Racing the Light (Elvis Cole #19; Joe Pike #8)(41)
“She likes trying new looks. She wasn’t seeing a client.”
“Would she see a client without telling you?”
“I really don’t want to talk about this.”
“She would or she wouldn’t, Kimberly. Would she risk seeing a stranger without telling you?”
Kimberly glanced into the cupcake shop and twisted her fingers.
“She tells me everything.”
“Did she mention seeing Josh?”
Kimberly looked confused.
“The podcast Josh?”
“Maybe something about real estate.”
She shook her head before I finished asking.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Rachel and I talk all the time. We tell each other everything.”
“Funny. The past few weeks, she spoke with Josh all the time, too. She didn’t mention it?”
Kimberly stared for a moment and stopped pulling her fingers.
“About what?”
“I was hoping you’d know. Do you?”
“She didn’t mention Josh.”
“She started calling him about three weeks ago. He’s been seen at her apartment. Were they involved?”
A smile kissed the edge of her lips.
“Hardly. She definitely would have told me that.”
She studied me for a moment, and cocked her head.
“Besides, he isn’t her type.”
“Because he’s heavy?”
“Because he isn’t me.”
I nodded.
She said, “Gotcha, didn’t I?”
I nodded again, but I wasn’t thinking about her and Rachel. I was working through the time line.
“If Rachel didn’t want to tell you she was seeing Josh, maybe she didn’t want to tell you she was seeing a client. Maybe she told Meredith Birch.”
Kimberly shook her head a single sharp time.
“She didn’t tell Meredith. That part of their relationship ended.”
“Meredith told me she’s still Rachel’s safety.”
Kimberly’s eyes turned cool.
“She can think what she wants. Rachel doesn’t trust her. Meredith is more concerned with her clients than her escorts.”
“So who sets up Rachel’s dates now, you?”
“Are you nuts? I hate this escort thing. I’ve been after her to quit for years.”
“Then who sets up her dates?”
Kimberly pursed her lips.
“Rachel doesn’t escort much anymore. When she does, she usually dates one of her regulars. They’re safe. It’s less stressful.”
“How safe?”
“Safe. She’s dated some of these men for years. They’re regular customers.”
“How recent was her last escort date?”
The uneasy eyes returned.
“She would’ve told me if she went on that kind of date.”
“I believe you. When was her last date you know of?”
She thought for a moment, figuring it out.
“A month ago. Maybe more. It was a long time.”
“This was a date with a regular?”
“I’m not going to tell you who she saw. She’d kill me.”
“Her date might be the reason she’s gone.”
Kimberly Laird stepped back and shook her head.
“You don’t understand how it works. She called me that night after. She was fine. We got together the next day. Everything was fine.”
“Who’d she see?”
She stepped back again.
“None of your business. She’s dated this guy dozens of times. It’s been almost a month.”
I stepped closer.
“Then where is she, Kimberly? Can you tell me, right now, Rachel is safe?”
Kimberly took another step back and bumped against the cupcake shop. She pulled and twisted her fingers so hard I thought she would pull them off.
“These are substantial people she sees. Important people. They wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
“Is this what Meredith says? When she cares more about her clients than the escorts?”
Kimberly’s breathing was fast and shallow. I took her nervous hands in mine.
“Help me find her, Kimberly. If I’m wrong, this man will never know I was nosing around. Rachel won’t know, either.”
I thought she might break her own fingers, but she suddenly took a single deep breath and told me.
“Grady Locke.”
The name meant nothing.
“Who is he?”
“He’s in city government. For a councilman. He’s very important.”
“Locke was her most recent date?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember her other recent dates?”
“I remember them all.”
Kimberly Laird gave me two names. I recognized one, but not the other. The name I recognized belonged to a Superior Court judge. I noted the names and Kimberly’s number in my phone.
“Please don’t tell. Rachel will kill me if you tell. She’ll never speak to me again.”
“I’m not going to tell. I’m going to find her.”
I left Kimberly Laird twisting her fingers outside the cupcake shop and drove to my office.