“French fries.”
I shook my head. “You’re losing me there…”
Tessa pushed at my chest. “I think you’ll survive. But you’ve forgotten the most important question of all.”
My eyebrow arched. “Oh, yeah? And what’s that?”
She grinned. “Flavor of milkshake.”
I stepped back, my hand clutching my chest as I let out a gasp. “How could I forget?”
“For a self-proclaimed dessert connoisseur, I’m pretty appalled.”
I reached out for the edge of Tessa’s shirt, pulling her to me. “Okay, Miss Milkshake, what’s your flavor pick?”
Tessa looked up at me, her eyes dancing. “Oreo cookie malt, of course.”
My mouth fell open. “That’s my favorite, too.”
She brushed her lips against mine. “I guess that means I can keep you around.”
* * *
I pulledmy ballcap down as I leaned against the bar, waiting for our food. My low profile had just become that much more important. I pulled my phone from my back pocket. I shot off a text to Austin and Ford in LA, asking how things were going for them.
I kept scrolling through various icons before pulling up one of my social media accounts. My label kept them active for me, but I did my best to respond to fans whenever I could. I looked through comments on a photo of one of my live shows last year, replying to every few messages.
My thumb froze over a comment. “Why don’t you ever respond anymore? I guess I’m just going to have to come and find you.” People were freaking crazy sometimes. I took in the user name. KSpeak. It had to be the same girl. Her motionless body on blood-soaked sheets flashed in my mind. Fuck.
I motioned to the bartender. “I gotta make a call. I’ll be right back.”
He jerked up his chin at me. “Sure thing.”
I made my way through the restaurant and to the back alley, scrolling as I went. The username appeared again. And again. I exited the app and thumbed through my recent contacts. I hit the LA area code.
A gravelly voice answered. “Detective Ruiz.”
My hand tightened around the phone. “Hi, Detective. It’s Liam Fairchild.”
“Hello, Mr. Fairchild. What can I do for you?”
I was probably making too much of this. My nerves were on edge after everything that Tessa had shared with me today. “I think I might be making too much of something.”
A door snicking closed sounded across the line. “Always better to err on the side of caution. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”
I pulled a guitar pick out of my pocket and began flipping it back and forth between my fingers. “I got a slightly weird comment on a social media post, and I think it might be Kimberly Speakman.”
“Can you text me a link to the post?”
“Sure. Hold on.” I minimized the phone call, pulling up my social account and sending the link off to Detective Ruiz. I put the phone back to my ear just as a ding sounded.
“Give me a second.”
“Of course.” I paced the narrow width of the alley as I waited, listening only to the muffled sound of music from the restaurant, and Ruiz clicking his keyboard.
The sounds of typing stopped. “I think we might have a problem.”
My gut tightened. “What?”
