Indecent Danger (Danger Incorporated #3)(32)

“He’s lucky he had you to talk sense into him. He might have gotten in trouble with her husband or boyfriend. You and Bruce were good friends, right?”

“We’ve had our moments but for the most part we’re friends. He owed me some money but he paid me back so that makes him a pretty damn good friend in my book. He also set me up with some business connections for my new cigar bar in Chelsea. It wouldn’t be happening if it weren’t for him. He’ll be missed. No one should go out that way, man.”

Travis schooled his features so his reaction wouldn’t show. According to Jason, Bruce hadn’t paid Tom back. But who would know better than Tom himself? Would he lie? Certainly he might not want to be seen as having a motive, although it sounded like he lacked opportunity to begin with.

Shit.

“Let me know when it opens and I’ll fly in to take a look.”

Tom seemed to perk up at the subject. “It’s going to be first class all the way, Travis. Mahogany bars. Top shelf booze. Hand rolled cigars. I have a connection in Ybor City over in Tampa for them. They’ll be as close to Cuban as I can get without getting my ass in the slammer.”

“It sounds like a winning idea. I’m sure you’ll be very successful.”

The conversation lagged as Tom did a few more shots and Travis nursed his whiskey. Finally Tom slapped the shot glass on the table.

“That cop can question us all he wants, but I know who killed Bruce. I know who did it.”

It was stated with such certainty. Travis tensed as he waited for Tom to keep talking, not wanting to interrupt this spontaneous declaration. Tom leaned closer as if not wanting the bartender to overhear.

“Bruce was using information from the companies he researched to play the market. That’s how he had the money to pay me back. Martin found out about it. I heard them arguing before the party. They both disappeared about the same time too.”

How the f*ck did Tom know about the insider trading?

“But you said Martin took a call,” Travis reminded him. Just because Tom had suspicions didn’t mean anything. The man was falling down drunk.

“That’s what he said he was doing. But I never heard his phone go off and when he got up from the table he had it in his hand. I got a good look at it. His phone was off. Completely dark. No way did he get a call. I told that detective guy about it and the argument.”

Son of a bitch.

Travis quickly finished his whiskey and threw down some cash on the bar. “I have to go, Tom. Do you need help getting back to your room?”

The man chuckled and raised his glass in a mock salute. “Naw, I’m going to stay here and keep drinking. Come back by later. I’ll be here.”


Exiting the bar area, Travis headed straight for the elevator.

It was time to have a private chat with Martin.





Chapter Seventeen




?


Feeling happier than she had in a long time – possibly her entire life – Aubrey quickly finished applying her makeup and packed it all away in her cosmetic bag. At home she would have left it all strewn across the vanity, but she was trying to keep her mess to a minimum since she and Travis were sharing a bathroom. All of his things were stowed in a small black case on the marble counter. Her toiletries, on the other hand, wouldn’t even begin to fit there. She’d never thought of herself as all that high maintenance but compared to Travis she was traveling like a pack mule.

Surveying herself in the mirror, she noticed a sparkle in her eyes and a flush in her cheeks that hadn’t been there before. They didn’t owe their existence to any cosmetic company.

It was the face of a satisfied and happy woman.

Last night had been more amazing than she’d ever believed possible. Better than anything she’d read in a book, Travis had shown her the pleasure her body was capable of. She couldn’t wait until tonight to do it all over again.

He was currently downstairs in the bar trying to get Tom Lovell to tell them anything that might help find out who had murdered Bruce. Honestly Aubrey was beginning to become discouraged about ever finding the real killer. It was beginning to look like she might be stuck here for weeks or even months while they investigated. She hadn’t liked the way Prather had looked at her as if she ran around sticking knives in people she didn’t like.

She heard the lock mechanism in the suite door and her heart clenched in her chest at the thought of seeing Travis again. It was silly and juvenile as he’d only been gone about an hour, but she couldn’t contain her joy at being near him.

Her heart sank slightly when Shane walked through the door. “Did I scare you? Travis gave me a key since my room doesn’t have much in the way of amenities. I had to take what they had left when I got here.”

“You didn’t scare me.” She beckoned to him and he closed the door behind him before sliding behind the bar to fix himself a soda. “I just thought you were Travis. He must still be downstairs.”

“Probably. Do you want one too?” Shane pointed to the can of soda on the bar and she nodded yes. “Actually I was here to talk to him about Iris Perry. I have a little more information about her.”

Aubrey accepted an icy glass from Shane and then sat on the couch, her legs tucked underneath her. She’d chosen another simple sundress for today and the air conditioning was cool on her bare legs. “Anything interesting? Talking to her yesterday was strange. She seemed completely out of reality.”