—of this.

Alton climbed into the luxurious back seat next to Zach. Chico slammed the door shut. Mere seconds later, the car glided soundlessly away as though on velvet-covered tires.

“I don’t understand you, Zach. What’s wrong?” There was a small rattle as Alton popped a breath mint.

“Why did you lie to me?” Zach asked. “I specifically asked when you hired me whether you’d had affairs in the past, and you said no.”

It was hard to see clearly in the gloom, but he heard the littlesmackof Alton licking his lips. He didn’t answer Zach.

“I asked whether you’d had gay relationships, and again, you said no. Both those things are clearly a lie.”

That seemed to sting Alton to a response. “Zach, you can’t go by anything Zora says. She’s not well. She’s notsane.”

“I’m not going by what Zora said. I’m going by what Rusty said yesterday morning at the hotel. Zora just confirmed it. You’ve done this before.”

“Never.” Alton sounded adamant.

“Okay. Maybe not the hiring-a-PI part. Maybe you didn’t go out of your way topublicizethese relationships, but you’ve definitely engaged in—”

“They werenotrelationships.” After a pause, Alton added reluctantly, “They were, at most, sexual liaisons.”

“Okay, well, talk about splitting hairs. Obviously, these encounters were something I needed to be aware of.”

Alton said huffily, “I don’t see why.”

“Alton.”

“You don’t need to be jealous.”

“Jealous?Are you serious? Alton, the main reason—or at least, Ithoughtthe main reason you hired me was to find out who’s threatening your life.”

“We already know who’s threatening my life!”

“Zora.” Zach’s tone was flat.

“Yes! Zora.Of course,Zora. I told you that at the outset.”

Well, in fairness, hehadtold Zach that at the outset. Which, in retrospect, made this entire job all the more baffling.

“I thought there was more of a question about it. If there was no question about who was sending those threats, then was I really only hired to play escort?”

---