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“I apologize. Forget we ever had this conversation.” I’ll figure something else out. I stand to leave.
“I don’t think it’s wise for either of us to forget about this conversation. Ask Valentina to send you the photos. Make up an excuse.”
I don’t want to lie to her. You just asked Tamar to hack her—well, not exactly hack. I’m a mess. “I’ll text her.”
“Do it now,” she urges.
“You’re worried?”
“Not yet. But if the man in Valentina’s photo is the man from Francesca’s, it means he was in close proximity to your friend. That’s a big problem. Rafael and Valentina need to know.”
“Can you hold off telling Rafael?” Because if he goes after Marco, again—
“I can hold off for a short while. Very short.”
I have no idea what very short means, but there’s no time to waste.
Lexie: Can you send me the photos from Rhone so Rafa can see the beach?
Valentina: I’ll do it when my meeting ends.
Lexie: Thanks.
“She’ll send them after her meeting,” I tell Tamar. Hopefully I’m mistaken.
Tamar nods and turns her screen to me. “Look familiar?”
I recognize the image as the man the media claims was Francesca Russo’s boyfriend. Otherwise, it doesn’t ring a single bell for me. Nothing.
“He’s not the man in Valentina’s photo, and I don’t think he’s the man in Francesca’s either.”
“Forward the photo to me as soon as Valentina sends it.”
53
LEXIE
An hour later, my phone buzzes. Valentina. I close out the file I’m working on and scroll through the pictures she sent. They seem to be all here—except for the one of Marco and the mystery man.
Lexie: What about the picture you took of Marco in the hot pose?
Valentina: You want to check out my man? ;)
Lexie: Got my own hot man. And I’d love to show him those waves.
It’s true about lies. Once you start, you can’t stop. I hate this.
Valentina: He’ll have to use his imagination. When I told Marco you thought his client looked familiar, he freaked out and made me delete it.
My chest feels like a boulder was dropped on it.
Lexie: Why did he freak?
Valentina: Client confidentiality or something.
Lexie: Thanks for the pics. Talk to you later.
Even before I press Send, I’m on the way to Tamar’s office, my heart pounding. Calm down, Lexie. Client confidentiality is a real thing.
