wink.
"Good luck," Ava told him before he made his way over to the human zoo.
"He's gonna need it," I added. "She's looking at him like he's dessert."
"David can handle himself," Ava said.
I didn't want to know how she knew that.
"Emmy?"
I turned to find Jada approaching us. She was dressed in a simple white sheath dress that might have looked plain on anyone else, but the way it fell over her elegant shoulders and slim hips made her look like a Grecian goddess.
"Jada," Ava said, stepping forward. "How are you holding up?"
She glanced past us to where Costello was still glued to Fabio's side. "As well as can be expected," she answered.
I was pretty sure Ava had been talking about the fact that we were at her friend's memorial, but I could see how deeply the display Costello was putting on was affecting her.
I leaned in, lowering my voice. "He's a little overzealous this evening, isn't he? It must be tough to watch."
She nodded. "Some days are definitely harder than others." She blinked some emotion away, tearing her gaze away from the fake couple. "Anyway, I'm glad I found you. I saw that police detective…the one you're friends with?"
"Grant?" I asked, my eyes immediately going to the glass doors. I hadn't known he'd be there, but considering it was a memorial for the victim of an ongoing investigation, I suppose it stood to reason.
She nodded. "I guess so. Anyway, I just ran into him outside. He said he was looking for you. He asked me to tell you to meet him in Gia's dressing room."
I felt my heart kick up a notch. This could be either very good or very bad. It was possible he'd found out about our breaking and entering to nab Gia's fake glass emerald and he was calling me to the scene of the crime to pry a confession out of me. Then again, it was also entirely possible he'd found something on Stalker Guy's identity that he wanted to share.
I glanced to Ava, a question in my eyes.
She shrugged. "Go. How bad can it be?"
I gave her a rueful grin. "I guess I'm about to find out."
Jada looked from Ava to me, like she was left out of some inside joke.
"Thanks for relaying the message," I told her.
"Sure." She gave me a quick smile and nod before turning and melting back into the well-dressed crowd.
"I hate to leave you alone here," I told Ava.
She shook her head, sipping her wine. "I'm fine. I'll mingle. Maybe go save David Allen from being devoured by the Cheetah-Bird-Snake."
I let out a snort before I could stifle it. "I'll be right back," I promised, setting my half empty glass of rosé down on a side table before threading my way toward the glass doors.
The din of the party was less once inside the club, though I could still hear the soft music playing and the mild chatter of voices. I passed by the lounge, which looked like it was serving as a secondary party room, a lively crowd of men in expensive suits and Italian leather shoes downing shots at the bar. Though, as I moved down the hallway and into the Grand Ballroom, all the party sounds faded, replaced only by the echoing of my own footsteps as I crossed the cavernous room.
The police tape was gone from the door to the storeroom that Gia had used, and any evidence that a horrific crime had been committed there had been whisked away by the efficient Links staff. The former dressing room's door was closed, but as I turned the handle, I realized it was not locked.
"Hello?" I said, stepping into the room. "Grant?"
It was dark, and I figured maybe I'd beaten him there. I leaned to the right to flip on the light switch, illuminating the room. It was much the same as I'd seen it before—minus Gia's personal effects. The bags and suitcase were gone, and the makeup table had been moved out. But the dusty filing cabinets still sat against the wall, along with the built-ins, and a couple of wooden chairs. I wasn't sure if it was the still silence in the air or the fact that a woman had died there, but a round of goose bumps erupted on my arms as I shifted from foot to foot, hoping Grant arrived soon.
Luckily, the sound of another pair of footsteps echoing off the polished floors of the ballroom alerted me that someone was approaching. I shook