A California Christmas (Silver Springs #7) - Brenda Novak Page 0,63

moved out, but that’s all.”

Emery sank onto the bed. She’d been so convinced Tommy would be able to provide some information that would help her case. But saying he had a friend who’d once threatened cyber-exploitation wasn’t going to do anything. “You’re sure? That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Letting her head fall into her hand, Emery massaged her temples. “Okay. Thanks,” she said in resignation, and was about to hang up when she thought of another question. “Wait! Tommy?”

“Yes?”

“Why’d you move out?”

He hesitated, which seemed odd. Most people could readily name a reason for moving. “Thiago and I decided to live together.”

But why now? He’d been with Thiago for six months. And since they’d recently gone through a rough patch, Emery was under the impression their relationship wasn’t as solid as it had been before. “Why? What changed?”

After another pause, he said, “Nothing, really. We’ve wanted to move in together for a long time. That’s all.”

She’d guessed that might be the case. But his response still begged one question. “Ethan wasn’t mad that you didn’t give him thirty days’ notice so he’d have time to get someone else in there?” She knew how strapped Ethan was financially, what with the new car payment, the amount of credit card debt he carried, and the way he liked to buy clothes, shoes and watches. He wouldn’t be happy to pay twice as much rent, especially when he wasn’t expecting the added expense.

“Sorry, I just arrived at work and the restaurant’s busy,” Tommy said. “I’d better go.”

She hadn’t realized he was driving while talking to her. “No problem. I don’t want to hold you up. Thanks for calling me back.”

“You bet. Good luck with everything,” he said and then he was gone.

With a sigh, she put her phone back on the nightstand and started to go down to finish her breakfast and clean the kitchen. But the more she thought about her conversation with Tommy, the more it troubled her.

He never did answer her about moving out so suddenly and leaving Ethan without a renter. Had he been evading her question?

She told herself no. She could easily imagine him arriving at work and being distracted.

But there was something else.

She came to an abrupt halt before entering the kitchen, where she could still hear everyone else finishing up breakfast, then pivoted and went back up to her phone. Tommy worked as a waiter for an upscale seafood restaurant in Malibu that served an elegant brunch on Sundays. She’d been there; Ethan had taken her several months ago. They’d asked for Tommy so they could sit in his section. But they’d been told Tommy never worked on Sundays—something Ethan, who was oblivious to almost anyone but himself, hadn’t been aware of even after living with Tommy.

Today was Sunday. And yet Tommy had said he was at work. Had his schedule changed?

She assumed it had, but she looked up The Lobster House, anyway, found the website and called the number listed. “Has Tommy come in yet?” she asked the woman who answered.

“Tommy doesn’t work on Sundays,” she was told.

“He must be subbing for someone,” she said. “Can you check the restaurant, please?”

“I’m positive he’s not here. Everyone has shown up for their shift. But...one sec.”

Butterflies rioted in Emery’s stomach as she listened to the classical music coming through the phone. Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long. “Nope. Tommy’s not here,” the girl said when she came back on the line.

“Thank you.” Emery hit the End button and stared at the phone in her hand for several seconds afterward, Tommy’s words circling around and around in her mind: I just arrived at work and the restaurant’s busy.

Why did he lie to her?

15

Susan was waiting for her when Emery walked into Sugar Mama—but not in the way Emery had expected. She’d assumed her employer would be looking forward to having her arrive so that she could leave the store and grab some lunch or, possibly, take another nap. But Emery could tell Susan had been waiting for other reasons.

“There you are,” she said, even though Emery wasn’t so much as a minute late.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“No. I just... I heard about what happened at the Blue Suede Shoe last night, and—”

“Word is spreading that fast?” Emery had expected gossip, but it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours!

“A friend of mine was at the bar when the fight broke out.”

Of course. That was how it worked in a small town. It wasn’t that everyone knew everyone else; it was that everyone