Once Upon a Friendship

Liam’s chin tightened as he nodded. “So it is him. He’s guilty.” He spun away from her and then rolled back, scraping the cement with the force of his brake. “The man builds an empire out of nothing but hard work, acumen and integrity, and then throws it all away?” He shook his head.

And for a second there, he reminded her of the young college kid who’d just had his car keys stripped from him.

He started toward the parking lot and his car. Pushing off to catch up with him, Gabrielle said, “That’s just it, Liam. It’s too clear. Too clean. It doesn’t make sense.”

He slowed down and she almost ran into the back of him, having to grab his shoulders to steady herself. Even with gloves on her hands, she could feel his warmth.

Or thought she could. Which was crazy.

Even crazier, for a second there she’d wanted to lean up against him, lay her head on his back and just...feel him.

“It’s like he’s being set up,” she said, quickly snatching her hands back before he noticed her weird reaction.

Liam hadn’t moved. Nor responded to either her bumping into him or her words.

Glancing across several yards of parking lot, she looked to see what was holding his attention and started to shake. His pristine, shiny black BMW was covered with words written in a white substance, much like a bridal car after a wedding. Except the words definitely were not well-wishes.

Son of a thief.

Ill-gotten gains.

Better off dead.

There were at least six phrases. Repeated more than once.

“Liam? How could someone know we were here?” But it was obvious they’d been followed.

He didn’t say a word. Just unlaced his skates, slipped out of them and pulled out his cell phone.

Looking around them, noting just one other car in the lot—a light-colored SUV that hadn’t been there when they’d started out. Noting too that the little red car that had been there was gone, Gabi didn’t see any immediate danger. Relief flooded her anyway as she heard Liam’s words.

“I’d like to report a vandalized car...”

He’d called the police.

And she was glad.

* * *

HE’D FILED A REPORT. Waited with Gabrielle while a couple of officers checked the area and then, with an escort, driven the few short blocks to their building. When an officer offered to check the area, including their apartments, they’d both accepted. But had the cops look in on Marie first.

Liam had had them check the buildings for possible bugs and they’d reported back that all was clean.

It was a bit of overkill. Still, Liam was the son of a very rich man who’d just been arrested for stealing millions of dollars from innocent people. Gabi had given him one bit of news on that score—according to the arrest record, the Ponzi scheme had been discovered before damages outgrew Walter Connelly’s net worth.

The old man could afford to pay back the debt. Which would not only help him in court, but should prevent much of the public backlash he might have received if he’d left investors destitute.

“I’m happy to represent you, Liam, but I need you to put me down as your attorney of record,” Gabi said later that evening. The police had left with a promise to do all they could, but Liam knew paint on a car didn’t deserve law enforcement resources when there were murders and robberies and weapons in schools.

He’d already called his insurance company. He’d have a rental car, another BMW, in the morning and his own car back by Monday.

“I get access to a lot more information if I’m representing you,” she continued. The three of them were sitting at a table in the corner of Marie’s shop, having locked the doors and put up the closed sign as soon as the police left.

“Fine,” he told her, then added, “But I mean it, you two, I’m out of here if it looks like this is going to get dangerous for either of you.”

“What about that guy you said came by earlier today?” Marie asked. He’d told the police about Elliott Tanner, giving them the information from his card, with Marie and Gabrielle present. “Maybe you should hire him.”

“Or maybe he’s the one who’s behind this,” Gabi said. “You said he had an idea you might be in danger. Maybe he got someone to trash your car so you’d think you needed him.”