“Have they found his body?” she asks. “I need to get him a proper burial. I have some ashes from Mom. Maybe… maybe Ican put them together. That would make him happy to be with her.”
Her eyes go wide. “Wait, they will release his body to me, right? There is no one else. How do I claim the body, how?—"
“Don’t worry. We can help with that. We’ll make sure you get control.”
“Phil’s a bookkeeper,” I continue. “Numbers and facts. If he is the one who contacted the department, he had to have proof. He wanted to meet with us for a reason. He said on the rooftop. I didn’t notice anything, but we were distracted by what we witnessed. I think we need to go back and check.”
“I’m coming but I need clothes, or at least a belt. This shirt is long enough I could make it look like a dress,” Fancy chimes in.
“No,” Kade and I both snap.
“Of course I’m going with you. You don’t know where he’d hide anything, and if you leave me. I’ll just follow after you’ve walked out the door. Now, get me a belt.”
Truth, I’d rather have her with us than trust she’d be okay alone. Crossing to the room I’ve been using, I grab a military style web belt with ratchet buckle, a pair of sweatpants and a baseball cap. “Don’t make it look like a dress. Try to look like a boy. It will be safer.”
Kade glances up when I walk out of the bedroom. “I called in and told the department we have her in protective custody and need clothes delivered for her. They’ll have them here later tonight.”
“Any news on Phil’s body?” Fancy asks.
He shakes his head.
“They were busy chasing me. They probably dumped him in the closest dumpster and put trash over him.” Her voice catches. “Could you?—”
“Already on it. The department sent a truck through and picked up the whole street early this morning. You’re right,Adorno’s men are pros at disposing of things. There won’t be any admissible evidence, but hopefully we’ll recover the body for you.”
She nods before heading back to the bedroom to change.
CHAPTER 6
Kade
Our girl is strong and a quick thinker. I worry that she’s burying the trauma and it’s going to destroy her from the inside out. “This isn’t good. We need to get her out of town.”
Rico nods. “Let’s see what she can help us find today. Then ask for an actual team at the secure house and we’ll move her there then out of town.”
“Now that they have a name, the department has started a background investigation and are pulling phone and bank records on Phil. But it will take time to do it legally with court orders and such.”
“I just want to know the guy’s general background. What about that hacker guy we heard about who knows your friend on the police force here in Vegas? Could Diego reach out to him? Just for some quick info? I know it won’t be admissible. But it might help us know what we’re dealing with and the agency doesn’t have to know. I’ll pay.”
“We’ll pay. Diego left the local PD. He’s in private security now working with that hacker. I’ll call.” Pulling my phone, I continue talking as I type, “The office is sending photos of allAdorno’s known contacts and associates that they have for her to look at tonight. Hopefully she’ll be able to identify the killer.”
I glance up. “I don’t think you should go back in. We don’t know what set them onto Phil. You may have been made.”
“Hell, no. I am not giving this up. We’re bringing these bastards down. I’ll go in tonight and see how it feels. You’ll need to stay with Fancy.”
“I heard you.” Fancy says from the doorway of the bedroom. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You need Kade to cover your back. Unless there’s a reason you think this place is no longer safe?”
“No, but I don’t like you being here alone,” Rico says.
We both look toward her. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear she was a boy. The way she’d dressed in sweatpants, a long sleeve t-shirt, a Raiders tank top, with her hair stuffed into a ball cap, and shoulders slumped. No one would recognize the woman beneath the outfit.
“What happened to your breasts?” Rico gasps.
She laughs. The husky sound goes straight to my cock and I have to shift, stepping behind the couch to cover my reaction.
“I raided your closet to see what I could use for a disguise and found your resistance bands. They’ll keep the girls mostly flat for now.”
“That can’t be comfortable,” I add.