Page 46 of For Better or for Ransom

“As I said,” Sol began and didn’t try to hide her dislike of the director this time. “I’m here just as one more member of the detective team trying to figure out what happened to Leonardo Pascual.”

Isabel scoffed, lips tightening. “Good luck with your search then.”

26

Luke

It can’t be Isabel, right?” Divya asked them over tapas at Varmuteo. “I mean, it’s just too easy and evident.”

“One thing is clear, if it was her, Leonardo—” Luke stopped himself before formulating that sentence in the harsh way he was going to. Sol was also there. “Leonardo may not be okay.”

Sol dropped her fork, her eyes bulging. “You mean he’s dead?”

Both Luke and Divya shifted on their chairs. “It would appear so,” Luke said. “But, as Divya just said, the chances for Isabel to be the culprit are slim. It’s just too obvious. The woman is completely reckless.”

“Are you sure?” Sol asked, her eyes pleading reassurance, moving her gaze between the two detectives.

“Pretty much,” Divya said. Luke thanked her from across the table. His detective colleague was also being sensitive around Sol. She was a civilian helping them, after all.

Luke’s phone started ringing then and he took the phone out of his pocket. He was convinced that it would be some executive or other at Meshflixx threatening to fire them if they didn’t come up with the location of their missing actor already.

It was worse than that.

“Fucking Miquel is ringing me,” he muttered, running a hand over his face. “I’ll say you said hi, but let me take this outside.” He didn’t want Sol to witness his brand of hostility toward Ex Number One. She may think it wasn’t granted even if Luke thought that it absolutely was—no matter the occasion.

Once on the street, Luke answered the phone with, he hoped, his most masculine growl. “Miquel.”

“Hey Luke, how’s it going, buddy?” Miquel’s cheeriness irritated him to no end. Also, buddy? Really?

“Working,” Luke muttered.

“Of course, have you found anything about Leonardo’s whereabouts yet?”

That had sounded extremely bright even for someone as perpetually sunny as Miquel was. Luke was reminded of Sol’s warning words about Miquel a couple of days before.

“Why do you ask?”

“Have you ever been told you’re super dry and imposing?”

There was that annoying cheerfulness again. Who was that peppy when the other person on the line was being the impossible grump Luke knew he was being?

“Repeatedly.” He had to admit, he was enjoying that phone non-conversation infinitely. “Why did you call?”

“I’m working on a story.” Miquel’s tone finally switched from saccharine to just eternally optimistic. “And I was wondering if I could get a comment from you…”

Nope.

“About?”

“Have you interviewed stage director Isabel Teixidor recently in relation to her involvement in Leonardo Pascual’s disappearance?”

How the bloody hell does Ex Number One know that?

“No comment.”

Divya and Luke couldn’t exactly afford a public relations specialist. Fortunately, Luke’s partner was a journalist and had given them the crash media-training course on how to deal with her peers in high-profile cases. Did Luke want to say a few more things to Miquel than just No comment? Absolutely. Something like: None of your bloody business, you fucking twat. I never liked you or your attitude. But he was sticking to the script Sol had given him. Because he listened to her.

“Oh, come on, buddy!” Ex Number One complained. If he called Luke buddy one more time, he was going to flip. “We’re friends. Don’t give me the no-comment nonsense. I helped you the other day, now’s your turn to return the favor.”