“The car looks out of place, not because of make and model, but simply because it’s parked on the road when everybody else in this neighborhood parks in their driveway or garage. I’ve never seen anybody get in or out of it, but it’s been there, and it’s close enough for someone to watch you if they’re in that house. I didn’t want to make something out of nothing, so I assigned two men to watch the car.”
“Two men to watch the car or two men to watch me, Enrique?” There’s an edge to my tone, and I know it.
“To watch the car, but that also means watching you.”
I narrow my eyes, and his left hand goes to my waist. He strokes up and down my ribs to reassure me. While the gesture normally would, knowing he’s had men report to him makes me suspicious and uncomfortable.
“Ellie, the car has a dash camera.”
“What?”
“My men spotted a dash camera pointed toward your house, not toward the one the car’s parked in front of. My men only started watching the car yesterday. They haven’t seen anything else unusual except this evening another car drove past your house four times. That’s when one of my guys called me. He said the time spent at the top of the road wasn’t long enough for anybody to do anything at the park. It sounds like they merely turned around and came back down your street. I don’t know if they’re looking for something. I don’t know if they’re trying to intimidate someone on your street. It could be completely unrelated to you, but on the mere chance it is, I don’t want you here alone.”
“Do you mean tonight, or do you mean permanently?”
“We’ll start with tonight until I can investigate a bit more.”
I observe him, and there’s something else.
“Enrique, what aren’t you telling me?”
“The plates are fake. I ran them, and nothing came up. They don’t belong to a different car. They don’t belong to some law enforcement agency. Nothing. They’ve never been registered.”
That sends a chill down my spine. What the fuck? Could this be connected to me? Could it be someone doesn’t like Enrique spending time with me? I don’t know what to make of that, since I live in a gated community.
“No one’s allowed to drive into this neighborhood without either a resident sticker or being logged as an approved visitor. How is a car with fake license plates coming in here?”
“I don’t know. It’s something I need to investigate.”
“How are you able to come in the neighborhood? I know you’re on foot, but they stop pedestrians, too.”
“Ellie, my company built this neighborhood. I’ve been coming here since I bought the land.”
“You built—What?”
That’s a lot for me to take in. This home was previously owned, so I know very little about the developers. This is a substantial-sized community. The homes all have varied floor plans that don’t look like ticky-tacky boxes all in a row. It doesn’t look like an obviously planned community. It’s one of the things I like most about it. I don’t feel like my home is cookie-cutter.
“I bought the land seven years ago. I own a development company and a construction company. I have a team of architects, builders, and various other people needed for a project this size. You live in an upper-middle-class neighborhood where plenty of people could buy custom homes and not just the interior fittings. The first-time owners all worked with the architects to design houses how they wanted them.”
“Was this project a cover for something else?”
“No. I have plenty of legitimate, above-board businesses, and this is one of them. I’m a venture capitalist, among other things. I legally invest in plenty of companies.”
“That you then sell at a profit or break into shell corps.”
“Sometimes, not always.” His brow furrows.
“Enrique, I told you I was a forensic accountant.”
“I hadn’t thought about that. But the above-board businesses mean I pay taxes on all of those things. It keeps my nose looking clean.”
I cock an eyebrow.
“I told you I don’t use any of my products. I never have.”
“All right. I already told you I know you’re one of the wealthiest men in the world. I didn’t want to consider how you gained it. There’s nothing flashy about you that gives away just how much you have.”
“Because I can only live in one home at a time. I can only drive one car at a time. Do I have multiple properties? Yes, but I use all of them. Do I have multiple cars? Yes, but none of them just sit in a garage idle. I don’t need to spend every penny I have. I’d rather reinvest the money and make sure I can provide for the people who come after me. The people who depend upon me.”
