Courting Suspicion

Rielle lifted an eyebrow. ‘In this case, there isn’t.’

‘Not any more.’ Despite what the detective had implied, it wasn’t illegal for people to pay others to spend time with them. It was only when sex entered the picture that things got murky. Things between Senator Gunderson and Genieve had definitely been murky, but that exclusive contract she’d had under lock and key was now a pile of ashes fertilising the fern in the lobby.

It had taken all of her willpower not to destroy the rest of the company’s exclusive contracts along with it, but those contracts were the lifeblood of Luxxor. They provided money, power, and – most importantly – leverage. She’d built her business on them. She couldn’t throw it all away now.

She looked at Rielle. ‘Have you contacted all our exclusive clients?’

‘There are only a few I haven’t been able to reach yet. I’ve reminded them all of the requirement to keep the agreements in a safe location.’

‘Any pushback?’

‘No.’

‘And Gunderson’s copy?’

‘Brody’s already gotten rid of it.’ Rielle swept her long hair over her shoulder. ‘It seemed like he and Genieve were fighting about that, though.’

‘Why?’ Nina’s antenna rose. They needed that contract to be gone, and they couldn’t jeopardise that relationship. Without Haynes, they would be in a much worse situation than they already were.

‘He wants to know where other exclusive contracts might be so he can take care of them, too. Genieve won’t tell him.’

The escort only knew of a handful, but Brody wouldn’t know that.

‘Hm. Good girl,’ Nina murmured. She’d never seen the cheery redhead fight with anyone. She usually cajoled and charmed her way out of situations. If this had to happen, Genieve was probably the best escort she had to handle the situation. If the woman could keep Haynes in check, too, that would be ideal.

Nina returned to her chair and stroked her finger along the coffee mug’s handle. ‘All right. I’m comfortable that we’ve done everything we can do for the company’s current needs. What we need to focus on is that tip that was phoned in to the pretend reporters.’

She didn’t even dare think of what might have happened if the whistleblower had called one of the big stations or newspapers. Why hadn’t they done that? Had they thought they wouldn’t be treated seriously? Did they think it wouldn’t have created as big of a bang as video of the couple in flagrante delicto?

Her brow furrowed. Or was it because they hadn’t wanted to be traced or double-checked? Real reporters sought out multiple sources – or they used to when journalism was respectable.

‘We need to make a list of anybody who might have made that call.’ Morgan had been right about that.

Rielle picked up her pen. She had her trusty memo pad at the ready. ‘Like who?’

‘Disgruntled clients, for one.’

Sienna stopped in the middle of splitting orange slices. ‘We have those?’

‘Well … Widow Hawkins wasn’t happy when Dane left for his new job,’ Nina said.

Sienna frowned. ‘I thought she liked Casey.’

Rielle twiddled her pen. ‘He’s nice, but he’s no Dane.’

Nina sighed right along with the other girls. No, Dane was in a class all his own. She’d hated losing him, but she’d do anything she could to help him in his new career – although why anyone with morals and decency would want to go into politics was beyond her.

‘That’s a good point, though,’ she said. ‘Contact Dane. Have him put an ear to the ground to see if anyone has a grudge against Senator Gunderson.’

‘The silver fox?’ Sienna lifted an eyebrow. ‘Say it isn’t so.’

Rielle was still tapping her pen. ‘Not all our clients know about our exclusive contracts. That narrows down the list, doesn’t it?’

‘As long as everyone has toed the line and not spoken to others.’ Nina glanced at the television where a talking head was still silenced. That was her Achilles heel, the people aspect of confidentiality. Some people just couldn’t keep their mouths shut.

‘We’ve had a few clients who’ve requested special services that we’ve turned down,’ she said, thinking aloud. They’d been shots in the dark, really, by patrons who’d become infatuated with the escorts who’d spent time with them. She’d evaluated the requests and the individuals involved. When an escort didn’t express similar interest, she typically let the request go with a mild rebuke to the client. There had been a handful that she’d rejected outright without even asking.

She ran a tight ship. There was more to be concerned about than money. She only put together exclusive contracts when all parties were onboard and she’d concluded the partnership would be safe and mutually satisfying.

‘Has anyone requested Genieve’s time and been turned down?’ Sienna asked.

Rielle nodded. The woman had a memory like a computer chip. ‘She’s in high demand – even as just an escort.’

And why not? Genieve was beautiful, smart and good-natured.

Nina’s grip tightened on her mug when she thought about Josh catching the sultry redhead in the act. Had he watched the video?

How had he reacted? Had he been aroused?

‘Put them on the list,’ she said tightly. ‘We’ll pare it down later.’

Really, anyone with knowledge of Luxxor’s extracurricular activities should be on that list.

Nina lifted her head slowly. That would include the two women sitting across from her.

‘Wait. What about both of you?’ she asked. Her office staff weren’t required to act as escorts. She’d never demand that of anyone, yet both of the women closest to her had met their significant others through Luxxor’s special pairings. ‘Have you put your own contracts under lock and key?’

‘I destroyed mine with Jason a while ago,’ Sienna said. A blush settled onto her fair skin. ‘We made a special night of it.’

Nina could only imagine. That contract had been a major factor in the couple’s romance – both good and bad. Jason Sloan would be just as happy to destroy her as he would that piece of paper. She paused momentarily, but let the thought go. Sloan would never do that with Sienna working here. Besides, an anonymous phone call wasn’t his style.

Sienna looked just as worried, but for a different reason. ‘Luxxor’s copy was destroyed, too, right?’

Nina nodded. ‘There’s no evidence of it left.’

Evidence. An image of Morgan popped back into her head. Sitting next to her, his shoulders a mile wide … leaning in until she could feel his heat … his hair mussed and his gaze too knowing …

She turned away. ‘Rielle?’

‘Mine’s gone, too.’

Sienna dropped an orange peel. ‘Erin framed hers and hung it on a wall in her house.’

Nina’s head whipped around. ‘She did what?’

‘She thought it was a sign of her and Colton’s love.’ Sienna waved her hand. ‘Don’t worry. Colton talked her into getting rid of it.’

‘How?’ Nina demanded. Her nerves were too frayed to deal with something like this. Erin was sweet, but she’d thought Sienna’s best friend was smarter than that.