“True enough. True enough. And I don’t have no family to give it to, so yeah, you’re right. Money don’t mean much to me now. So, maybe I won’t send you on a wild goose chase after all. I might just tell you the truff and clear my conscience a little, at least.”
Adie’s heartbeat sped up. Was he about to tell them what happened to Georgie? Could it be this simple?
The silence that followed his declaration lasted too long. Cage’s jaw clenched as if he saw the game the old man was playing. In his own way, this bastard was leeching every moment of attention out of the situation as Ruby Embers had done.
“It’ll cost ya though, Little Lady. Are you willin’ to pay the price?”
Cage growled, his fists clenching.
“I’m not one of your girls, Mr. Jeffers. And you’re too old for what you’re suggesting,” Adie said, keeping her voice neutral, even as her stomach threatened to revolt.
The old man let out a raspy sigh. “Aye, you’re right on that, Little Miss. But it was worff a try. All right then, I’ll tell you what you want to know. I had nuffin’ to do with that slag’s disappearance. I gave her an ultimatum and she quit. I never saw ‘er again.”
“But did you put a hit out on her? I imagine you didn’t like getting knocked back,” Cage said through gritted teeth.
The inmate cackled, before a panicked wheeze replaced the mirthless sound. When he recovered, Jeffers wiped his drooling mouth with the back of his hand and went on as if nothing had happened.
“If I put out a hit on every chit that knocked me back I’d’ve been broke. And I weren’t broke. Not then, or now. I tried it on with all the prettiest ones. If they said no, I fired ‘em. That was punishment enough, in my books.”
Adie considered this news. She supposed it made sense. Why would one girl knocking him back mean more to him than any other? Certainly not enough to pay good money to have her killed.
“Why are you still in jail, Mr. Jeffers?” Adie asked, curiosity overtaking fear.
“I might ‘ave ‘ad a few altercations inside. If ya get my drift. The penal system makes it impossible to survive if you don’t show these low-lives who’s boss. But then you’re punished even more. I knew long ago that this place was where I’d die. The only thing I regret is the lack of female companionship. But I’ve made do. I can always make do with what’s on ‘and.”
Shuddering, Adie knew exactly what the foul man was implying. How many poor, young men had been sodomized by this creep?
Cage stood up suddenly, sending his chair skittering backwards and bringing the guard to instant alertness.
He grabbed Adie’s arm. “Come on, we’re out of here.”
The rusty sound of the old man’s wheezing laughter followed them all the way down the corridor.
The ride back to their hotel was a silent one. The clipper was more crowded than it had been on the outward journey and what they had to say was not something that should be overheard. Anyway, Adie had no desire to talk. The trip to the prison had been too unsettling. And her frustration that it had gained them nothing only added to her annoyance.
Back in their hotel room, Cage went back to the files, his mood as sour as her own. Adie flopped into the closest chair and let out a loud sigh.
“Do we believe him?” she asked, after she’d watched Cage busily rereading the files yet again.
He looked up and glared at her. “Yeah, unfortunately, I believe the bastard. No reason for him to lie. Not going to alter his sentence to admit to a murder at this stage in his life. More’s the pity.”
“It would have been nice for it all to be over. At least this mystery, at least. Now we’re back to square one.”
“You still have Minerva’s journals. You never know what they might turn up. Its information Winsley hasn’t got, at least.”
Adie sighed again, feeling her dejection seeping deeply into her soul. “If there was anything there, Minerva would have known back then. She was clutching at straws. That’s all this was. She didn’t expect us to succeed. She wanted us to, but she probably knew it was a lost cause.”
Cage moved around so he was kneeling in front of her. Cupping her cheek in his palm, he made her meet his gaze.
“This is a setback, nothing more. And we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Not this time. But until we’ve exhausted all avenues, we have to keep trying. Okay?”
Adie stared into his dark eyes, wondering why he was so determined. There was nothing in this for him. He got paid no matter what. Why was he so determined Winsley wasn’t getting any of the money?
“What makes you so fiercely determined about this?” she asked carefully.
Cage moved back hurriedly, his expression closing down. “It’s my job.”
Adie shook her head. “No, I don’t think that’s it. Tell me, Cage. Please.”
He looked back at her, his eyes filled with fire. “I’ve met guys like Winsley before. Guys who think the world owes them, just for existing. Guys who take whatever they want whenever they want it.”
Adie nodded. “Okay, I get that. But where’s the fire coming from? I don’t mean to pry. It’s just that you know every one of my secrets, and I know none of yours.”
Swearing loudly, Cage threw himself into a nearby armchair. The pages on the coffee table flew off onto the carpeted floor.
“My personal life is my business,” he growled at her.
“I know. I’m sorry… it’s just… I need to understand
