Page 63 of Locked In

“Love you too, Sunshine.” With that, her father was gone.

Harper’s hands shook as she put the phone back in her pocket. This had to be it. Astrid must have been here in the passageways and in the secret room. That’s why no one saw her. She needed to find Flynn right away. They needed to search the house.

She went back to the staircase and descended to the second floor. Flynn wasn’t in the library. She continued down to the main floor and stuck her head around the corner but no Flynn. She really should go look in the dining room and the kitchen but the basement was calling. Maybe she could just go down and check it out. The kitchen had too many people but the basement would be empty.

She rounded the staircase and headed down. It was stupid to go alone. She knew she was that character in the horror movies who does the stupid thing that makes everyone yell at the screen. But she also had a powerful curiosity and maybe she was just a teensy bit pissed that Flynn dismissed her so quickly. She’d just take a quick peek. What could go wrong?

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

“What is so important that you dragged me all the way out here?” Flynn asked as he adjusted his collar against the wind.

Gina had led him to the top of the bluff just down from the house. Standing with this woman he cataloged that his senses were on full alert. He didn’t like being this far away from Harper.

“I needed to speak to you alone.” Gina tucked her hands under her arms.

“And you couldn’t do that in the house?” He studied her.

He didn’t trust her as far asshecould throwhim.He could throw her much further than she could imagine. He glanced around again to make sure no one was nearby. The thought that this could be an ambush hit him right away and he was as prepared as he could be. The lack of a weapon bothered him but until now, he hadn’t thought running around the manor with a gun would be a good idea. He’d definitely changed his mind on that and would rectify the situation as soon as he got back inside the house.

Gina looked around again.

“Spit it out, Gina. I haven’t got all day.”

“Fine,” she said as she tucked her hair behind her ears. “You know that Calli worked for me.”

“As an escort.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t like that.”

“No. I don’t.” He crossed his arms over his chest. The wind was fierce and his jacket wasn’t cutting it.

She sniffed. “Archer sees it differently.”

“I doubt that, but we’re not here to discuss the merits of you supplying your own girls. You’re going to tell me whatever it is you want to tell me, and I’m going to go back inside and get warm.”

“Fine. I lied to the cops.”

“No shit.”

She shot him a look. “I lied to them about Calli and Mrs. Carruthers backed me up.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I had Payton switch rooms with Calli so the cops searched her room instead of Calli’s. I had her switch their clothes but that was it.”

“Why the fuck would you do that?” Flynn just couldn’t see the upside of doing that.

“Because Calli was the thief. She stole the necklace and that’s not all. She stole quite a few pieces of jewelry along with credit card numbers and anything else she could get her hands on. I only found out because I saw her do it at the party.”

“You saw her steal the necklace?”

“Well, she was next to Mrs. Addison one minute and then she was gone along with the necklace. I put two and two together. So, I had the girls switch rooms for the police search. Calli doesn’t have any family and I compensated Payton in order to replace all the stuff they’d confiscated.”

“I’m still not following you.”

“I didn’t want the cops to find the jewelry. They’d think it was a motive for murder. Calli was a drinker. She fell down the stairs. If they found the jewelry, it would just complicate things. Plus, it might call attention to the Society, and no one wants that. I found most of the things she stole but I know she took a pair of earrings and a few other things I couldn’t find those. Making the girls switch rooms ensured the cops didn’t find them either.”

“What things?”

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