to…care to guess?”
“Tell me.”
“Pemberton Fine Arts.”
“He worked for Beth’s old boss? You’re kidding?”
“I’m not.”
Fuck. Alaric put his head in his hands and groaned. “That old bastard Pemberton’s in this deeper than we ever imagined. If we’d just shaken him down in the first place…”
“It didn’t make sense at the time. And by following Hegler, we ended up solving a murder as well as getting Red After Dark back and finding Marshall. Plus Marshall only lasted a year at the Pemberton gallery. He worked for another dealer in New York afterwards—Jago Rockingham—and if I had to guess, I’d say that’s where he crossed the line. Rockingham was a major player twenty-five years ago, until…”
“He got shot in the head at his home one night,” Alaric finished. He’d heard stories about Rockingham from his former boss on the FBI’s Art Crime Team. Rockingham’s client list had included bankers, musicians, politicians, actors, heiresses, oligarchs, and the odd Mafia boss. He’d been larger than life, attending every party and opening the Big Apple had to offer, always with a different girl on his arm. The police classed the murder as a burglary gone wrong, but there were rumours he’d double-crossed one of his clients.
Had Marshall taken over the shadier side of his business?
“Wonder if Marshall had a hand in the shooting?” Emmy mused. “Or was it merely a convenient accident?”
“I guess that’s a question we’ll have to ask him. But I need to take a week or two first. Beth and Rune, they’ve been through hell, and I can’t just up and leave them right now.”
“I don’t suppose he’s going anywhere. You and Beth are really serious, huh?”
“I’m going to marry her.”
Emmy’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? Wow. I’m really happy for you, both of you, but that’s…sudden.”
“It’s right.”
“Have you set a date?”
“Ten weeks, three days, and two hours. At least, that’s when I’m gonna put the engagement ring on her finger.”
“That’s very precise.”
“She said to ask her in three months. I have a countdown alarm set on my phone.” Alaric took a sip of coffee. Fuck, that was strong. “You and Black seem to be getting along again. Is everything okay now?”
“He still has a few issues to work through, but he’s trying.”
Alaric had a feeling he was one of the issues. Black had been noticeably nicer to him since the fight, but he wasn’t going to put Emmy in an awkward position by mentioning it.
“I’m glad. We both deserve happiness, Cinders.”
“Sometimes, it feels like the universe is out to get us.”
Yes, it did, but sometimes, the sun shone down.
“You versus the universe? I feel sorry for the universe.”
Emmy drained her second cup of coffee and pushed her chair back. “Go be with your girls. Me and Black can start planning Operation Killian Marshall tomorrow.”
F.A.S.T.
I just wanted to take a moment to remind you of the symptoms of a stroke. By remembering these and acting quickly, you might save someone’s life:
F - Face drooping or numb. Is the person’s smile uneven or lopsided?
A - Arm weakness or numbness. If the person tries to raise both arms, does one arm drift downwards?
S - Speech slurred or hard to understand. Can the person repeat a simple sentence?
T - Time to call the emergency services if a person shows any of these symptoms.
You can find more information at www.stroke.org
WHAT'S COMING NEXT?
My next book will be Spirit, a Blackwood Security Christmas novella that slots in after The Scarlet Affair…
All assassin Emmy Black wants for Christmas is three days off work and plenty of junk food, but instead, she’s left dashing around the country when her assistant comes up with yet another harebrained scheme.
Five girlfriends, four Christmas wishes, three crazy days, two exes, one jet…
Will it be happy holidays or hell on earth?
For more details: www.elise-noble.com/spirit
And Alaric, Bethany, Sky, and Emmy will be back in When the Shadows Fall, the fourteenth novel in the Blackwood Security series…
From shot girl to assassin…
When eighteen-year-old Sky Malone left England to work for Emmy Black, she realised her new job wouldn’t be easy. After all, being Superwoman’s sidekick wasn’t a career you could half-ass.
In Virginia, she finds every day is a battle. Against exhaustion, against her tall, dark, and grouchy mentor Rafael, and against the ghosts of her past. And as if that isn’t tough enough, after just two months, she’s flung into the middle of an undercover operation that leaves her fighting not only for her place on the team but for her life as well.
For more details: www.elise-noble.com/shadows
If you enjoyed Red