Lovely Darkness (Creeping Beautiful)

Nick looks to Nathan. Nathan nods. “She’s right. Some of the gaps are legit. But there are about a dozen that are missing.”

Nick isn’t convinced. He’s got a very wide suspicious streak running through him. But I can’t say I blame him. He’s Nick Tate. Nick says to Nathan, “What makes you the expert in Indie and Donovan tapes?”

Nate gets a little huffy at Nick’s tone. They’re having a little power struggle here. For as long as Nick has known Nathan, he’s been the boss, so to speak. But Nathan isn’t really the type of man who bows down. So he replies, “Because I’m the one who was really taking care of Indie all these years.” Then his eyes drift to Wendy’s in the rear-view mirror. “Same way you took care of Wendy.”

Well, this strikes a chord with Nick. Not sure if it’s a pleasant one, or a little bit off key, but doesn’t matter. Nick takes the hint and directs his gaze to Wendy.

But Wendy is looking at me. “What do you make of it?” she asks.

I shrug and give up the only answer that makes sense. “I think it was Carter. I think he did the exit interview, and then he took the tapes and hid them. I think they’re up there somewhere, but we can’t find them.”

“What if they’re not up there?” Nick looks at Nathan. “You told me you found his nest, right?”

“I did,” Nathan admits. “And I get it. He could’ve hid the tapes anywhere. But that place wasn’t his home. It really was just a nest filled with girls. I think—” He pauses. “We think he was living here.” Nathan nods to the old building.

Nick studies the place. “Did you ever ask the people in the print shop about him?”

“No. Every time I’m in town, that place is closed.”

“So what do you want us to do?” Wendy asks.

“Fresh eyes,” Nathan says. “Just look. That’s all.”

Wendy and Nick glance at each other and shrug. “Sure,” Wendy says. “We can do that.”

We get out of the truck and enter the stairwell through a door on the side of the old brick building.

“I hate the smell of this place,” Nathan says, going first up the stairs while we follow. “It’s like a mixture of ink, and old books, and mold.”

We all sniff the air and silently agree. It’s kinda gross.

I have the key so when we get to the top, Nathan steps aside and lets me open the door.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - NICK

All the windows are closed so it’s dark, and musty, and hot enough to make me want to choke.

There is a large entry space with a couple large offices on either side, plus a couple smaller ones on either side of those. The entry space is set up like a living room with high-back leather chairs and a couch.

“I think he was doing therapy on himself in here,” Indie says.

I turn to look at her. “What’s that mean?”

She sighs. Like this whole day is making her tired. “I’m not really sure. But just before everything happened, he told me about it. And then he had me help him.”

“He was doing weird shit,” Nate says. “Tell him, Indie.”

“It was weird,” she says. “He put me under… I don’t even know how to explain it, Nick. We lost time. Both of us. And after that, everything started to unravel.”

“So Carter was in charge and you and he did something during this session?”

Indie shrugs. “Maybe?”

“All right.” I don’t know what this is about. Indie seems genuine, but everything about Louisiana feels like a puzzle and I can only concentrate on one piece of it at a time. So I push this new information away and take the place in. Trying to find the secrets. They’re here. I can feel them.

Just as I think that, Wendy echoes my thoughts out loud. “This place is creepy.”

“Very,” Nathan agrees.

“It feels abandoned,” Wendy whispers.

“It’s not though,” Indie says. “Donovan spent a lot of time here. And look, the floors are new. And this furniture is new.”

She’s right. The hardwood floors have been redone recently. And the furniture is high-end leather. It’s got a layer of dust on it, but there is no way to hide the fact that this furniture is new and expensive.

“I found a few files over here,” Indie says. She walks over to one of the smaller offices and points to a box.

“You just left it here?” I ask. “Why didn’t you take them home?”

“Adam and McKay don’t really know about this place,” she says. “And these are Donovan’s personal things. I don’t think he’d want Adam and McKay invading his privacy.”

“Why not?” Wendy asks.

“What do you mean, why not? Because.” Indie doesn’t seem inclined to say more.

Nate fills in the gaps. “Because if they know how bad it is, Wendy, they might just decide to get rid of everyone.”