Page 85 of Triggered By Love
He tipped an eyebrow at Avery. “She’s the boss.”
“I might be able to come up with one if you don’t mind sitting next to an overeager photographer,” Avery said.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll stay still. I only want to experience the sights, sounds, and tastes. My sister’s dear boy worked as a model on the side. I remember the day he was picked to walk in Manhattan Fashion Week. He was so excited. It was such an honor. I’d love to go to the show this year.”
“Is he walking this year? Which label?” Avery asked, reaching into her purse for a pass.
The woman’s eyes turned down. “My nephew disappeared last year after the show. He gave us tickets but stood us up, and then he fell off a yacht and died.”
“Oh, my, that’s horrible,” Avery said while Jason drew in a sharp breath and asked, “Last summer? In the East River?”
Popo nodded. “Sadly, yes. We didn’t even know he’d died until much later when they found his body.”
“I’m so sorry,” Avery said. “What was his name?”
“José Perez, but his model brand was Draco.”
“Dragon,” Jason muttered, seemingly turning things in his mind. “Did he know Garm and Hugh?”
“Yes, my Joselito knew them,” Popo said. “They were good boys. Keeping in shape and working out. They called themselves the Brooklyn Babes.”
“I knew a model named Garm,” Avery said. “He hasn’t been showing up on the agent’s roll call.”
“Garm Guillory was Saul’s brother,” Jason said abruptly.
“Wait a minute.” Avery narrowed her gaze at the detective. “Saul never told me he had a brother, but you knew? Is Garm one of the suspects you’ve been investigating? Is this why you brought me to Popo’s? To see if she recognizes me?”
“Hold on there before accusing me.” Jason put both hands up. “I brought you here for Popo’s pupusas.”
“Jason didn’t know Joselito was a model,” Popo said, jumping to Jason’s defense. “I never brought it up because he never brought a beautiful female model for my pupusas.”
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Always trying to charm on behalf of Jasonlito.
“Trust me,” Jason said. “If I knew Joselito was connected to Garm Guillory and Hugh Longshanks, I would have been here a year ago.”
A spike of anxiety shot through Avery. Longshanks. She’d used him before too, not that she wanted anyone to know in what capacity.
“What are you investigating?” Popo asked, her brow creased and wrinkled. “What did the boys do?”
Jason’s Adam’s apple bobbled, and he appeared to be composing himself. “You might want to grab a chair.”
“No time. Tell me quick.” Popo made hand signs to her assistant cook. “What happened?”
Jason cleared his throat and looked grim. “Garm and Hugh died of overdoses. Not together, but on separate occasions. I’m investigating them as suspicious deaths because they were found close to parties thrown by someone I’m investigating. If Joselito fell off a yacht, and he knew these other two, he might be the third model we never got an ID on.”
“We wouldn’t have known except for the dental records. The police said it was an accident.” Popo wrung her hands. “Are you saying there might have been foul play?”
“They all had drugs in their systems. Meth.”
Avery’s mouth went dry, and her pulse quickened. What kind of parties was Jason investigating? Was he implying something happened at a fashion show after-party? The kind where celebrities mixed with designers to seal deals and exclusives? Those were networking gatherings where everyone was busy preening, posing, and pitching. She didn’t attend the one from last year’s show because of Brando’s death, even though she heard from Alida that it had still happened.
“No, no. I don’t believe it.” Popo blinked rapidly, and her mouth pressed to a thin line. “Those boys were too into health to be taking drugs. They cared too much about their looks to take meth. Have you seen what it does to a person’s looks?”
“Maybe it was their first and last time,” Jason said gravely.
Popo wiped sweat from her forehead and glanced at the other customers. “I have to go now, but Jasonlito, you’ll be back. I have much to talk about. I never believed the coroner’s report. Do you think someone killed them?”
Jason put his finger to his lips. “The cases are officially closed. Ruled accidental. I’ll come back tomorrow morning.”
