Page 49 of Sirens
“Really, darling,” Vee continued, her voice warm and rich. “This was made for you, and I insist that you have it. In fact, it’s a gift.”
Maggie’s mouth dropped open. Though she wasn’t able to remember the exact price, there had been lots of sevens and fours.
“Vee, I couldn’t?—”
“Shh,” Vee hushed her. “Now, let me tell you something about our dear Deputy McGarvey.” She leaned in conspiratorially, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “That man has an eye for beauty and a taste for the finer things in life. And you, my dear, are both.” Maggie began to open her mouth, but Vee held up a finger. “A fact that this gown attests to most deliciously, and the reason you must have it. I ask only one thing of you in return.”
Maggie’s antennae began to twitch. “Which is?”
“A piece this lovely deserves a proper seduction. Invite our officer over this evening and practice the temptresses’ art. Who knows,” Vee said, her lips curving in a smile. “It might even bring you closer to answering Ariadne’s riddle.”
Turning back to the three-panel mirror, Maggie met her own eyes. “All right. I’ll take it.”
“Splendid,” Vee said. “Just hand it out and I’ll get it all wrapped up for you.”
Maggie returned to the dressing room, fishing her phone from her purse so she could text McGarvey before she changed her mind.
Or her outfit.
She stared at the screen, tapping out several phrases and deleting them just as quickly.
Want to continue our hunt at my place tonight?
In the mood to help me solve a mystery?
Care to help me break in some more appliances?
Heaving a disgusted sigh, she settled on a simple but practicalMy place. 8pm tonight.
She hesitated for a moment before hitting send, her stomach doing a rollercoaster lift when it was too late to take it back.
“Well?” Vee asked from beyond the curtain.
“Invitation sent,” Maggie said, carefully lifting off the decadent silk and handing it out. “I just hope I don’t regret it.”
“Relax, darling,” Vee said. “And remember, he’s just a man. A very handsome, charming man, but still just a man.”
“Uh huh,” Maggie said, stepping back into her own clothes. She hadn’t even gotten her bra hooked when her phone buzzed.
I’ll be there.
Maggie exhaled a breath.
Like the decadent negligee, her invitation revealed parts of her she wasn’t used to offering casually.
She had never felt more naked.
Or more alive.
NINE
Probable Cause
A REASONABLE GROUND TO SUPPOSE THAT A CHARGE OF CRIMINAL CONDUCT IS WELL-FOUNDED
Trent’s phonebuzzed on the mahogany coffee table, disturbing the fortress of solitude he’d built with his case files and paperwork. The screen lit up with Maggie’s name.
“Talk about a thirst trap,” he muttered, tossing aside a crime scene photo that was as cold and lifeless as a bad dinner date. He eyed the paperwork, the words blurring into a bureaucratic soup that no longer held his interest. Maggie wanted to discuss their latest investigative foray into the Palace Hotel’s cobwebbed corners, but Trent harbored the hope it could be something more…personal.
