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Daphne frowned.
Chris continued, “Remember the friend I took on as a partner? He knew tenancy law, and when things went south, he used it to full advantage. Once Robbie’s in your house, he’s not going anywhere. I can tell you what to demand in a rental agreement, but I have a feeling he won’t sign it with those clauses.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I have heard that his current landlord has been trying to evict him.”
“Right. You’d eventually get him out, but it’s going to be a fight, and I don’t think you need to go that far.” He tapped her phone. “He may know tenant rights, but he doesn’t understand blackmail. He literally wrote out his demand and sent it from his own address. Let’s see what Nia has to say about that.”
He expected that would get a smile. A sudden beam of sunshine in the gloom. Instead, Daphne stayed quiet, and then said, “Does it matter?”
“Hmm?”
She looked up at him. “That’s the thing about blackmail, isn’t it? If an ex threatens to post your nudes online, you can have them charged with blackmail… while they put those pictures up anyway. If I threaten Robbie, he can just pass on my name to his niece. Hell, in making a blackmail charge, I need to admit what I did, and then it’ll seem as if I only came forward because I was under threat of exposure.” She pulled her knees in, one arm going around them. “I lost my chance. I could have gotten ahead of this, and I screwed up, and now it’s going to come out and my career is over.”
“No,” he said firmly. “This isn’t the end. It’s a bump in the road. That’s all. Our timeline still works. We just need to slow Robbie’s roll. Make him think he’s going to get what he wants. Show you’re panicked. That’s all he needs right now.”
“To think I’m planning to agree.”
“Yep. You’re freaked out, partly because you aren’t sure you can give him what he wants. There’s Tika to consider, and with the lack of housing in Whitehorse, you don’t know where you’ll stay, and you can’t leave the area because it’s an off-grid house that needs some monitoring.” He feigned taking a deep breath. “It’s all so much, and you’re going to make it work but…”
“I need more time,” she said slowly, as if seeing that light through the gloom. “Act like I’m in a total panic, just got his message and oh my God, what am I going to do? Beg him to bear with me while I figure out the logistics. Buy myself time to get past the tour and tell the truth.”
“Yep.”
She glanced over. “Do I admit he’s uncovered the truth? I don’t want to—No, wait. I can say he’s misunderstanding the situation, blah blah, but if his niece goes public, even with the wrong story, it’ll ruin my career.”
“Perfect. Don’t admit anything in writing.”
“Should I call instead? I’d really rather not. I can pull this off better in writing.”
“Email him. Just don’t admit to anything. Don’t deny it, either. Stick to the ‘misunderstanding’ line, which is technically true, since he’s misunderstanding why I’m playing Zane.”
“So he can’t pull that out later and accuse me of lying.”
“Which he won’t anyway, because once you come clean, Nia can inform him that he’s threatened you with extortion, and if he goes public, he’ll be charged. Which lets you come out of your own volition.”
“What about his niece? She’s a book blogger. After I come out, she can still claim I only did it because her uncle knew who I was.”
“Again, if she tries that, it sets Robbie up for that extortion charge. Nia will warn him, and he’ll keep her quiet. He’s not exactly uncle of the year. He’ll have no problem shutting her down.”
Daphne took a deep breath. “Okay. This could work.”
“It will work.”
A slow nod. “It’s what Robbie will expect. Panic but capitulation. I’m not considering refusing his demand. I’m just all a-flutter over the details. Give me forty-eight hours and I’ll have a contract for him. No—don’t mention a contract. I’m too flustered to think of that, which is to his advantage. Give me forty-eight hours, and I’ll have a move-in date for him. Does that work?”
“Brilliantly. See? We really do make a good team.”
He smiled at her, but instead of smiling back, her eyes filled with tears.
“I’m so sorry, Chris.”
“About what?”
“Dragging you into this. I’ve made such a mess of it, and this isn’t what you signed up for. I wish I’d never sent that query.”
“I don’t,” he said softly.
She looked at him.
