The detective remained quiet for some time. I almost thought he’d left, until he spoke up again. “You know, I looked into you after you and your lawyer skipped off to your doctor’s appointment. From the look of things, you make a pretty penny.”
Lola sniffled. “Okay?”
Silence again.
Shaw cleared his throat. He sounded like a smoker. “Now, I don’t ask for much, but for my family, I’ll do anything, the same as you would for your sparkly clean reputation. My daughter needs to go to college,” Shaw said in a low, serious voice. “There’s nothing I can do about the two people who died at this point. They’re gone, and as you stated, you were under distress during the accident, so I suppose I can rule this as just that—an accident—so long as I get what I need for my little girl.”
“Okay,” Lola breathed.
“We both know college is expensive . . . and we also know that if you live in a place like this, and drive cars like the one you were driving last night, you have the money to cover tuition. So, you’re going to write me a check for five-hundred-thousand dollars and I’ll make sure your name doesn’t appear in the file. You’ll remain anonymous and no one will know you were ever part of this.”
Lola was silent. “Fine. I can do that.”
“You don’t sound so sure,” Shaw countered.
“I’m sure I can manage that much. But before I do, I will need you to sign a nondisclosure about this with my lawyer. Guarantee confidentiality.”
The detective chuckled and then said, “Fair is fair, I suppose.”
“Okay, then. Let me just go get my checkbook and I’ll get the money to you right away.”
I gasped as I heard instant footsteps, but there was no time for me to run off. Lola was already rounding the corner and coming my way. She noticed me first thing, and her damp, red eyes stretched two times wider.
“Georgia!” she hissed, hurrying toward me. “What the fuck are you doing here? Go to my office!” She shoved me on the back and I sucked in a sharp breath. “Go!”
I hurried up the stairs and made a right, Lola hot on my trail. Opening one of the double doors of her office, I stepped inside, and Lola came in after me, slamming the door behind her.
“Were you eavesdropping on my conversation?” she demanded, grimacing.
“I’m so sorry, Lola. I—I told Tonia about the parfaits and then I came to look for you to see—”
“Bullshit!” she snapped, then walked around me to get to her desk. “What did you hear?”
“Nothing,” I lied as I watched her shuffle through the top drawer of her desk. She took out her checkbook and grabbed a pen.
“Well, whatever you heard, I’m doing this for your safety too. You still want this job, right? The only way you’ll keep it is if I write this check for that dirty-ass cop downstairs.”
“What did you do?” I asked, my voice breaking.
“That’s none of your business.”
“You killed two people,” I said, my eyes stinging now. “I heard him say two people are dead.”
She whirled around, pointing a finger in my face. “I didn’t fucking kill anybody!” she snarled. “And if you repeat those words to anyone—anyone, Georgia—I will fucking end you!”
She glared daggers at me, and I worked hard to swallow the bile that was slowly creeping up my throat. “Does Corey know?” I whispered.
“No. All he knows is that I lost the baby yesterday.” She sniffled then, wiping hard at her nose. I didn’t know what to say. All I could do was look at her. I had no idea she’d lost the baby. That explained the blood on her shirt.
“Lola, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t.” She held up a hand. “Don’t call me by my first name. It’s Mrs. Maxwell to you from now on.”
Her words were like knife wounds. I blinked quickly to bat away the tears. The hurt. Why was she treating me like this over an accident? I wasn’t judging her. I just had questions and was concerned about her.
“Okay,” I whispered.
She turned away and marched to the door. “I want steak tonight. Tender and fresh. After the horrible night I had, I need meat, and for dessert I want fudge brownies and ice cream.”
I bobbed my head as she snatched open the door. “And I meant what I said, Georgia. You tell anyone what you heard and I’ll fucking fire you and make your life a living hell. That goes for your husband too. As of this moment, what went on downstairs never fucking happened.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
IVY
I couldn’t believe it was the weekend of the gala, Marriott! I’d been humming all day, imagining all the songs the DJ would be playing and the drinks that would be on the menu. There were going to be three signature drinks. I helped Noah pick the flavors. One had strawberries, another mint and lime, and the last peach. I was leaning toward choosing the peach.