Page 32 of A Real Good Bad Thing

“Welcome to Sapphire, Ms. Ashley,” the guard said.

“Thank you so much.”

I’d accepted Eli’s offer of the VIP treatment. Jake had made a valid point that I couldn’t slip through town unknown, so I would use my access to my advantage.

Ouradvantage now.

Last night, he’d been my beachside lover, but tonight we were hands-off partners. A call to Andrew after lunch confirmed that Jake was his man, so that was one less worry I had about teaming up with him. Besides, Jake had made a good pitch that we could crack this “case” much faster and easier together.

Even though I was entering the club solo, I wasn’t alone. Jake had arrived earlier, texting me to let me know that he was here.

A pretty woman with chestnut hair and a warm smile greeted me at the back door. “I’m Clarissa. I’m the assistant manager. Nigel is tied up, but I’m here to help with any requests you might have.” She flashed me a bright smile and offered her hand, which I shook.

“So great to meet you,” I said. “I’m excited to see the club.”

“Let me give you a quick tour, and then we’ll find you a place out front when Amelia performs.”

Like an efficient and helpful hotel concierge, Clarissa steered me through the club, pointing out the obvious. The long mirrored bar was, indeed, the bar, and the black hardwood floor was, in fact, the dance floor. But the VIP treatment was welcome when Clarissa plowed through the crowds on the winding staircase that led to the second level, where a balcony wrapped entirely around the dance floor, giving a perfect view of the crowds below.

Including Jake.

He leaned casually against the bar, a glass of what looked to be scotch in his hand. No Tommy Bahama shirt tonight. He wore a black T-shirt that showed off his toned, muscular arms and a pair of dark blue jeans. Simple, yet totally hot, even from a distance. I made eye contact, just for a moment, and he walked away from the bar.

On cue.

That was the plan—as I got the tour, he’d follow behind, peeking into corners, checking for secret passageways, assessing possible locations for a safe.

“Eli loves to watch the crowds from here.” Clarissa nodded to the throng of young women in tight dresses and guys in shorts and short-sleeve shirts. “You can just feel the vibe, can’t you?” she asked, inhaling, as if she were drawing in that very energy.

“Absolutely.”

“That’s the manager, Nigel—he’s just in the middle of something now, but I’ll introduce you next time you’re in,” Clarissa said, pointing to a strapping man walking through the crowd. “And,” Clarissa continued, pointing a French-manicured nail toward the ceiling, “we have a dozen disco balls. They just light the whole place up, don’t they?”

The silvery disco balls swirled above the floor, casting slivers of rich purple, royal blue, and lush red rays of light. They were retro and seventies, but somehow not cheesy.

“Gorgeous,” I said honestly.

“Come. Let me show you our VIP rooms.” My guide gestured to a hallway lined with three paintings—a square, a rectangle, and an oval in black tubular frames that continued the geometric theme of the art.

“The art is lovely,” I remarked. As with the bar and the dance floor, Clarissa didn’t need much prompting to tell me the details.

“They’re from the gallery around the corner. Willow’s gallery.”

“Ah, but of course.” Naturally, Eli would shower his fiancée’s business with greenbacks.

I peered at the artist’s signature in the corner of the rectangle:Lynx.So Lynx liked to make shapes, and Eli liked to buy them. Jake told me Andrew originally thought the fund’s missing money had been channeled into art, but now they were thinking it had gone into gems.

What if the art was still involved?

As we continued down the hallway to the VIP rooms with their blue velvet couches and bottle service, a shadow shifted down the corridor and Clarissa whirled around.

I tried to act casual, but my heart raced. Had Jake been sprung?

“Isn’t Amelia the greatest?” I asked, easy, breezy, trying to distract Clarissa as I continued walking forward.

“She is. I’m really looking forward to seeing her tonight.” Clarissa gave one last look behind her then continued walking.

Phew. Crisis averted.

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