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He takes a sip. “Ahh. But it’s so delicious. I don’t splurge on them often.” He takes longer sip. “Are you ready to tell me about last night?”
“Yes. But this discussion doesn’t leave this park bench.” Carter listens with a pinched expression as I tell him about Julia’s house getting ransacked. “We need to find a way to protect her. How much does Marlowe know about The Six?”
“About as much as anyone. Which isn’t much.”
“Do you think he can help us?” I ask in a tone of desperation.
“I’m not sure. I spoke with him for a long time last night. He’s hit a roadblock on your case. While Marlowe is certain your father-in-law’s business dealings are far more nefarious than we imagined, he’s been unable to get evidence to use against him.”
“I don’t understand. Marlowe is the best.”
“Apparently, Beaumont has a private security army protecting him.”
My pulse quickens. “That’s impossible. I was married to Tracy for ten years. I never saw any bodyguards.”
“Because Beaumont prides himself on being a law-abiding, upstanding citizen. He’s the president of Beaumont Brick Company, a multigenerational family business. Surrounding himself with bodyguards would pose too many questions.”
“I guess you’re right.” Getting to my feet, I walk in small circles to loosen my muscles. “Tracy often talked about how strict her parents were. Maybe they feared for her safety. Which makes me wonder why they want custody of my children.”
“To a man like Beaumont, children and grandchildren are possessions. Trophies for them to display to all their wealthy friends. They also make excellent cover-ups for his underhanded dealings.”
“That’s a good point,” I say. “And explains a lot about Tracy’s relationship with her parents.”
“We don’t have the resources to take down a cartel. Our best bet would be to get Rourke to back off. Then we could get Julia and the kid safely out of town and help them start a new life somewhere else.”
“I don’t want Julia to start a new life somewhere else. I want her to continue the life she started here.”
Carter’s eyes narrow. “Speaking of the devil. There’s Rourke.”
I turn to see a black sedan parking nearby in the waterfront’s community lot. Rourke is getting out of the car and heading our way when my cell rings with a call from Julia’s prepaid phone. I accept the call. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she says in a lowered voice. “But you won’t believe what I just found out.”
“Whatever it is will have to wait. I’m at the waterfront with one of my investigators. Rourke has just arrived, and he’s headed our way. I’ll call you back in a minute.” I end the call and stuff the phone in my pocket.
Rourke marches up to me. “Where’s Julia?”
I yearn to strangle him with my bare hands, but I force myself to remain calm. I don’t need any more trouble. “How would I know? You’re the one who’s been following her. Did you lose her?”
“This is serious, you jackass. I’m surprised you’re not more concerned about your missing girlfriend.”
I get up close to Rourke’s face. “You don’t care about Julia’s well-being. You’re worried about her because she’s your witness. Without her you have no case against me.”
The skin stretches taut across Rourke’s face, and I worry he might burst some blood vessels. “I know you were at her cottage last night. What time did you last see her?”
“Hmm.” I stare up at the gray sky. “Around seven thirty, I guess. When I left, she was cleaning up the mess you made. Or was it the cartel who ransacked her house? Maybe the cartel came back and kidnapped her.”
Rourke stares down his nose at me. “How do I know you’re not hiding her somewhere?”
“You don’t. But I’m not.” Tormenting him is so much more fulfilling than fighting him. “I enjoy Julia’s company. But I’m not in love with her. Despite the lies you and Striker have been spreading, I didn’t meet Julia until after Labor Day.”
“Maybe you murdered her, like you murdered your wife, to prevent her from testifying against you.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “She was never going to testify against me. She’s too principled to lie under oath.” I jab a finger at his chest. “If anything happens to her, Rourke, it’s all your fault. You put an innocent woman in harm’s way.”
Rourke’s left eye twitches. I’m getting under his skin. “You haven’t heard the last from me, Darby,” he says and storms off.
Carter waits until he’s out of earshot to burst out laughing. “You get a gold medal for that performance, Will. Poor man doesn’t know what to think.”
