“No shit?” I asked.
“Pillow talk, baby,” he answered softly.
Blood roared in my ears as I sat back in the seat, faced forward and sucked up malt so fast, I had to close my eyes against the ice cream headache. Then I pulled the straw from my mouth and clipped, “That stupid bitch.”
“She’s in with Nair,” he told me and I turned my head to look at him. “I’m here because I got her phone wired. She just called him and she’s heading over.”
“That stupid bitch,” I repeated.
“Far as I could tell, Lively is a loyal soldier. But Nair was getting info from somewhere. It’s her.”
“Money?” I asked.
“Don’t know. When I wasn’t concentrating on you, Banks, Nick and Nair, I honed in on Lively. Had my eye on him, which means I’ve had occasion to have my eye on him when he’s with her. The little I saw of Knight’s men with their women, they don’t chose nagging, greedy bitches. Gut told me he had a weak spot, seein’ as he’d have that in his bed. I paid more attention, wasn’t wrong. His weak spot is her and his inability to get shot of her even though she’s a serious pain in his ass. Heard them have a fight in a restaurant a coupla nights ago. She doesn’t like his hours. She likes that he’s well paid but she’s not real fond of him workin’ for his money. Could be, she’s gettin’ money from Nair for info. Could be, she’s workin’ with him to close Sebring down so Lively will have more time to devote to her. Could be both.”
“She’s greedy, she’s a bitch and she’s a nag, Creed, but she’s not stupid. Yeah, it’s known she pitches a fit when Live has to work when she doesn’t want him to but she’s not so dumb to think they’ll live large if he doesn’t have a f**king job. She’s in it for the money.”
He nodded, his eyes went over my shoulder and he jerked up his chin.
I turned my head to see a red Mazda roll into Drake Nair’s driveway, a brunette I knew at the wheel.
Amy, the stupid bitch.
I heard the noises a camera made when pictures were being taken and looked back at Creed. He had an expensive digital to his eye. I turned back to Nair’s house to see Amy get out of the Mazda and approach the front door. The camera noises kept going as she did and continued up until she disappeared inside. Then they stopped.
“You good to be my eyes while I get close?” he asked.
“Fuck yeah,” I answered.
“Let’s move,” he muttered and threw open his door.
I stored my shit, threw open mine and jumped out.
“I approach from the north,” he said to me as we crossed the street. “His study is that side. I’ll start there and move on if he doesn’t meet her there. Catch up.”
“I’ll go south, perimeter check, see if anyone’s around. Been here about fifteen minutes before you and didn’t see any activity. I’ll meet you north.”
“Right,” he muttered and started jogging toward Nair’s neighbor to the north’s yard.
I did the same to the south, did a wide sweep, jumped a fence, crossed Nair’s backyard and rounded the side, seeing Creed crouched low under a window but his head was at the edge, camera to his face.
I whistled low when I got close, his head turned to me then he shook it.
I crouched low beside him, my back to the house, eyes on a continual scan.
“In the study?” I asked.
“Yep,” he answered.
“And you were shaking your head because?” I prompted.
I heard camera sounds and the hint of disgust in his voice. “You don’t wanna know.”
I always wanted to know.
I twisted, shot up and looked into the window.
He was right. I didn’t want to know.