Page 5 of Wild Idol
He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and displayed a photo of Ivy. She was a stunning young woman with wavy chocolate hair and caramel eyes. She had a svelte figure and an alluring quality—wholesome and carefree.
I knew what he was doing. Once we put a face to her name, it would be harder to say no.
“I’ll text her photo to you, so you have it just in case,” he said. “I’ll get you all the information you requested.”
“What’s more important to you? The statue or your daughter?”
His face tightened, a little offended. “My daughter is the only thing that matters to me in this world. My primary concern is her safety and well-being. But I would also like to spend as much time with her as possible. Is that answer satisfactory to you?”
I nodded.
Strathmore flashed a charming smile. “I know you’re busy, so I won’t take any more of your time. Thank you for coming. Please, do give it your full consideration.”
I assured him we would.
JD and I stood up, and we shook his hand again. Strathmore escorted us to the front door and said farewell.
As we strolled the walkway to the Porsche, Jack said, “What do you make of his story?”
“I think he’s a desperate man willing to do desperate things.”
“Wouldn’t you?”
“I believe I’d do just about anything if I were in his shoes.”
My phone buzzed with a picture of Ivy, along with an image of Solomon. I slipped into the passenger seat of the Porsche as another text with more information came through. I forwarded it all to Isabella.
She called me back right away. “Taking on another case?”
“Undetermined yet. See what you can find out about those two.” I gave her the skinny.
“I’ve got information about the victim found in the dumpster.”
4
“Her name is Haley Reid,” Isabella said. “Student at Coconut Key High School. 17 years old.”
I grimaced at the news. Every loss of life was tragic, but it was especially hard to see someone so young pass.
“Her mother, Iris, is in Europe at the moment, according to her cell phone and airline reservations. I was able to track Haley‘s phone. It turns up at the Pearl Room around 10:00 PM. Stays there till 1:00 AM, then goes to Beat. The phone stays in the club until just before 2:00 AM, then goes off the grid. It’s possible the battery died. Do you have a cause of death yet?”
“Not yet, but I’m guessing illicit substances were involved.”
“Such a shame.” Isabella paused. “I’ll text you her mother’s contact information. Oh, and you might find this useful. The last person she was in communication with was Taylor Monroe. They talked earlier in the night and exchanged afew text messages. One of which was sent from Beat. That’s the last text Haley ever sent.”
“Any word on Tash Sivrin?”
“I’m still looking for the dirtbag, but you’ll be the first to know when I find him.”
I thanked her again and ended the call, then dialed the sheriff and relayed the information about Haley Reid.
“You’re sure about that?” he asked.
“My intel is almost never wrong. Have Brenda pull dental records for Haley Reid. She’ll find a match.”
I ended the call, and JD and I headed up to Oyster Avenue to catch happy hour at Bootleggers. We chowed down on the Smuggler’s Shrimp and Blackbeard’s Brisket as we kicked around theories.
Afterward, we met the guys in the band at the Skyline Lounge and took in the sights and sounds. It was a pretty low-key evening, relatively speaking. The festivities ended with a small after-party on the boat, but nothing outrageous.
