Page 76 of Evidence of Deceit

“Everything okay?”

Was it? He didn’t know. “No. Yes. Everything is okay.”

They hung up, and Joe did what he always did when his mind was cluttered. He got out his gun and shells. He would go to the range and pretend every shot was Keith going down.

Chapter Forty-Two

“Damn, damn, damn.” Hillary swept the cup off her table, watched it fly into the air, heard it crash, and watched the shards of china scatter across the tiled kitchen floor. Why did this have to be so hard? All she asked of the numbnuts she hired was that he scare Claire, not attack the boyfriend and certainly not to get hurt or killed in the process.

She gathered the homeless man she hired apparently asked a friend to come along. They probably thought Claire would be easy to scare and perhaps thought they could both collect. They just hadn’t counted on Joe being there. Now whatever his name was—she couldn’t remember—was dead, and his friend was sitting in jail. Thankfully, not knowing any more than he was to get some money for drugs, the man couldn’t tell the police anything

Hillary knew all this because Claire had shared the attack with her, telling her to be careful and to make sure someone was with her when she left.

God, that woman was clueless. Why Keith stayed with her for so long was something she never understood.

Although if she thought about it, having the boyfriend roughed up a little made up for the fact that the mission was a bomb. Plus, she didn’t have to pay anyone.

She’d been in disguise that night when she approached the bum under that disgusting bridge filled with dirty, weird people wandering around. It had been a stupid move to seek out someone in that situation, but she’d been desperate. That lawyer, Kaiser, had given her the suggestion but she should have made him come instead of her. The smell alone was almost enough to knock her out—so many unwashed bodies, cackling women, men who looked her up and down—as if. Pieces of paper were flying around in the heavy breeze, blankets had been thrown over a piece of rope, and belongings were tied up in bundles on the ground. There were a few small campfires with people sitting around them, cooking who knew what. She’d stepped into squishy things a couple of times. Thankfully, she had worn sneakers. Sneakers she would throw out as soon as she got out of this cesspool. Everything about it disgusted her. Where were the police? Couldn’t these people get jobs? Find a better place to live? She shook her head. Not her problem.

The guy she’d picked out had been sitting quietly in a corner. It was warm out, but he had a hoodie pulled up over his head. He was taller, even sitting down, than most of the other men. They hadn’t exchanged names, although she had an alias picked out. He looked like he was all together. His eyes were clear when she talked to him, but he did ask her for a twenty to tide him over, then cackled when she gave it to him along with a bottle of cheap vodka. She should have known better than to go that route. He hadn’t asked for many details. She gave him what was necessary.

Well, now she would have to bring the big boys in. There weren’t a lot of choices, especially after that one disaster shepaid for. Damn man couldn’t even push Claire into traffic right. What a waste of money.

She’d already had a will drawn up in Claire’s name bequeathing her the house on the ocean. Again, that attorney, Kaiser? Yeah, Kaiser had been helpful to Keith a couple of times. After meeting him at the Navel, she had wanted to gag. Slick, slimy and full of himself. Plus, he propositioned her. She shook her head over that one. What on earth would make Kaiser think she would have sex with him, let alone date him? Men.

She needed someone else. Who? She snapped her fingers. Yes! Keith’s private investigator. Darn, what was his name? Troy. Right. Troy Romano of Romano Investigations.“Your secrets are safe with us.”Ha. She could only hope. Keith mentioned Troy and their business agreement but never elaborated much. Keith had hinted that Troy had ties to unsavory characters. People who did what they were supposed to and didn’t get caught. She always listened to his conversations, and Keith never had a clue, so she knew Troy did a lot for Keith.

She laughed to herself, felt a short burst of adrenaline course through her body. Planning Claire’s demise was exhilarating—delicious. She shivered. Then decided she was in the wrong business. Maybe Troy needed a partner. She would be good at making plans to harass people or more.

Hillary looked through the contacts on her phone and found his number. Glancing down her watch, she realized it was too late to call him, but first thing the next morning, she would make an appointment with him, feel him out. If he were receptive to what she needed, she would outline what she wanted to be done. She hoped it was within his purview. His office was a short trip away, and she didn’t want the incriminating call on her phone.

Hillary put her phone down, smiled, and got ready forbed. She could hardly wait to put her plan in place. The thought of Claire’s suffering was balm to her soul.

Troy Romano satbehind his desk and observed the woman sitting in front of him. She’d given him a false last name, but he remembered her. Oh, yes, indeedy. He wasn’t in the private investigation business for nothing. He’d investigated Keith, his women, and his friends long before he agreed to help him. Bet she didn’t realize he knew her. He was going to leave that impression with her.

She’d changed her hair. It was shorter and darker now. It looked like she’d gained a little weight, and damn if she didn’t look remarkably like Claire Willis, although her face was longer and pinched tight. And she was obnoxious. Something Claire Willis wasn’t. Claire was a classy woman.

Claire Willis.Now that was a job he should never have taken. Kidnapping an innocent woman for the likes of Keith Willis. Then having to explain to the Black Pointe police his role in bringing Claire to the hotel. Well, his version of it. They weren’t too happy to hear his story, but at least he could exonerate Claire. Keith had been alive and well when they left. And that ballsy Sam Knight? God, he’d love to hire her. She was just what he needed in the office. Smart, talented, and fearless. Of course, it might be fun to work at KnightGuard Security too. He was getting tired of dealing with slimebuckets and women the likes of who was sitting in front of him and sneering.

“So, do you know anyone who can help?”

His attention was drawn back to Hillary Marshall, aka Hillary Santmeyer. He sighed. What she wanted was someone to kill Claire. Get Claire out of her life so she could move on. Brought up some old, maybe not entirely legal jobshe had done for Keith. Jobs he wanted to forget. He wondered for a second how she knew all that. Keith had been an idiot if he thought Hillary was clueless.

He twirled his chair from side to side.

She tapped her foot.

He steepled his hands and stared at her.

She huffed and puffed.

Finally, after her eyes shot daggers, no, make that spears, in his direction, he said, “I might. Let me call you in a couple of days, and I’ll tell you what I’ve put together. It’s going to cost you a pretty penny.”

She narrowed her eyes. “How much?”

He gave her a figure, inflated because what she wanted was illegal. She turned slightly pale. Took a minute, then said in a huff, “Fine, but I expect first-class service, not Joe Schmoe from down the block who’s high on drugs and just looking for a quick buck with no results.”

Troy shook his head. As if. “Nope, first-class all the way. The man I’m thinking of likes his work—a lot. I’ll get back to you tomorrow if I can make it happen.”

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