Inspector Rames

Chapter 59

"And you kept contact with your old friends through motherhood."

"I did, but we weren't as close as we are now until Ethan and Iberia got back together. Then it was like old times."

"You've known them all for a long time," I said again. "Are you really, really sure you can't think of anything that would help us?"

She went to shake her head, then stilled. Chewing her lip, she leaned forward. "There is something about Levi. We talked a lot about our school days at university, and about our personal lives. Whenever I brought Thomas up, I could tell that he was pining for someone. He got wistful and uncomfortable."

"Was it Jade Beaumont?" I asked.

Her eyebrows rose. "Yes. How did you know?"

"Jade told us that she used to have a crush on him at secondary school, but she was put off when he apparently groped Iberia."

"That was a lie. Levi told me about it. Iberia made the story up because she knew he liked Jade, and she didn't want them to be together."

"You took his word for it?"

"I'm a paralegal. I looked at the evidence."

"What evidence?"

"Everything I know about Iberia." Danielle spread her hands, lowering her head again. "She was...difficult sometimes. She spoke about us all behind our backs, and she once told the whole college that Ruby was having a fling with her English teacher. She and Ethan were always the cutest couple at school, and to be honest, she couldn't let anyone else be happy."

"Right. I suppose Levi was angry with her for getting in his way?"

Danielle bit her lip. "Yes. He still loves Jade."

***

Alex tracked Levi's location on his tabphone as we left the building. Or tried to.

Levi Ford could not be found. Tracking transmission is blocked.

Blocking your tracking transmission was no simple job. It was also illegal.

"Fuck! That doesn't look good." I glanced up at the dark sky. "And we were in there for longer than I thought. The day's over."

"We have to find Levi," Alex said.

I hesitated. All we'd gained from our visit was two-thirds of a motive for Levi and no solid evidence. Ordinarily, I'd throw the towel in and try to find him in the morning, but the blockage of his tracking transmission was making my instincts prickle. He didn't want to be found.

What was he up to?

"I'll never be ready for my hen party if we go after him," I said. "I'll have to --"

"Your hen party? Seriously, Amber?"

Fury leapt up in me, and I stopped in my tracks. "I was going to say that I'll have to cancel and send the girls out on their own. You should know better than to think I'd swan off to party when I'm needed!"

Alex turned back to face me, his gaze unreadable. I glared at him.

"You're right," he said quietly. "Sorry. I don't know where my head is. I can track Levi down on my own."

Unease stirred in my stomach. "Now you think I should go to the hen party?"

"I'm being an idiot -- you can't let this job ruin our wedding. I'll put in a call for the PRBs to start trying to get past this block, and I'll walk you home while they work."