That must be why he was observing her with so little emotion on his face.
“Sophia mentioned that you and Madeline were in a rough patch recently.”
He bows his head a moment. “We were. I was tired of it all. Madeline was more interested in how to lure more followers to her social media feeds than she was in us. The horrible part is, I was about to tell her that I couldn’t do it anymore. I was ready to throw in the towel that night with her. But once I realized she was gone,” he shakes his head, “it made me regret almost all of my choices over the past few months. And, ironically, some of my friends are feeling the same way.” He squints out at the crowd, and I follow his gaze right up until I spot Kiera. “Excuse me, Bowie. I see someone I need to talk to.” He takes off in haste before I can stop him.
So that’s why he was watching Madeline from across the room that night. He was already over her and her social media hungry antics. But Madeline wasn’t faking anything that night—and she received the attention I’m sure she didn’t want.
Parker ducks into the dessert tent, and I’m more than happy to follow him.
Not only am I having a serious hankering for more of those oven fresh chocolate chip cookies, but I have a sudden hankering to speak with Parker Goldman himself.
Parker’s summer tan is still in full effect and he glows in a white dress shirt and stone-colored chinos. He snaps up a few of those coveted chocolate chip cookies, and I’m right there next to him doing the same.
“My favorite,” I say as I look to him.
“Bowie.” He frowns a moment. “How are Opal and Tilly doing? I haven’t heard from them. That usually means they’re happy with their treatments.”
They haven’t smiled in a week, but I keep that little tidbit to myself.
“They’re thrilled with their new wrinkle-free faces.” Not that they can convey as much now that facial expressions are a thing of the past for the two of them—at least temporarily.
I glance back in the direction Lucas took off with Kiera, but they’re out of sight.
“Parker, that day I was in your office we talked about the security breech that resulted in your life’s work ending up in your competitor’s hands. Any word on who could have done that?” It’s already pretty clear Madeline did the dirty deed, but I need to hear him say it as well.
He takes a full breath. “No. But the thing is, there was no security breech. It was an inside job. I kept the exact formulation on a printout, locked in a safe that only I had the key to.”
“What do you mean a printout? Don’t you have it stored on the computer systems at the lab? I mean, the people who were working on it needed that formula to develop it and run the proper tests. Right?”
“Right and wrong. I developed the batches myself and distributed them to the team. Sure they could see what the serum was composed of, but only I knew the exact formula to make the magic happen. My hardware was being hacked a little too often for me to feel safe, so I removed it. I printed it out and hid it in the heart of my office. Nobody had the key but me.”
“Oh, I don’t know what to say.” I shake my head, trying to process it all. “Parker, who else knew the combination to your safe?”
“It was under lock and key. And I had that damn key on me at all times.”
“No spare?”
He shrugs. “I had a spare at my place.”
“Do you think that’s where Madeline got it?”
He inches back. “Madeline? Why would Madeline steal the formula? I was giving her all the treatments she wanted. Besides, I’ve never taken her to my place.” His cheek flinches.
“You preferred hotels?” I don’t mind calling him out on his philandering ways.
He looks my way with a hostile air about him.
“Fine, we were having a fling. Everyone knows it. Who the hell cares? But I didn’t bring her to my place. She didn’t take the key.”
“I heard she was upset about being denied treatments until the serum was approved by the FDA. That was motive right there to get the key.”
He inches back. “That’s not true. In fact, Maddie was the only one I was offering treatments to until the serum’s approval came through.” He glowers at me a moment. “If you’ll excuse me, I need a drink.”
He stalks off, and I’m left with my mouth open, another question on my tongue, but it’s too late.
“She didn’t take the key?” Or at least Parker seems convinced of it.
I snatch up a few more chocolate chip cookies before darting out of the tent in hopes to find Shep, but instead, I see a couple traipsing over to a row of trees and I follow suit.
It’s Lucas and Kiera joined at the hand, as he hastily draws her close underneath the low-lying branches of a bushy maple.
My feet hustle me in that direction just about as quick as I can muster without dropping a single cookie. Their voices escalate into the night, but it’s so secluded over here I doubt they need to keep it down. I come upon the two of them just as Lucas grabs her by the shoulders.
“Nobody needs to know,” he riots as he gives her a slight rattle.
“Nobody tells me what to do,” she snips
