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“You look a lot different,” Tracy said. “But your eyes gave you away.”
“I figured,” Alex said.
The two women stared at each other for a moment.
“You called me. Now what?”
Alex retrieved her lipstick from her pocket, a sharp orange hue, and coated her lips before she smiled. “Now I make you an offer.”
CHAPTER 71
London, England Saturday, July 1, 2023 1:05 p.m.
TWO WEEKS AFTER THE FOR SALE SIGN WAS STAKED IN THE FRONT YARD of her childhood home, Alex arrived in London. Years earlier she had come as Alexandra Quinlan, on the run and in hiding. This time she came as Alex Armstrong, running from nothing and hiding from no one, determined to make the fresh start she had failed at the first time.
When she analyzed her life, she determined that there was nowhere else she could go. Remaining in DC and continuing her work at Lancaster & Jordan felt neither feasible nor appropriate. She had, over the years, developed a unique set of investigative skills, and she knew London was the best place to put them to use. Donna and Garrett understood but made her promise to keep in touch. Alex had agreed, but the unwritten contract was not necessary. Garrett and Donna Lancaster had been woven into the fabric of her life, and Alex could no more exist without them as she could without air.
Her London flat was of a modest size and price. Alex had no reason to purchase something larger, even though she could afford to do so. She wanted to make as small a splash as possible when she landed in her new town and started her new job. When the doorbell rang on Saturday afternoon, Alex smiled. She had trouble controlling her excitement and couldn’t quite explain why she was so happy to finally see the man who rang her bell. Perhaps it was because he had made the new chapter in her life possible. And despite that she’d spent less than a week with him, for some reason he’d taken up a meaningful place in her heart over the years. Not romantically. He was twice her age. And not as a father figure—Garrett Lancaster would always hold that spot in her life. But the man who rang her doorbell occupied some special place in her life Alex could not define.
She walked to the door and opened it.
“Leo the Brit,” Alex said with a smile.
“Alex the gunslinger,” Leo said in his thick British accent, holding up his hands as if under arrest. “You’re not gonna fill me with holes, are ya?”
Alex smiled. “You’re never going to let me live that down are you?”
“Unlikely, mate.”
“Come on in.”
The last time Alex had seen Leo was when she’d kissed him lightly on the cheek years ago after he’d saved her from Laverne Parker and Drew Estes. It was then that Alex had learned that Garrett Lancaster had hired Leo to look after her. Despite the years that had passed since they’d last seen each other, Alex considered Leo a friend. Eight years of texting and FaceTiming had allowed them to form a close bond. Leo was an enigmatic but endearing presence in her life.
Back when Leo was hired to look after Alex, he was starting his private investigative practice in London. For all intents and purposes, Alex had been his first case and Garrett Lancaster his first client. Leo had spent a year and a half following Alex around Europe and keeping tabs on her. When the gravy train ran out and Alex hopped on a plane back to the States, Leo was forced to look for other paying clients. He’d found them, and now ran a successful PI firm. When Alex texted him to let him know her investigative skills were for sale, Leo jumped at the opportunity. Things were getting busy and he needed some help. To date, he hadn’t been able to find a competent partner. Alex promised she was the answer.
“So you probably want to know how much I’m gonna pay you and what I’m gonna ask you to do.”
“No,” Alex said. “We can discuss all that later. I’m sure you’ll pay me fairly, and I’m more than confident that I’ll exceed your expectations with anything you ask me to investigate.”
Leo squinted his eyes. “If you didn’t ask me over to talk about the job, then what am I doing here on a Saturday?”
“I was going to butter you up with a beer first, but let’s leave the beer for when we’re done.”
“Done with what?”
“Come on,” Alex said, heading toward the door. “I need a hand with something.”
A delivery truck was parked on the street outside her flat. A man sat on the back fender with the sliding door open.
“Are you going to be able to handle this?” the truck driver asked Alex as he gave her a clipboard.
“I am now.”
Alex signed for the delivery and handed the clipboard back to the driver. Leo the Brit looked into the back of the truck, where a tall item was bubble wrapped and waiting.
“I need you to help me carry this upstairs,” Alex said.
“What is it?” Leo asked. “And how much does it weigh?”
