Page 41 of Say My Name

“With what?”

“I can’t say here. I’ll come by your house tomorrow at four, before my shift.”

And then I scurry away so I don’t blow my cover.

Chapter 12

Chloe

Ashley’s three-story colonial, with its large, covered porch and charming wood shutters, does not look like the home of someone rendezvousing at a sex club with her co-worker. But if she hadn’t gotten the house at a steal, she may have chosen something different.

“Late night?” I ask when she opens the front door, looking a little worse for wear. “Never mind, don’t answer that.” I don’t want any knowledge about what Ashley and Derek were doing all night.

She gives me a sheepish grin as I step inside the foyer. “I haven’t had my coffee yet.” She trudges toward the kitchen, and I follow. “Want some?”

“Sure.”

She reaches into the cabinet and pulls out two red mugs with the wordsEverything I Touch Turns To Soldwritten in gold letters across the ceramic and busies herself with making coffee. As we wait for it to percolate, I take out my notepad.

“Ashley, I need you to be brutally honest with me while I ask you a few questions.”

Her eyes pop open, the tiredness that was there only moments ago completely evaporating. “I don’t want my name on anything. I don’t want anyone knowing I was ever there.”

“Ash, you’re the only lead I’ve had in weeks. I won’t say who told me the info. Besides, if they question you it might lead them back to me.”

She blows out a breath. “Ok, but I might not be much help because I’ve only been there one time.”

“I still can’t get over the fact that my sister partook in anything going on there.”

“Hey, are you going to listen to what I have to say, or judge me the entire time?”

I slide onto a bar stool at the granite-topped island in the center of her kitchen. “Sorry. Did you meet anyone? Can you give me any names?”

“Wait.” She places a hand over my notebook. “You can’t let anyone know Derek is a member.”

“Why?” I raise a brow.

“Because they might lead it back to me, and then to you.”

I roll my eyes. “Fine, I won’t reveal his name either.”

A grin springs across her face. “Thanks.”

“How long have you been seeing him?”

“A few months.”

I snap my eyes to hers. “And you’ve kept this from me?” Sadness slumps my shoulders because she hasn’t told me about him, or because she felt shecouldn’ttell me. “We tell each other everything.” Or so I thought.

She moves to the coffeepot and pours our coffee, adding sugar to both mugs. “It just happened. It just didn’t seem real. I didn’t want to tell you and jinx anything.”

I study her, looking for the truth hidden there. “Ok, fine. I’ll leave Derek’s name off the members’ list you give me.”

She sits down and slides me a mug of coffee. “Fine. Hannah Jensen is a member.”

“From high school?” I swear I need to learn to keep my emotions in check. “I’ve never seen her there.” I get so busy waiting on people that I can’t watch who’s coming or going.

Ashley points a finger at me. “You said you wouldn’t judge.”

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