Red After Dark (Blackwood Security #13) - Elise Noble Page 0,77
each other for a long time.”
The TV on the wall caught Beth’s attention. Not surprising—Alaric had been watching the news for the last half hour, and apart from the rumours of Carnes’s ill health, it had been remarkably entertaining.
“Is that…?”
“David Biggs? Yes.” The Republican candidate.
“Who’s that chasing him?”
“His wife.”
From what the reporters had pieced together, it appeared the pair had gone out for dinner on Saturday night, to some Italian place in Frankfort. The restaurant had been promoting a special offer—write a review and get ten percent off the bill. Mrs. Biggs liked to save pennies, it seemed, because she’d hopped online to earn her discount, only to read the review above hers first. Glowing, five stars, and the reviewer had even included a photo of her and her friends enjoying their meal. And in the background of that photo was David Biggs, and the woman he was enjoying a cosy meal with was… Well, that was still under discussion, but she definitely wasn’t Mrs. Biggs. The argument had been something to behold. Cell phone footage from several angles showed Mrs. Biggs throwing dessert at her husband, then whacking him over the head with her purse.
And it didn’t end there. When the cops arrived, a drunk Biggs had waved a gun at them before cussing out half a dozen officers and getting arrested.
Not bad for a man who’d run on a platform of family values and respect for law enforcement. The irony was strong with that one. All they needed was a genuine O’Shaughnessy scandal before polling day and they’d have the full trifecta.
“My gosh,” Beth said.
“We’ve played our part now. Forget the election. It’s time to focus on the future.”
“Is there any word on Irvine? Did you speak to Harriet?”
“I spoke to Stéphane. Irvine’s on life support, and Harriet’s going to spend as much time as she can with him while they run some final tests. I volunteered your services to help out for a few days. Is that okay with you?”
“Of course. You don’t mind?”
“We’ve agreed it’s sensible for me to return the painting in the near future, and I can do that alone.”
“You won’t get arrested, will you?”
“Definitely not.” Beth still looked worried, so Alaric reached for her hand. “Trust me?”
“I trust you.”
Alaric couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Despite everything they’d achieved—taking out Devane, bringing down Ridley, solving Piper’s murder, and finding Red After Dark—Beth’s words and the concern behind them were the highlight of his month.
CHAPTER 31 - SKY
“OH. YOU’RE BACK.” The words just slipped out.
Emmy sat up on the weight bench and wiped the sweat off her face. “You sound disappointed. Worried you might have to do some work now?”
“I’ve been doing work.”
“With Rafael, apparently. What exactly happened to Alex?”
Rafael hadn’t given her the low-down? I thought he’d have recounted my failings in excruciating detail. Or had he, and Emmy just wanted to see if my story matched up?
“Uh, Alex was kind of…sitting on me, and Rafael thought I didn’t look too comfortable, so he hauled Alex off and threw him against the wall.”
“So it was Rafael who broke Alex’s ribs? I thought it was you. Now I’m disappointed.”
Chances of me damaging Alex myself? Zero. The guy was built like a tank.
“It was an accident,” I mumbled. A King Kong versus Godzilla accident. Please, don’t ask any more questions. “How was your trip? Did you get the paintings back?”
“We sort of got one of the paintings back.”
“Sort of?”
“We know where it is, but Alaric promised we wouldn’t return it until the person died.”
“Is it with that senator?”
“Yup.”
“I saw the news this morning. They said he’s dead.”
“Not quite, but he hasn’t got long left.”
“So I guess the painting can go back soon?”
“It can.”
“What about the other one?”
“The investigation stalled again. I expect we’ll let the dust settle for a day or two and then take another look.”
“What dust?”
“You said you were watching the news—did you see Kyla Devane died?”
“Some crazy employee kidnapped her and shot her.”
“Yeah, well, long story but he thought she was me. It’s been an interesting week. But it’s done now, so we can get back on track. How’s it been going with Rafael?”
“I can’t wait for Alex to come back.”
Emmy barked out a laugh. “That bad?”
“Alex is brutal. Rafael is more…sneaky.”
“In what way?”
“Last week, he made me go running. And after we’d slogged through the woods for about ten miles, he just vanished. Poof. Gone. I had to find my way back by myself. Hey, it’s not funny.”