Lie to Me (Pearl Island Trilogy #4)(58)

Chloe blinked in surprise. Her expression in the sketch held a wistful quality that made her look heartbreakingly sad, yet brave. “You made me more beautiful than I am.”

“I draw what I see.” While Luc had said the same thing, with his grandmother, the words seemed to hold some hidden meaning. As if this woman could see the longing inside her.

“How much do I owe you?”

Luc’s grandmother named a figure that seemed far too small for such talent. Chloe reached into her purse and pulled out several bills, more than the woman had asked for.

“You gave me too much. Here.” The woman pulled a twenty from the stack and tried to hand it back.

“No. Your talent deserves it.”

The woman eyed her for a moment, then held out her hand. “For that, you deserve a palm reading.”

When Chloe relented, the woman took hold of her hand and peered at her palm.

“You are at a crossroads,” she said, then traced a fingertip along the lines in Chloe’s skin, sending a shiver through her. “You stand with much sorrow behind you and two paths before you. One path holds great happiness, the other more sorrow.”

“Which will I choose?” Chloe asked breathlessly.

The woman looked hard, then shook her head. “My vision is too murky to tell.” She curled Chloe’s fingers into her palm and looked up at her. “I do see this, though. You are loved far more than you realize, but you won’t enjoy it until you learn to believe it.”

“Thank you,” Chloe managed past the sudden lump in her throat.

Luc’s grandmother rolled the drawing and slid it into a tube. Taking it, Chloe walked away, more torn than ever.

Refusing to help Luc because he’d used her—if he had—was one thing. Refusing to help his grandmother? Grief assailed her at the thought. But if she helped Luc get the necklace, Diane would never forgive her.

An urge to see Luc and explain filled her, but the idea of facing him made her want to groan. The only thing worse would be never speaking to him again.

Suck it up, Chloe, she ordered herself. Get the number for Vortal, and call him.

Except calling wouldn’t be enough. She needed to see him while they talked, to read his expression. Which meant, she had to go to Vortal in person. Before she lost her nerve. Luc had told her he’d bought a warehouse on the outskirts of the French Quarter for his business. Since “outskirts” covered a lot of territory, she pulled out her phone and searched for the address. Finding it, she felt her stomach sink. That was not an area for a woman to wander through alone.

Maybe she should call instead.

No. Don’t be a chicken. Just do it.

Getting a firm grip on her courage, she hailed a cab.

~ ~ ~

Moments later, the cab pulled to a stop at the address she’d given. Her eyes widened at the derelict, three-story building that looked like a rusty metal box covered in graffiti. The alley beside it would make a great place to get mugged.

“This the right place, miss?” the driver asked, apparently sharing her concern.

“I think so.” She checked her phone, confirming the street number. The driver told her how much she owed, and she added a tip. “I don’t think I’ll be long. Will you wait for me?”

When he agreed, she climbed out and went to the metal door covered in layers of spray paint. Someone had written, “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” The paint on several of the letters had dripped down the door like black blood. Since there wasn’t a doorbell, she knocked and waited. Glancing up and down the street, she grew more worried. Should she try the knob to see if it was locked? Maybe this was just a warehouse, not the office where Luc worked. She knocked again, louder this time.

Just when she was about to give up, the door creaked open and a tall guy, about her age, poked his head out. He had a bony face and short blond hair that stuck up at odd angles.

“You rang?” he asked in an ominous tone.

“I—I’m looking for the office for Vortal.”

“Office? Office?” He sounded offended. “Does this look like an office, hmm?”

“Uhhh...” Her heart pounded with uncertainty since the space behind him looked pitch black. “Not exactly.”

“We don’t need no stinking office.” He spoke in a strange voice, as if quoting a line from a movie.

“I’m sorry. I must have gotten the address wrong. Do you know where I can find Vortal? It’s a gaming software company.”

“Found it, you did, hmmm.” This time at least she recognized the voice as Yoda from The Empire Strikes Back.

“Oh, good.” She tried to smile, but it felt stiff. “I’m looking for Luc Renard.”

“Come in. Come in.” When he opened the door further, she saw he wore a strange vest and he held a massive, gun-type weapon in one hand. She froze, startled by the gun, until she saw it looked like a toy.

“Follow me,” he said, speaking in a normal voice at last. He started down a dark corridor. “I might as well take you to our leader since I’m currently dead.”

She hesitated, then took a cautious step forward to peer inside. Faint, colored light came to her from the far end, along with chaotic noise, like an arcade. Luc had mentioned something about converting the place into a gamers’ nirvana.

“Well?” the man who’d answered the door called. “Are you coming?”