Gilded Craving - Olivia Jaymes Page 0,77

get Isla to realize that this wasn't a social call. This was a serious murder investigation.

Her brows pinched together, she shook her head. "Brad was not addicted to gambling. Yes, he gambled but he wasn't addicted."

"The number of calls he made on a daily basis tells a different story."

She shook her head again. "It doesn't make any sense. He placed a few bets here and there but he wasn't addicted."

"You sound sure."

"I'm not completely, absolutely sure, but Brad didn't have an addictive personality," she argued, her arms crossed over her chest. "He was actually surprisingly mature once you got past all of that macho fraternity bro bullshit. He was a sensitive guy deep down, but he didn't want anyone to know. He thought it made him look weak."

"But he didn't mind showing you?"

Ryan wasn't sure Isla was being honest with him. He wouldn't have cared if Brad wasn't a hard-partying asshole.

"He knew that he could be himself with me and that I wouldn't judge him. He could just explore who he was and who he wanted to be and it would be okay."

"Sounds like you two had a hell of a three weeks together."

Isla smiled and softly laughed. "Brad and I had been sleeping together for about three years, Ryan. We didn't talk about it because it was nobody's fucking business but ours. So yes, you could say that I knew Brad well. I certainly knew him a hell of a lot better than Caroline ever did. She was in love with a fantasy. He was never going to marry her."

"Was he going to marry you?"

"I hope not. I wasn't in love with him, and I don't think he was in love with me either. We...accepted each other, for want of a better description. In fact, because we didn't love each other it made it easier for Brad to be himself."

In a weird, twisted way it made sense.

"And that included multiple partner sex?"

Giggling, she nodded. "My goodness, you have done your homework, Ryan. I'm impressed. It's true. Brad liked to explore his sexual boundaries and I was happy to help him. It's not against the law."

"And you're saying that you knew the real Brad?"

"I'm only saying that there was more to him than the facade that he let others see."

Ryan had never seen any glimmer of the person she was describing, but then he and Brad hadn't been close for a few years before his death. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility that Brad had finally grown up.

"Good, then you can tell me if he was worried or concerned about anything before his disappearance. Money? Friends? School?"

"He was never worried about money or school," she replied with a shake of her head. "The only thing he ever worried about was his family. He was very concerned about them. They were kind of dysfunctional."

His family?

"What about his family had him worried?"

"His parents' marriage was bad. I guess they would argue so loudly the whole house would hear. His mother would throw things at his dad, and then his dad would drive off and not come back for days. And then the whole thing with his little brother. Brad was worried that Seb was growing up too fast. He hated that Seb was around his parents when they were fighting."

Ryan hadn't known that at all but every family had their secrets. It sounded like the Harringtons might have a few ugly ones.

"One more question. Did you ever hear the name Aaron?"

"No, should I have heard it?"

"I don't know. Caroline said that Brad took a call from someone named Aaron a few days before he disappeared."

"I never heard Brad talk about anyone named Aaron. Sorry, I can't help you there." There was an impatient knock at the door. "Are we done here? I have another meeting."

"We're done. Thanks for talking to me."

"You didn't need to threaten me with the police. I would have talked to you today."

She looked slightly pissed off.

"Then next time return your messages when someone is calling you about a murder."

"That's the problem with you, Ryan. You've always been too dramatic, too serious."

I don't think that's my problem.

"I'll take that opinion under consideration."

Isla threw back her head and laughed. "Which means you're saying fuck you in your head. I know you, Ryan Beck, and you don't give a shit about my opinions."

"That's true, but you don't care about mine either. I guess we're even."

"I guess we are. It was still good to see you. Say hi to Mariah