The Safe Bet (Hidden Truths #1)(53)

She assumed it was her, or maybe it was the fact that there were three former Marines in the room.

Jake directed his attention to Nathan and reached for the man’s hand. He introduced himself, Connor, Michael, and then Kate. “Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice.” Jake sat down and waited for Nathan to sit, as well, but Nathan remained standing near the door.

“What can I do for you?” Nathan’s accent was thick, and Kate guessed he was originally from Alabama or Mississippi. He folded his arms and leaned against the interior of the doorway.

Kate studied him. He was tall, well-built, and had a sort of Russian meets cowboy look to him. “I’m Kate Adams. I believe you knew my mother?” She was surprised by the sound of her voice. She hadn’t planned on breathing a word during the meeting, but she found that her curiosity overwhelmed her common sense.

Nathan blew out a breath, a low whistle noise escaping his lips as he did so. “Um. Was your mother Elizabeth?”

“Yes,” Kate softly replied.

“Yes. Yes, I knew her.” His shoulders sank a little. “What—what is this about?”

“What can you tell me about your relationship with Elizabeth?” Jake swooped in to speak before Kate could.

“Listen, I’ll answer any questions you have—but you need to tell me what this is all about.” The lawyer in Nathan broke to the surface.

“Someone has been stalking Kate, and this person may be connected to Elizabeth’s murder,” Jake replied with blunt honesty.

Nathan’s face paled a little, and then he approached the table and sat down. “Why are you coming to me?”

“Kate saw you a few times since she arrived in Charlotte—and, well, you’re connected to her mother,” Jake said.

Michael came up next to Kate and sat down. It was comforting having her own personal superhero.

Nathan clasped his hands on the table and looked straight into Kate’s eyes. “Kate, I’m recently divorced. I don’t normally frequent nightclubs, but I was out one night, and I saw you dancing. And my heart stopped. I thought I saw a ghost. I thought I was looking at your mother. You’re identical. I freaked out and took off.” He paused for a moment while rubbing his hands together. It was clear he wasn’t a poker player. “I saw you again in Uptown and then at the Maddox event. I had no idea you planned the ball. When I saw you there and heard your name . . . I realized you were Elizabeth’s daughter.”

Kate had to remind herself to breathe. She felt like she was swimming under water and wouldn’t make it to the surface in time.

“I was your father’s roommate in college. I hung out with your mother a lot because of that. But I had nothing to do with her death, and I am most certainly not stalking you.”

“My father never mentioned you.” But he’d never mentioned that her mother was murdered, either.

“We were best friends, but after what happened to your mom, he shut me out. I’ve bumped into him a few times in New York, but he had no interest in reconnecting. I guess I reminded him of his past, of your mother.”

“Is there anything else you might be able to tell us that would help out?” Jake asked as he rose to his feet.

“Not that I can think of.” Nathan stood and reached into his wallet for a business card.

“Do you know Erick Jensen?” Jake asked while taking the card from Nathan.

Nathan’s lips pressed together, and his gaze shifted down. “I know all the big-name lawyers in town, but he also went to school with me. I didn’t know him that well while we were in school, though.”

“And now?” Jake pried.

“I’m a real estate lawyer. He’s a defense attorney. Our paths rarely cross. I did see him at the ball, though.” He folded his arms in front of him and directed his attention to Kate. “You really are your mother’s daughter,” he said with an affirming nod of the head.

She rose to her feet, and her knees almost buckled.

“We’ll be in touch,” Jake said.

Nathan held Kate’s gaze until she looked away and exited the room. Something in her gut didn’t feel right.

“I don’t believe him,” Michael said as soon as he slid behind the wheel.

Kate agreed, but she didn’t say anything. She found herself in a daze as they drove back to Michael’s place, only half-listening to the conversation. She wanted to be privy to the details of Jake’s plan, but her mind reeled from meeting the man who may have killed her mother.

“Connor and I will follow up on Erick Jensen’s story,” Jake said as Michael pulled up in front of his building.

Jake’s words shook Kate free of her stupor. She reached for the door handle to exit, but Michael had already come around and beat her to it. The gentle touch of his hand on her arm as he helped her out of the car made her spirit liven a fraction. “Thanks.”

“I’ll bring Kate upstairs,” Michael said as he tossed his car keys to Connor. “See you guys later.”

Kate and Michael rode the elevator in silence to his home. She watched as he turned on the security cameras and alarms. He investigated every inch of his loft before allowing Kate to wander freely, just to be on the safe side.

“You’re being a bit overprotective,” she announced when he returned to the front entrance, where she had been waiting.