Page 73 of Secrets & Desires
Livia thanked the woman and left the residential home. She sat in silence in the car as Jason turned the car. “Where to, Ms.Chatelaine?”
She chewed her lip for a moment. “You know, I think I left some personal items at Mr. Carpentier’s mansion. Do you think we could swing bythere?”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Nox lookedup as Sandor poked his head around his office door. “Skipping out for some lunch, wanttojoin?”
Nox shook his head. “Not for me, thanks. I’m meeting Liv in awhile.”
“Cool. See youaround.”
Nox got back to his paperwork but found he couldn’t concentrate. Livia was right, there was something off about Sandor. Oh, he gave the impression of just being your friendly everyman, but behind his eyes…fuck,Nox shook his head. Were they both just paranoid? Instead he called Livia. He was surprised when she seemed cagey. “Whereareyou?”
“Um…I left something at Sandor’s place and we’re just about to go pickitup.”
Nox frowned. Livia had been so adamant that she didn’t feel safe there. “Why not just get Sandor to bring it to theoffice?”
“I don’t want to bother him, it’s only ahairbrush.”
She was lying, he knew it in his bones. “Liv…what are you up to?Tellme.”
“Nothing, honestly. I spent the morning with Charvi and then remembered I’d left my hairbrush at Sandor’s—random, I know. But it was a present fromMoriko.”
“Ah. Well, is Jasonwithyou?”
“Of course, darling. It won’ttakelong.”
Afew minutes later,Harriet, the new receptionist, called him. “I have a Roderick LeFevre on the phoneforyou.”
Nox was surprised. “Calling to buy my sharestoo,Rod?”
Rod gave a chuckle but then his voice turned serious. “No, actually, it’s about yourlovelylady.”
“Livia?” Nox wasastonished.
“Unless you have morethanone.”
Nox shook himself. “What aboutLivia?”
“She came to see me this morning. Asked me point blank if Sandor Carpentier was the one who was really buying all the shares in yourcompany.”
“And what did you tell her?” Ice was creeping through Nox’s veins. What the hell wasgoingon?
“I told herhewas.”
The shock hit Nox full-force in thechest. “What?”
Rod LeFevre explained the same thing to Nox as he had to Livia. “Sandor Carpentier is not your friend,” he concluded, “and god damn it if I can’t stop worrying about your lovely lady. If Sandor finds out she was askingquestions…”
“Thanks, Rod. Listen, I have tocallher.”
“Stay safe, Renaud…and I’msorry.”
Nox tried to call Livia, and then Jason, but to his distress, could not reach either of them. As he hung up, his phone rang again and it was DetectiveJones.
“The bodyisRoan Saintmarc,” the detective told him, “and he’s been dead a good couple of months. Multile skull fractures; he was beaten to death. He couldn’t have killed Amber Duplas orMorikoLee.”
Nox closed his eyes. “What about the DNA?Sandor?”
