Page 38 of Shadow Sabotage
Claire
When we steppedout of Vance’s office, Trey straightened, watching us. And when he saw that we were both smiling, his face went dark.
I followed Vance back through the bullpen, trying not to appear too victorious. But I couldn’t help shooting a little smirk Trey’s way when I walked by.
In the parking lot, Vance gestured for me to get into his SUV. He walked around to the driver’s side. “We have a lot to catch up on,” he said, as he started the vehicle.
“We do,” I agreed. “What did you find out in Laramie?”
“That Tony hasn’t changed much,” he said, shaking his head.
My stomach knotted. “What do you mean?”
He backed out of his parking spot and headed toward the main road. “Everyone—both Katelyn’s friendsandTony’s—said that he was way more serious about her than she was about him. From my understanding, it started as a whirlwind romance on both sides. But after he brought her here over Christmas break,he started talking about marriage and she started pulling away. By the time of her disappearance, she’d all but ghosted him.”
“Really?” That matched with what Elsa had said, but I still couldn’t believe that Tony was so focused on getting married so young.
Maybe because I was a decade older than him and still hadn’t given the institution a second thought.
“Yeah. Here’s the interesting thing, at least compared to what you seem to think about Tony. Every single one of them preferred Tony over her and thought she was crazy for breaking things off. They all described him as a gentleman. I think Katelyn’s old roommate was half in love with him herself.”
“Really?” My jaw dropped.
He nodded.
I tried to think back over the interactions I’d had with Tony. I’d never liked him, but was that fair? He’d never given me any trouble personally. The only reason I disliked him was because Jonathan did—and because of what Jonathan had told me about him.
But I trusted my brother’s judgment.
“Tony is well-liked,” Vance said. “But Katelyn’s friends all described her as a manipulative gold digger. Said she was determined to latch onto someone with money. Does that fit the Evans family? Mayors don’t makethatmuch.”
“It might,” I admitted. “Leslie Evans inherited a decent sum of money years ago from some rich uncle in Seattle.”
“What kind of money are we talking?”
“I’ve never heard the figure,” I answered. “It was enough to furnish a decadent lifestyle here in Wildwood, but probably not enough to run with the big dogs somewhere like Jackson or Breckenridge. If it was, I think that’s where they’d be. Leslie has always acted like she’s too good for this place.”
Vance mulled things over. “Maybe that’s why Katelyn was into Tony, at least initially. He dresses well, drives a slick car. Has the money to rent a nice house with his friends. Lavished her with fancy dinners and flowers.”
“But if he got obsessive, she might have decided it wasn’t worth it.”
“Everyone said she loved the attention. If he hurt her, though, that might have been a different story.”
“Or she could have realized he wasn’t the catch she thought he was,” I pointed out.
“Meaning?” He glanced my way.
I held my fingers up, counting off my points. “Unless he’s changed dramatically, he’s a lousy student. So he may not have great prospects for a future career. His dad is a mayor, which means there’s no family business for him to inherit or some ready-made position for him to step into. Their money came from a one-time inheritance. And at the rate his mom spends cash, there might not be any left for him.”
Vance let out a long breath. “So maybe Tony looked great in the beginning, but when she got to know his situation, she realized it wasn’t enough for her long term.”
“If her friends are right about her, then yeah.” I thought it through. “So she breaks up with him. That’s rejection. Plus, it makes him look bad. You said Tony is well-liked there. But he has a long history of pushing girls to take things further than they want. He’s an only child. Spoiled. Probably thinks the world revolves around him.”
“Is that a dig at me?” Vance asked, giving me a smirk.
“If the shoe fits,” I answered, grinning. “But let me finish my thought. We’ll have to deal withyourissues later.”
“Ouch.” He put his hand on his heart like he was wounded.
