So if youre the one who hired my dad after your parents accident, youd have your own file on that investigation. He wouldnt have kept anything of interest in his that he hadnt shared with you. She ignored his stoic gaze, cocked her head, mind still racing furiously. And why now? I mean, what would suddenly make you start looking for information thats more than twenty years old?
There was a definite un-Bond-like muscle twitching in his cheek. I just happen to have some spare time on my hands and thought Id check into a few things Id been wondering about.
Tori shook her head, slouched more comfortably in her chair. Now youre not even trying. If youre going to lie, make it believable.
His eyes narrowed. Again she was given an impression of danger lurking just beneath his polished exterior. Are you sitting in my office calling me a liar? The lethal tone suggested that she backpedal, fast.
It was a suggestion she chose to ignore. A not-very-good liar, she corrected. Id think it was lack of practice, but given your experience in the corporate world, you must have plenty of that. So I figure its just me. You dont know me, so you dont respect me enough to expend the energy necessary for a really good story. She waved a hand, indicating she wasnt going to take offense. He appeared less than impressed with her forbearance. Ive given this some thought and I figure something had to have happened to torch your curiosity about those events.
You have an overactive imagination.
She refused to take offense. Uh-uh, just an ability to connect the dots. The FBI never did catch whoever kidnapped your sister when she was a toddler, but she was found safe and sound before your family paid a ransom. So its doubtful that youre interested in that particular investigation. That leaves the one you hired my Dad for. Since youve waited this long, something must have happened recently to convince you there was more to the story.
His face was impassive. Are you finished?
Almost. Something about his still air had a chill skittering down her spine. Shed trailed unsavory characters through the back alleys of New Orleans and never experienced this level of unease. Shaking off the reaction, she went on with more confidence than she felt, You may not have gotten what you came for when you stopped by my office, but I can get it for you. When he started to speak, she held up a hand to stop him. I understand youve got a brother who has made a name for himself as a detective for the NOPD. Hes probably capable of acquiring certain types of information, as well, but it occurred to me that had you wanted to involve him, he would have been the one to show up at Landry Investigations, instead of you.
She reached into her briefcase again, surprised to see her hands trembling, just a bit. Handing him a file folder, she said, You came to me looking for answers of some kind, Mr. Tremaine. Whether you know it or not, you need me if you hope to find them.
Chapter 2
Chewing on the inside of her cheek was a nervous habit shed outgrown when she was twelve, so Tori willed herself to stop doing it now. But that flinty-eyed stare Tremaine arrowed at her after glancing at the pictures in the file folder would have mowed down the firmest intentions. Where did you get these?
From a scumbag photojournalist whos a great admirer of his own work. Kiki Corday wouldnt blink at the description, as long as hed made a buck on the deal. He also never threw away a shot hed taken as long as there was the remotest possibility he could still cash in this time. Hed certainly cashed in on it. He assured me they wouldnt have been part of the police file.
They werent. Tremaine snapped the folder shut and thrust it toward her again. She felt twinges of sympathy and regret. Sympathy, because looking at old photos of the automobile wreckage that had killed his parents couldnt be pleasant. And regret that shed been the one to make him do so. They also dont prove a thing.
I disagree. They prove that I have sources you dont. She lifted her shoulders, then let them fall. They prove you need me, or someone like me, if you want information. Check out the other contents in the folder. With a visible show of reluctance, he did so. It took conscious effort for her to push aside a sneaky blade of guilt. James Tremaine was on a quest that was bound to stir up more than a few old wounds. She shouldnt, wouldnt feel responsible for his pain. She looked away from him, concentrating on the century-old oaks outside while he flipped through the reports and pictures in the file.
When he spoke, there was a strange note to his tone. You have a copy of the sheriffs accident report in here. Howd you get your hands on that?
Her brows skimmed upward. Its what I do, ace. Thats why my license says Investigator. I investigate stuff.
Ive always made it a point to avoid working with smart-asses, he said mildly, continuing to flip through the file. Bad for the blood pressure, and who needs the aggravation.
It took a great deal of effort on Toris part to avoid a delighted grin. Not over the smart-ass comment, although truth be told it wouldnt be the first time the description had been applied to her. But his comment could be interpreted, in a roundabout, insulting sort of way, that he might be considering working with her, couldnt it?
Adopting a more conciliatory attitude, she said, If you hire me youll have every bit of information that I come across. But I wont always be able to divulge my sources. That brought his gaze snapping up to hers, and she didnt flinch from it. The sheriffs report was easy enough. All motor vehicle accident investigations are a matter of public record. But Im thinking that the answers youre looking for wont be found by going through old records, will they?
He stared hard at her, long enough to have her decide that those deep-blue eyes of his could be strangely hypnotic. Not that Tori was prone to instant mesmerization from a mere look, she thought uncomfortably, but she was a trained observer. She couldnt help but notice things like that.
Nodding toward the file he still held, she said, My purpose in coming here was to show you what I can do. I put those contents together in a day and a half. But if youre looking for information other than what was included in my dads original report to you, Im going to have to tap completely different sources. And some of them have to remain confidential. Its a condition for their talking to me at all.
Tremaine flipped the file closed, tapped the edge against his open palm. No offense, but I know countless individuals I can hire to look into this for me. Why would I need you?
Shed been ready for this question, and her answer came smoothly. I already know why you need a private investigator, which means one less person you have to share the information with. The fewer people who know, the easier it will be to keep quiet. And it was my father you wanted to talk to. I learned the business from him. I know who a lot of his contacts arewere, she corrected herself, ignoring the pang that accompanied the reminder. With him gone, I work alone, except for some services that I contract out. You could go with a bigger company, one with more manpower, but that just means more people are going to know about your private affairs.
The last was a gamble. By the flicker in his eyes, she could assume it had paid off. James Tremaine was, by nature, a very private man. And his quest was an intensely personal one.