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He bent to kiss her hair, then scooped her up in his arms. “If Charlie doesn’t get some sleep, she’ll be good for nothing in the morning, so if you have any more questions, they’ll have to wait.”
Ah, the downside of using alcohol as an interview aid. But I didn’t argue. Charlotte was struggling to keep her eyes open, and as with Chelle, I couldn’t risk outstaying my welcome, not if I wanted her to cooperate in the future.
“I appreciate your time. And if I’m around these parts again, I’ll be back for dinner because that steak was delicious.”
“Don’t forget to tell your friends about us.”
“You got a flyer?” Collier asked. “I’ll put it on the noticeboard at work.”
As I climbed into the car, the adrenaline wave I’d been riding began to wear off, and I realised I was as tired as Charlotte. It had been a productive evening, but the case was only just beginning. A sugar daddy? Was it possible that Kaylin was being protected by a rich boyfriend?
And if she was, how would Nico feel about it?
8
HALLIE
“She was a nice girl. Two inches too short and a cup size too big for the runway, but she had a good smile. Great teeth. I always found her work, but it was usually at the lower end of the pay scale. Not every model can make millions.”
Martina D’Angelo was a former model herself, according to the bio on the Lux website, and even in her fifties, she was painfully thin. Her corner office had views into two other buildings, and across the street, a nervous guy in a suit was giving a presentation to a dozen bored executives on the sixth floor. Martina had decorated her wall space with portfolio shots, a couple of her and more of her models. I recognised one or two of them. Her words were directed to Collier, as was her flirting.
On this occasion, I deferred to him. This was what teamwork was all about. Figuring out the best strategy to meet your goals and supporting each other in its implementation.
“She was working steadily until her disappearance?” he asked.
“Nothing’s ever ‘steady’ in this business, Mr. Dafoe.”
“Call me Collier.”
Martina twirled a lock of auburn hair around a finger. She wore it in a chin-length bob, sleek and straight.
“Collier. The fashion industry is full of highs and lows, and we’re either rushed off our feet or waiting for the phone to ring. We have fashion weeks and seasonal collections to work around, and there’s a constant search for fresh faces.”
“If Kaylin wasn’t a runway model, what sort of work did she do?”
We already had a reasonable idea from the information we’d found online, but it was good to get witnesses talking with easy questions.
“Ad campaigns, some catalogue shoots, occasional in-person work.” Martina tapped a few keys on her iMac. The glass desk was piled high with papers, and I had to sit up straight to see over them. A mug of coffee balanced precariously on one stack. She hadn’t offered us drinks, but she had agreed to squeeze us in between appointments, so I couldn’t complain. “She was the face of Samba Jewelry—that’s a local brand—and she got a lot of foot work. Kaylin had good toes.” More scrolling. “There were web ads, plenty of those, and she handed out samples at the Supercar Expo two years running. Some swimwear work… One of the swimwear companies wanted to book her for another campaign, but she turned it down.”
“Why was that?”
“She didn’t give a reason, just said she didn’t want to do swimwear anymore. She modelled for Samba after that, only one shoot, but then she was booked for a canine couture campaign in Central Park a week later, and she didn’t show up.” Martina shook her head and tutted. “At first, I was worried she’d had some kind of accident because she’d always acted professional, but then she didn’t return any of my calls. And two weeks later, the police showed up and said she’d murdered an officer in Virginia. You know, Collier, I have plenty of work for a man with your looks. The silver fox aesthetic is so hot right now. How do you feel about a test shoot?”
Oh, she didn’t… Was she seriously trying to poach my partner in the middle of a missing persons investigation? Talk about brazen.
“Well, ma’am, I’m flattered, but I already have a job.”
“It’s never too late for a career change.”
“I like what I do.” Collier’s muscular thigh tensed as he shifted in his seat. Those jeans were probably meant to be a relaxed fit, but there wasn’t much room in them. “Apart from refusing a swimwear shoot, did Kaylin do anything else that seemed out of character?”
“Not that I heard about. For the most part, I don’t spend much one-on-one time with the models, although I’ve been known to make exceptions. Let me give you a card.” Before Martina handed her contact details over, printed on thick cream cardstock, she wrote a second number on the back with a sleek silver pen. “Here you go, sugar.”
Sheesh. It was as if I weren’t even there.
“Thank you for your time, ma’am. We appreciate it.”
“Call me if you change your mind. Or just…call me.”
