Page 73 of Girl Lost
Luna walked past, making a beeline for the receptionist’s desk. “Ready?”
Game face. It was a look he’d seen a thousand times before. On suspects, on witnesses, on victims. But seeing it on Luna ... it sent a thrill through him. She was in her element.
“Sure.” Get this over with, and the quicker, the better.
The plan was to let Luna use her powers of persuasion to get as much information as they could.Ifthey could.
A woman sat behind the desk, her gaze fixed on a computer screen. A nameplate identified her as Sharon Rodriguez. She snapped her gum every few seconds and tapped her acrylics on the keyboard. The pink nails were studded with rhinestones and shaped like tiny two-inch daggers.
“Can I help you?” The gum snapped again.
“We’re hoping you can.” Luna’s smile dripped with honey. “How are you today? I love those nails, by the way. Where did you have them done?”
Sharon fluttered her fingers to give them a better look. A tiny silver jewel dangled from the tip of her pinky. “My daughter has a shop over on Fifth. She’s the best in town. Probably in the state.”
“No!” Luna gasped. “Fabulique? On Fifth and Sunshine?”
Sharon’s smile grew wide, showing the dot of fluorescent-green gum clenched in her molars. “You’ve heard of it?”
Luna leaned on the counter and flashed a grin. The kind he imagined had charmed diplomats and disarmed terrorists. “Okay... that place is amazing,” she said. “I had the absolute best mani-pedi there two weeks ago.”
She had? He inspected Luna’s nails. Short and soft pink with white tips. What did they call that? French? Boy, he really had nothing to contribute to this conversation.
“Did you happen to meet Kelly?” Sharon asked.
“Yes, she’s the one I saw!”
He’d never seen Luna this animated. Well, not since their early days. That one night when they’d lain on a beach blanket in the middle of the night to watch the meteor shower. They’d ended up talking. Joking. Teasing. He’d given her a nickname that had her belly laughing. A secret between just them. And there wasn’t a moment that night when they weren’t touching.
“Okay, no way that’s your daughter,” Luna was saying. “You do not look old enough to have a grown daughter.”
“That’s so sweet of you to say.” Sharon blushed and straightened the stack of file folders on her desk.
“It’s true. Kelly was so kind. So talented. And a businesswoman? Wow, you’ve done a wonderful job raising her.”
“Oh, honey, she gets all her talent from her daddy. But I’ll tell her you said that. She’ll love it.”
“You know...” Luna leaned in. “I’ve been meaning to bring my friend here. He’s never had a mani-pedi, can you believe it?”
“No ... way.” Corbin started to shake his head, but Luna’s foot connected with his shin. A sharp, pointed jab.
“No way would I miss it.” He forced a smile.
“Well, tell you what,” Sharon said. “You bring him in, mention my name, and Kelly will give you both a discount.”
“You got it.” Luna winked. He couldn’t believe it. Actually winked. “We’ll be there next week for sure.”
“Well, enough jabberjawing,” Sharon said. “What doctor are you here to see?”
Luna jumped in. “Actually, we were hoping to have a quick chat with Amanda, in billing? It’s about a ... family matter.”
Sharon pursed her lips. Those daggerlike nails tapped a nervous rhythm against the desk. “Well, I’m not really supposed to let people back there without an appointment...” She glanced at Corbin, then back at Luna. “But you seem like nice folks. Let me give her a call.”
Sharon made the call and then pointed down a hallway. “Last door on the right. She’s a sweetheart.”
Luna fell into step beside him. The transformation was instant. Gone was the bubbly, charming woman who’d just sweet-talked their way past the receptionist. Her smile vanished. Her shoulders squared, her gaze distant, guarded.
He’d almost forgotten how quickly she could shift, how easily she could compartmentalize, build walls around herself. It had thrown him off balance. That bubbly personality wasn’t an act, he knew that. But it was a side of her she chose to conceal until she needed it. A tool to get what she wanted. And it had worked. She’d charmed Sharon into doing something she clearly wasn’t supposed to do.
