I didn’t flinch. Just smiled politely as if the shiner was nothing of consequence. “All in a day’s work, Mr. Volos.”
His lips twitched like he knew I was doing it on purpose to keep distance. He didn’t say anything else. Just watched me, perhaps thinking if he stared long enough he could see through my skin and into the shadowy parts where all my secrets were hidden.
“If you can spare the time,” Gardner cut in, “Agent Morales and I would like to speak to you about our case.”
Volos’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I thought we were talking, Special Agent.”
Gardner, God love her, simply stared Volos down. He flicked a glance at the redhead. She stepped forward. “I’m afraid Mr. Volos has a tight schedule this afternoon.”
Gardner tilted her head and smiled tightly. “Perhaps he’ll be able to squeeze us in once we secure a search warrant.”
The assistant, or whatever she was, leaned in and whispered something to Volos. His jaw hardened but he let out a resigned sigh. “As it happens, I have a few minutes now.”
The one-eighty happened so fast I had to blink.
“Excellent—” Gardner began.
“On one condition,” he cut in.
“You can name it,” Gardner shot back.
“I’d like Detective Prospero present.”
Almost automatically I corrected him. “Officer Prospero.” And then the rest of his request sank in. “Wait, what?”
Gardner ignored my shocked reaction. “That wouldn’t be appropriate, all things considered.”
“She has insight into my background and personality that could only benefit you, correct?”
Gardner hesitated and shot Eldritch a look. The captain, clearly enjoying himself, merely smiled back serenely instead of supporting her. “That explains why we’d want her in there,” she continued, “but not why you do, Mr. Volos.”
Everyone’s eyes ping-ponged as the pair played verbal chess. For the rest of them it was merely a spectator sport, but I felt like a rope tugged between two bulldogs. Part of me wanted to attend the meeting, but now that John had specifically requested my presence I was wary as hell.
“My motivations are my own business, Special Agent.” He said it too casually to be casual. “Suffice it to say, as requests go it’s a minor thing, is it not? Considering none of us here believes that I am not a suspect in this case you’re investigating and I am well within my rights to refuse an interview until such time as you are ready to charge me with an actual crime.”
Gardner’s jaw clenched. “Your office then?”
Volos’s clipped nod was the only response.
“Mr. Volos—” Eldritch stammered.
“You’re here to solve a murder, Captain. I suggest you get back to work.” With that Volos turned his back on the veteran cop and walked away. Eldritch looked at a loss for a moment and then shot me a look that promised retribution, like he held me personally responsible for the rebuff.
Gardner marched off with Volos, as if she expected him to renege if she didn’t stay next to him every step to his office.
“Well?” Morales said. I spun to look at him, but I felt totally disconnected from myself. As if I’d just watched some other woman get shanghaied into a situation she wanted no part of. I opened my mouth but no words came out.
“When this is all done, we’re going to go grab a beer so you can explain to me why our Big Bad Wolf just looked at you like you were Little Red Riding Hood.”
I grimaced. “Make it a couple of shots of tequila and you’ve got yourself a deal.”
He didn’t crack a smile. “You’re turning out to be a real pain in the ass, Cupcake.”
Chapter Fifteen
As it turned out, Volos, Gardner, and the redhead hadn’t bothered to wait for us. We grabbed the next elevator and popped out on the top floor of the tower. The outer offices of Volos Real Estate Development were designed with lots of bamboo and black-lacquered wood with touches of bloodred. A large wooden panel behind the front desk depicted a scene of two samurai warriors hacking away at each other with swords. The Asian-inspired motif wasn’t surprising since John had always had a fondness for the Eastern alchemical traditions.
The redhead stood in the center of the room to greet us. Her hair was again pulled back into a professional chignon. That day she wore a black skirt and an expensive-looking pink silk blouse, which managed to look both feminine and dominatrix-y at the same time. Especially when paired with the skyscraper black stilettos.
“I’m sorry I didn’t have the opportunity to introduce myself earlier.” She came forward with her perfectly manicured hand extended. “I’m Jade Turner.”
Morales shook her hand first. “Special Agent Drew Morales,” he said with enough baritone to make my eyes want to roll. “And this is my colleague, Officer Kate Prospero.”
She flicked her cat eyes toward me with a fake smile. “A pleasure.”
I tipped my chin in greeting. “You’re Mr. Volos’s secretary?”
Her smile froze. “Attorney.”
Morales cleared his throat to remind me to shut up.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, not really meaning it.
“If you’ll follow me, Mr. Volos and Special Agent Gardner are waiting,” she said in a permafrost tone. She sashayed away. My eyes went immediately to her legs, which were a mile long and featured those back seams that made pulp novel detectives wax poetic. I sneered inwardly and glanced at Morales. His eyes were on her legs, too, but his expression wasn’t judgmental so much as downright predatory.
I shot him a disgusted look.
He just waggled his brows and smirked. Then he nudged me to follow the Frost Queen into the office.
Volos was ensconced behind a large bamboo desk. Behind him a massive window offered a panoramic view of the river and the skyline of downtown Babylon in the distance. I couldn’t help but feel I’d just walked into the nest of a bird of prey.
“We don’t have much time.” He waved us into the chairs across the desk from him. “I have a meeting in thirty minutes.”
Gardner and Morales took the chairs since they were leading the interview. I settled for leaning against a black-lacquered credenza set on the wall behind them. Volos noticed the seating arrangements with a clenched jaw. What the hell was he playing at?
After she sat, Gardner looked at the attorney. “May I have some water?”
Jade froze. Clearly being thought of as Volos’s assistant was a sore spot.