The Frame-Up (The Golden Arrow #1)(71)

My mouth snaps shut. Again Lelani’s insight cuts through more than just my work persona. It goes straight to the core of what I’ve been struggling with on the case. The Golden Arrow. The White Rabbit. The dirty cop. Me. More shades of gray than I’m comfortable with. Good guys who are bad guys. Bad guys who aren’t all bad. It’s not my usual fodder. I’m a comic book purist. But Lelani has a point. The gray-area stuff makes a damn good story.

Her hand drops off my arm, and she walks forward into the lobby. With a little wave at someone near the front door, she turns to look at me again. Appraising. “Take my suggestions or leave them. I am simply suggesting giving your Hero Girls villains a more contemporary appeal. Let readers see a complicated villain that they can identify with. Let them explore the idea that every good guy makes mistakes. Does whatever it takes to get the job done. That every antagonist has his or her own story.”

With that, she walks off toward the front door. I watch her go, stymied by the insight. By the laser-point focus that woman has. She nailed every problem on the head and gave me a way to work through them. She is a freaking genius.

Lelani rises on tiptoe to kiss the person she’s meeting on the cheek before they head out. But I know that cheek. That brush of blondish hair under a backward hat. The person she’s meeting is Ryan. My Ryan. I watch as they make their way to the parking lot. Seeing “a girl from the gaming group” indeed.

I stare after them for a long moment before performing an about-face and pushing the elevator call button again.

So Ryan and Lelani are a thing. Interesting. Ryan and I obviously haven’t been talking enough lately, but I plan to jump on him about that tonight after work. Lawrence mentioned that Ryan had a date . . . but Lelani?

I shrug and step back on the elevator, no longer stuck for direction with my work. Lelani is worth her weight in gold as far as I’m concerned. She’s given me lots to think about, and more importantly, she’s given me the seeds of a story.



Date night. Or it would be if Matteo hadn’t drawn our professional line in the sand seven days ago in a parking lot lit by a burning arrow. I’ve spent this entire last week throwing myself at my work and L’s costume. I’ve caught up on all my Hero Girls sketches and have used every free moment to work on my design for Her Galaxy—anything to keep my mind from wandering to that kiss. Matteo made it clear he likes me. His lips certainly didn’t lie. But until this case is solved, we can’t be together, and if Rideout somehow convinces him I’m a suspect, I may lose Matteo for good.

At least Andy and I are back on speaking terms. The moment I realized that the Golden Arrow had planted the sketch into the test print of the comic book, I went straight to Andy. Screw the promotion or what going to Andy could do to my chances; this sketch couldn’t get out to the general public. The drug lords would come after Genius for sure. I told Andy I’d screwed up the test proof and inserted a sketch from another project by mistake. We corrected the file with Marvelous Printing and ran the prints the next day.

I feel awful keeping something like this from Matteo, but if someone on Matteo’s team is dirty—and my suspicion can’t help but land on Rideout—I don’t want them knowing the Golden Arrow has the journal and is trying to publish it. Best I can figure, the Golden Arrow set the fire with the express purpose of diverting attention so he could change a file on the printing press. Another connection. Another puzzle piece.

The news has also gone quiet; the Golden Arrow seems to have gone underground. The case is in a holding pattern while the arson team sorts out the fire and the burglary team sorts out Casey Senior’s office. Agent Sosa is also reviewing Huong Yee’s interview. On TV the justice system works so much faster than it does in real life.

I lean over the mirror, applying mascara for the second . . . third time? I’ve screwed it up at least twice now because my mind keeps going to Lawrence’s story and wondering why, if all the drug ringleaders were busted in the eighties, it is coming back around now. Had someone gotten out of jail wanting revenge and the Golden Arrow got wind of it?

There’s a knock, and I swallow hard, heat rising to my cheeks and the tips of my ears. When do I ever get nervous for a date? No, a nondate date. When it’s with the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen, who kissed me like he was heading into epic battle—that’s when. I smooth the black lace of my bodice and hurry from the downstairs bathroom. I kick aside the black-tulle, green-sequin mess that is the scraps from L’s Comic-Con bustier and nearly trip and fall into the door.

Matteo stands on the other side, ever dashing in his button-down shirt rolled at the cuffs. “I didn’t think flowers would be appropriate, but I come bearing coffee.” He holds out a paper cup to me, the scent of cinnamon in the air.

I take his offering and give him a small smile. The man knows me. I’d much rather have coffee than flowers. Much more appropriate and appreciated. A gift for all occasions.

“You look . . . really nice.” Matteo’s eyes burn as they travel down my length and back up. My heartbeat speeds up, faster than a speeding bullet. Despite my concern about how many secrets I’m juggling, Matteo is irresistible. I give in to the temptation to flirt. “What, this old thing? I’ve had it for years, and I just thought it needed to get out beside a suit for the evening.” I give a slow twirl, letting him appreciate the costume. The way the black-lace sheath dress hugs my generous curves. I spent hours updating my old Ms. Genius costume from a con, replacing the skimpy leather leotard base of the costume with a forties-era lace-bodice dress. I added my homage to Ms. Genius’s lightning bolt to the top of the dress in glimmering gold satin, and at my hips lies Ms. Genius’s signature scarlet wrap. Comic book chic.