“As you should,” Blake says. “Which pharmacy and when? We’ll pull the security feed.”
I give him the details and when I’m done, Kace jumps in. “Back to Sofia. We know she called the store several times.”
“We’ve already pulled all the records from the store,” Blake says. “We pinpointed a few scrambled calls. Same goes for Gio’s cell which is no longer pinging.”
“Which means what?” I ask.
“He could have dumped it,” Blake replies. “I damn sure have mine on occasion.”
“Or?” I prod.
“Don’t go down that rabbit hole,” Blake warns. “Let us do our jobs.”
“What about that file from Nancy?” Kace asks.
“Oh right,” I say. “I need to check my email. She was researching violins for Gio in an effort to find Sofia a violin. I think. I’m not really sure what Gio was up to, obviously.” The email pulls up and I eye Blake. “I have it.”
He slides a card in front of me. “Send it there.”
I quickly do as he asks while Blake moves on to another topic. “Let’s talk big picture. Aria, you and I touched on this in the living room. I want to brush over it just a bit more now. As long as you’re running from your identity, you’re in some degree of danger.”
“Are you saying that claiming my identity is better?”
“I get why your mother hid, Aria,” Blake replies, “but I wouldn’t have let you do that had I been involved. Hiding says you have something to hide for.”
I glance at Kace and we share a look of understanding. This is exactly what we just talked about. “We agree,” Kace confirms, “but she had no resources. And right now, Aria’s half in the shadow and half out. Where does that leave her?”
“In the future, I might suggest you come forward as yourself and do so safely,” Blake replies, “and there are ways to do that safely, but not now. For now, stay the path you’re on. Live life with caution and let us do our job. Until we can better assess the situation, use an abundance of caution. If you’re going out, text Savage a head’s up, but don’t wait for a reply. Our team will be close and you’ll be safe.”
“And will your men know who Aria is?” Kace asks before I can.
“A few trusted men, yes,” Blake confirms. “But we will keep it tight. I’ll update you in the next few days.” He looks at me. “If you think of anything else, call me or text me.” He picks up the letter now sitting on the island. “Can I keep this?”
“Yes. There’s a bag downstairs in the living room I want to give you as well.”
We all stand up and head downstairs. I hand Blake the bag. “We’ll go through everything inside and return it to you.” He glances between us. “I know you two have a lunch with Mark and Crystal. Savage will escort you, but I’ll drag the beast downstairs with me to give you time to talk trash about him. Not me, of course.”
“Here’s some trash,” Savage says. “He likes the word fuck and his wife is all over him to stop saying it in front of clients. His wifey will be so proud of him today.”
“Jesus fuck, Savage,” Blake grunts.
Savage grins. “I made a hundred dollar bet with his wife that I could blow his perfect record.”
“We’re leaving,” Blake says. “More soon.”
They’re in a half-turn when I say. “Wait,” with a sudden realization.
They rotate back to us, and I shake my head. “I don’t know why this didn’t hit me until now. Denial, I think. Gio knows I didn’t approve of him chasing the past. And he knows that if he disappears, I’d check his desk. I’d look for him. The letter blatantly told me that he’s looking for a violin, he’s chasing the past. He wouldn’t leave that letter out for me to find.”
“And this leads you to what conclusion?” Blake asks.
“He didn’t intend to leave. Whatever happened was sudden and unexpected. He’s in trouble. I know he’s in trouble.”
“Or opportunity knocked, and he seized it like a cowboy at a rodeo, he grabbed that bull by the horns,” Savage quips.
“In other words,” Blake adds, “sometimes one thing looks like another.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
When you need to take your mind off a problem, just hitch a ride with Savage and his fellow Walker Security buddy, Adrian.
Kace and I are in the back of an SUV with Savage and Adrian, who are sniping at each other in the front seat. Currently, they’re jibing over who’s more Texan. “You know, you might be a Texan, Adrian,” Savage concedes after an Aggie and Longhorn football joke contest that Adrian won, “but you’re a redneck Texan. One of those guys that stands on his roof with his water hose to get a better angle on his yard and falls off.”