Find Her Alive (Detective Josie Quinn #8) - Lisa Regan Page 0,74
we give this guy any indication that there’s a connection between Trinity and the Bone Artist, he’s going to run with it.”
“Got it,” Josie said.
Forty-One
At the Eudora, Josie let Gretchen do all the talking. The concierge rang Hayden Keating’s room, talked with him for a brief moment, and then had one of his colleagues guide them to Keating’s room on the tenth floor. Hayden Keating was in his late fifties, barrel-chested with thick, wavy gray hair and the straightest, whitest teeth Josie had ever seen. She’d seen him on television dressed in bespoke suits hundreds of times. Now he stood before them in a pair of faded jeans and a salmon-colored button-down shirt that was partially open, revealing springy gray chest hair. He gave them his most serious look, the one he used when he read news from the teleprompter about natural disasters and other tragedies. “Ladies,” he said. “Welcome. Please, come in and have a seat.”
His room was equipped with a small table and chairs. The three of them gathered at the table. Josie thought she heard water running. The door to his bathroom was closed. Was there someone else staying with him? Or was her concussed brain playing tricks on her?
Hayden asked, “Has there been any news about Trinity?”
Josie turned her attention to him and folded her hands in front of her on the table. “I’m sorry, but no. Nothing yet.”
He looked disappointed. Josie wondered if it was because he was genuinely worried about Trinity or because any news would make him look good when he reported it on television. Probably the television thing.
Josie heard the distinct sound of the water in the bathroom being shut off. Then came sounds of rustling from behind the closed door. Definitely not her imagination. She exchanged a quick glance of acknowledgment with Gretchen. If Hayden noticed, he didn’t let on.
Gretchen took out her notebook and pen, slid her reading glasses on, and looked at him. “Mr. Keating, we’re looking into all the things that Trinity was working on before she was abducted.”
He laughed. “Working on? Trinity wasn’t working on anything. Listen, I don’t know how to say this, and I probably shouldn’t because it’s confidential.” He looked pointedly at Josie. “I don’t want to upset you, but—”
“The network is replacing Trinity with Mila Kates,” Josie filled in.
He looked surprised.
Josie smiled. “It’s our job to find things out, Mr. Keating. Trinity wasn’t working on anything for the network. We think maybe she was trying to develop a story—something that would have a lot of appeal to viewers—that she could pitch to the network in a bid to save her job. Either that or she would use it as leverage to get a position at another network.”
He smiled. “That sounds like her.” He looked over his shoulder toward the closed bathroom door. “Well, if you already know, then you won’t mind…”
“Mind what?” Josie asked.
“Darling,” he called. “Join us, would you?”
The bathroom door swung open and there stood a woman in a thick, white terrycloth robe, toweling her short blonde hair dry. She sauntered toward them in her bare feet, her blue eyes locked on Josie. “Wow,” she said. “You do look quite like her, don’t you?”
Josie had to remind herself to close her mouth.
Hayden said, “This is—”
“I know who this is,” Josie snapped.
The woman extended a hand to Gretchen. “Mila Kates,” she said. “You are?”
“Detective Palmer. We’re here to talk to Mr. Keating.”
Mila leaned a hip into Hayden’s shoulder and slung an arm across the back of his neck. “Do you have any leads?”
Josie felt her face flush. She gripped the handles of her chair, ready to push herself up, primed to explode. Gretchen placed a gentle hand on her wrist, a reminder to keep her anger in check. A tight smile spread across Gretchen’s face. “Miss Kates, I’m sorry but we’re not at liberty to discuss the details of an active investigation. Did you know Trinity?”
“Oh, not well. We would run into each other from time to time at different functions.”
Josie said, “Hayden didn’t introduce the two of you?”
The two looked at one another, smiling. When they looked back at Josie and Gretchen, they had matching expressions of discomfort. “We haven’t gone public with our relationship yet,” Hayden said.
Gretchen said, “That must be tough.”
They both nodded.
Keeping the note of accusation out of her voice and instead choosing a tone of deep concern, Josie said, “It must have been really difficult for both of you after Ms. Kates’ stalker confronted her on live