You Owe Me a Murder(35)

Don’t worry, everything’s okay, I texted.

Hands slapped over my eyes. “Guess who?”

I choked off a scream and rocketed up from my position, almost dropping my phone. Had she seen what Alex had written?

Nicki laughed, throwing her head back. “You should see your face.”

“You came,” I said.

“Of course I did—?you invited me.” She held up her phone, wiggling it back and forth inches from my nose.

“You sent me that note.” I’d planned for my voice to come out stern, but it wobbled. “I need to know what you want.”

She nodded. “Let’s go get something to drink and sit down where it’s not so hot. I can’t sit in the sun. I burn too easily. There’s a cute place just a block or so away.” She headed off without waiting to see if I followed.

Nicki wound her way through the crowds on the sidewalk. Most people in the square were wearing shorts and T-shirts with sneakers—?perfect for sightseeing. Nicki had on a loose black boho dress, gladiator sandals, and giant sunglasses. She was like a different creature from the rest of us. I hated myself for admiring her.

She turned down a street and ducked into a pub. I caught the sign above the door: MR. FOGG’S GIN PARLOUR.

When I stepped inside, it took a second for my eyes to adjust to the dim light. The wait staff were dressed up like they were on a break from a steampunk cosplay event. Every inch of the walls was covered in Victorian-style flags and knickknacks. I felt off balance, as if I’d wandered into a Disney film. I half expected to see an animated character behind the bar mixing drinks—?maybe a toad with a cravat and a pocket watch. Nicki had already swooped in and nabbed a table from a couple who had gotten up. She waved me over.

“Two gin and tonics,” Nicki said to the waiter, who glided up just as I dropped into the seat.

He touched the brim of his top hat. “Any preference on gin?” Nicki glanced at me, but realizing I didn’t have a clue, she answered. “We’ll take Monkey Forty-seven.” She turned back to me. “It’s my favorite.”

“Nice choice.” The waiter gave us a crooked smile, making his waxed handlebar mustache tilt. “We’ve got steak and kidney pie on special.”

I wrinkled up my nose at the idea of eating kidneys. “No thanks,” I said. He tipped his top hat at us and then moved off.

Nicki pushed the tiny glass bowl of nuts toward me. “Want one?”

I shook my head. “Why are we here?” I asked.

She glanced around as if half-surprised to find us wedged into the corner table. “I like this place. Besides, it’s loud—?no one’s going to pay us a bit of attention and we can chat.” She leaned in. “Plus, no extra eyes.” Her glance darted up to the ceiling. “So many of the corporate pubs have security cameras now. It’s almost impossible to walk around this city without being recorded. They keep making it harder and harder to be sneaky.”

“Were you sneaking around with Connor?”

Her right eyebrow arched. “Beg your pardon?”

“Did you and Connor go out? Back in Vancouver? I know he was seeing a British girl.” I crossed my fingers under the table and hoped she wouldn’t realize that I was bluffing. I needed to come across as stern, get her to admit what she’d done so we could figure out what to do next.

Nicki gave a dismissive sniff. “He may have dated someone, but I can assure you, it wasn’t me.”

I searched her face, trying to tell if she was lying. “Your name isn’t Nicki.”

Her face broke into a huge smile as if I’d just told her she could have a pony for her birthday. “Clever girl! Well done, you. How’d you figure that out?”

“There was no one on the plane with that name.” I realized I was sitting at the very edge of the wooden seat and slid back. I needed to give the appearance that I was under control. “I checked.”

Nicki nodded at the waiter, who placed our drinks down and disappeared. She took a sip, pulling out the sprig of rosemary that had been placed inside and sucking on the end. “Lovely. Gin is all about the botanicals, you know. Change them up and there’s a completely different flavor. This brand has won all sorts of awards.”

“I don’t give a shit about the gin,” I snapped, blowing my effort to look relaxed.

She raised one eyebrow as if I’d disappointed her, as though I were a puppy who’d peed on her floor. “I’m simply trying to introduce you to something new. That’s what you said you wanted. Tackle fears, experience new things. Isn’t that the point of travel, after all? Meeting people, expanding your horizons.” She waved her hands to encompass the bar, then leaned forward. “Now, tell me, however did you get the plane manifest? What are privacy laws for if they’re passing that kind of information around?”

“I know someone at the airline.” I didn’t mention Alex’s name. I didn’t want Nicki to know who he was.

She nodded slowly. “My father always used to say: ‘Never underestimate the value of a good network.’ Being able to call on the right people makes all the difference.”

“So, what’s your real name?”

“Does it matter?”

I took a sip of the drink to have something to do with my hands. The mix of spice, pine, and bitter washed over my palate. The cocktail tasted strong, like what it might be like to suck on a car air freshener. “It matters to me.”