She swipes her tears, her eyes flashing fire as she sits up a little, cobbling together the remnants of her courage from deep inside her soul. “Yes, I work for The Daily Spot as a reporter. I got a job at Petals a few months ago because we had reports there were a lot of celebrities going there for side action. I was undercover, reporting on that, like when Jimmy Keys came in.”
I mentally recall our hallway conversation where she’d been taking pictures of the basketball star and claiming to be a fan. I’d been duped . . . that almost never happens to me. And this girl has done it several times without me even suspecting. If we were in any other situation, I’d be impressed. “I see.”
“But I like the job, the people . . . like you, Allie, and Marco. Even Dominick didn’t seem like that bad of a guy. I had no idea about how deep things went. I mean, who would expect this? This is for the movies. I just thought it was a popular strip club, exclusive VIP kinda stuff for the celebrities and businessmen. And then people started shooting, and Allie had blood all over her . . . and we started running.”
Her eyes look to the left like she’s remembering the scene at the club, and she shivers. I have to force the next words out through clenched lips, but I have to know, even if it hurts to ask.
“Is that it? You lied about your name and you lied about why you were there. Is there anything else you need to tell me? Now’s your chance.”
My voice is a bit softer than before, but still harsh and commanding. Maggie notices and looks at me squarely, still so brave I want to pull her across and cuddle her to my chest.
“I did lie about those things. But nothing else. The things I’ve said to you, done with you . . . those were all real, all true.”
Her eyes are soft, wide and open, letting me see into her soul. She’s being honest. I can tell this time because the emotions I see are mirrored in my own heart too. I give a curt nod and turn away. “Okay, let me call Chucky back.”
I reach for the phone, but Maggie lays a staying hand on mine. “Now, it’s your turn.” Her voice is laced with steel. “You’ve been hiding things from me too.”
I look at her, a look of question in my eyes, but her expression is calculating now, the softness gone as she looks at me with a coldness I’ve never seen before. “Shane, is that really your name?”
“Have I given you any reason to doubt that it isn’t?” I ask, trying to deflect.
Maggie’s eyebrows lift, and she’s not going to give up that easily. “I’m not stupid. You seem pretty intertwined in a mob-owned strip club. You had a bugout bag, a stashed getaway car, and you apparently carry a gun that you’re skilled with. Those are all things a mobster would have, and I bet somewhere in that duffel of yours are some pretty good fake IDs. But there’s also Chucky.”
“What about Chucky?” I ask, scared but at the same time impressed. She’s seeing a lot. No wonder she’s a good reporter. I thought she was smart before. Now I know she’s smart. And has probably been putting things together all along, just biding her time until the moment was right.
“Earlier, you didn’t say you needed to call him. You said you needed to ‘report in’ and see if he had any ‘intel’. It made me think back. You weren’t close with Dominick, not any moreso than the rest of the employees. He trusted you, I could tell that much, but you were just professional with him. Same with Marco and all of the girls . . . and me, at first. I’ve been undercover for stories a lot. I can blend into the background easily, being small and underestimated. But that’s not how you play it when you go undercover, is it? And I’m betting you’ve been undercover a time or two before too. So, what are you, Shane? ATF? DEA?”
Fuck. I need to get her on another track real damn fast. Even if it hurts. I make my voice harsh, glaring at her. “Maggie, you’re seeing zebras instead of horses when you hear hoof beats. Just because you lied about everything from the moment you walked into Petals doesn’t mean I did. I’m a security guard. That’s why I know how to shoot a gun. Dom wasn’t going to hire some idiot to head his club security team who didn’t know how to do anything but use his fists. And Chucky’s a buddy who helps me out. That’s it.”