“Well…” Vivi sipped her whiskey. “I think at this stage of our relationship, you need to make an exception.”
Spencer made a noncommittal sound implying agreement, then asked, “So what do you hear about a city detective named Mikeloff?”
“Nothing.” Vivi dropped her eyes. “I’ve never heard of him.”
“Why don’t I believe that?” Spencer forced himself to take Vivi’s hand. “A beautiful woman like you knows all the important people.”
“Well, he’s not really important.” Vivi’s tongue traced her lips.
“So you do know him,” Spencer said lightly.
“It depends.” Vivi petted Spencer’s arm with her free hand. “What’s it worth to you?”
“A hundred?”
“Make it two.”
“One fifty.”
“Okay.” Vivi licked her lips again. “But you definitely didn’t hear this from me.” She glanced nervously over her shoulder, leaned forward, and whispered. “Mikeloff is a mean, crazy bastard.”
“Is he on the take?” Spencer asked.
“Well…” Vivi fluttered her lashes. “Not that I’ve heard.”
“But?”
“But, he has been known to do people favors.” Vivi finished her drink. “Not for money, but he likes to have people in debt to him.”
“Why’s that?”
“Rumor has it he enjoys inflicting emotional torture…” She trailed off, then she blinked and added, “And he’s a real stickler for a tooth for a tooth, if you know what I mean.”
“Cross him and he wants revenge?” Spencer asked.
“Exactly.” Vivi slid a stack of gold bracelets up and down her wrist. “You don’t want to get on his bad side because he’ll set you up and you’ll end up in prison.”
“Do you know anyone that happened to, or is it just gossip?”
“I only deal in certified facts.” Vivi gave a high-pitched laugh and whapped Spencer on the bicep with the back of her hand.
“I see.” Spencer noticed that Vivi had avoided a direct answer, but he didn’t press her. Instead, he asked, “Is there anyone you know who would be willing to talk to me about Mikeloff?”
“Hey.” Vivi pursed her lips. “Do you doubt what I told you?”
“Of course not.” Spencer shook his head. “Just wondering if there was someone he framed that might be willing to tell me the details.”
“I’m sure that could be arranged.” Vivi’s tone was playful, but her expression was hard to read. “How about you come to my place tomorrow night, and I’ll see what I can do?”
“That’s not part of my flight plan.”
“Then think of me as unexpected turbulence.” Vivi stared at him. “Something you have to put up with to get where you want to be.”
“That won’t work for me.” Spencer knew that if he showed up at Vivi’s condo, there wouldn’t be anyone there but her. “Thanks for the offer, but whatever you’re looking for isn’t something I can give.” Standing, he dug out the money he’d promised her from his pocket, but before handing it over, he asked, “By any chance have of you heard of a Regina Bourne?”
“Why does that name sound familiar?” Vivi looked at the ceiling for a long second, then snapped her fingers. “Now I remember. Her ex-boyfriend is one of my clients.”
“Drugs or sex?”
“A little of both. The first to help the second.” Vivi winked. “He used to complain that she was a spoiled brat and didn’t understand the ‘needs’ of a man like him.”
“Needs?”
“Vance likes to be in control and he needs to inflict a little pain to get off.”
“Interesting.” Spencer wondered if the cops knew about the guy’s tastes. Touching his finger to his forehead, he said, “Be careful, Vivi. Regina was murdered, and nine out of ten times, the killer is the current or ex-boyfriend.”
Chapter 8
The girls had gone upstairs to their rooms to put away their books when the doorbell rang. Dani seriously considered ignoring the bell, half-afraid it was Mikeloff, but she tiptoed down the hall and squinted through the window.
Seeing her ex-boyfriend standing on her porch, she started to back away. Kipp’s sudden appearance after nearly a year was the perfect ending to a crappy day.
Before she could get out of the foyer, her ex yelled, “I know you’re there.”
“Go away!” Dani shouted. “We have nothing to say to one another.”
“Don’t be childish.” Kipp’s voice took on a cajoling tone. “I thought by now you’d have realized that you overreacted when you found out about my fiancée.”
“Right.” Dani snorted. “It wasn’t as if you were married to her.”
Dani rubbed the back of her neck. Why was Kipp here? They’d had this conversation when she broke up with him, and he hadn’t seemed all that upset.
“Look,” Kipp said. “I know your father doesn’t know about your new job, and unless you agree to talk to me face-to-face, I’m telling him that you’ve thrown away your education and are now basically a servant.”
Shit! Even after she’d broken up with Kipp, he and her father had remained pals. Him getting to her father before she had a chance to talk to him would not be good. All she needed was to have Kipp put his spin on her new career into her dad’s head.
“Fine.” Dani unlocked the door and stepped onto the porch. No way was she letting her asshole ex inside. “You have five minutes.”
Dani studied Kipp. There was something off about him. Although he’d never shown any signs of violence, he was emitting such a weird vibe, she wasn’t sure what he’d do. He seemed a lot angrier than the situation warranted, and she was trying to figure out why when suddenly he smiled and tried to take her hand.
Dani jerked out of his reach and he tsked. “Now don’t to be like that.”
“Like what?” Dani gritted her teeth. “A cheated-on woman who has no idea why her no-good ex-boyfriend has turned up on her doorstep after nearly a year? Or a woman who’s concerned when said ex-boyfriend refuses to go away and blackmails her into talking to him?”
“Come on.” Kipp’s smile was flirtations. “The last thing I want to do is to fight with you.” He moved closer. “I broke off my engagement.” Then he gave her that stupid grin of his,
