Promise Not To Tell(47)

In the end they did not have to wait very long. A short time later Josh Preston emerged from the front door of the bar, got into his car and drove slowly through the busy South Lake Union neighborhood.

Cabot followed at a discreet distance

“Looks like he lives on the Eastside,” Virginia said.

“No, the address Anson dug up for him is on Mercer Island. Looks like Preston may be going to visit someone who lives on the Eastside.”

CHAPTER 30

Tucker Fleming stared at the screen of his phone. According to the tracking program, Virginia Troy was on the move again.

There were a lot of logical reasons why she might be in a vehicle that was currently on the 520 bridge, heading for one of the communities on the east side of Lake Washington. Maybe she was going to visit the home of a client.

Tucker watched the blip on the screen. Troy was off the bridge now and veering left toward Kirkland.

An unpleasant tingle of uncertainty iced the back of Tucker’s neck. After Sandra Porter’s death he had told himself that the situation was under control again. The cops were focused on a theory that involved drugs and an ex-boyfriend who didn’t exist.

But Cabot Sutter was proving to be unpredictable. That made him dangerous.

Tucker reached for another can of his favorite energy drink. He popped the top and took a long swallow. Back at the start he had been the master player in the game. But things kept going wrong. Hannah Brewster had escaped him by jumping off a cliff. Virginia Troy had hired a PI with links to the past. Then Sandra Porter had turned into a stalker and tried to blackmail him.

He had to regain control of the game, and he had to do it fast.

CHAPTER 31

Preston drove through the boutique village of Kirkland and stopped in front of a low-rise condominium complex on the shores of Lake Washington. He parked at the curb, got out and walked to the security gate. He pressed the buzzer. A few seconds later the gate opened. He went through it and walked along a path.

The door of number 8 opened before he could knock.

Cabot got a glimpse of an attractive redhead, and then Preston was inside the woman’s condo and the door was closing.

“Looks like Preston has a girlfriend,” Virginia said.

Cabot drove slowly past the condominium complex and turned a corner.

“Maybe,” he said.

He pulled over to the curb and got on his phone. Anson answered immediately.

“What’s up?” he demanded.

“We’re in Kirkland. I’ve got an address for you. I need a name to go with it.”

He gave Anson the address of the lakeside condominium. Anson came back a short time later.

“The owner’s name is Laurel Jenner. I did a quick search on the social media sites that the professionals use and she came up right away. She’s the head of marketing at Night Watch.”

“Thanks,” Cabot said. “Looks like Preston and Ms. Jenner have a personal relationship.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time a boss had an affair with one of his employees,” Anson said.

“True,” Cabot said.

“They’re both single,” Anson pointed out. “No law against it. By the way, I was just about to call you. You need to come back to the office as soon as you can.”

“Something wrong?”

“No. Just someone here you should meet. Soon.”

Anson ended the connection before Cabot could say anything else.

CHAPTER 32

Traffic was light for a change. Cabot made good time getting back to the office. He opened the door of Cutler, Sutter & Salinas and came to a full stop. Virginia, however, kept going, slipping past him into the reception area.

Cabot ignored her. He did not take his eyes off the young male sprawled in one of the two client chairs. The teen was transfixed by whatever he was looking at on his phone. He worked the device in a slick, smooth, single-handed manner that made Cabot feel old.

The kid had dark hair cut in the latest trendy style. He was lean and gangly in the way of a boy making the transition to early manhood. He wore running shoes, ripped denim and a gray hoodie. Cabot figured him to be about seventeen.

The stranger lowered his phone and raised his head, revealing a sharply angled profile. He looked eerily familiar. Cabot had the sensation that he was seeing a ghost in a mirror – a ghost of himself when he had been the kid’s age.

He closed the door and looked at Anson for clarification.

“Meet Xavier Kennington,” Anson said calmly. “Xavier is your uncle’s son.”

“Uh-huh,” Cabot said.

“That makes Xavier your cousin,” Anson said meaningfully.

“Uh-huh.”

Anson moved on. “Xavier, this is Ms. Virginia Troy.”

Virginia smiled. “A pleasure to meet you, Xavier.”

Xavier shuffled to his feet, ducked his head and mumbled an acknowledgment of the introduction. But his eyes were locked on Cabot.

“Hi,” Xavier said to him.

Cabot closed the office door with great precision.

“Do your parents know you’re here?” he asked.

“Yeah. I texted Mom a few minutes ago.”

Cabot glanced at Anson.

“I think you and Xavier should talk,” Anson said.

“Anson is right,” Virginia added gently.

Cabot turned back to Xavier. “My office.”