Scandal Never Sleeps (The Perfect Gentlemen 1)

Capitol Scandals popped up in seconds.

She clicked through and the site assaulted her with the tawdriest headlines.

SENATOR CAUGHT WITH PANTS DOWN

FEDERAL JUDGE SELLS DISMISSALS FOR COCAINE

IS PRESIDENT HAYES THE HOTTEST COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF ALL TIME?

But the biggest headline, with the huge red print, caught her eye.

BREAKING NEWS:

GABRIEL BOND KILLS

BEST FRIEND MADDOX CRAWFORD

SEE THE VIDEO THAT WILL ROCK WALL STREET

Tabloid journalism alone wouldn’t motivate the police to suspect Gabriel, but if they had a video . . . She clicked the link and enlarged the shot on the screen. It was still small, but she could see Gabriel in what looked to be a fancy restaurant. Someone sat across from him, but only part of that man’s back was visible. Gabe leaned forward, and while only a portion of his handsome face entered the view, she could tell he was very angry.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Gabe growled in a low voice. “I told you to be very sure because you would wreck her life and she would be hurt. You said you’d changed.”

“Relax, Bond. Everything is going to be fine. It’s really for the best, you know.”

She would know that voice anywhere. Deep but with that hint of world-weariness Maddox Crawford had always possessed.

As she watched, Everly felt a little shiver slide through her. Was this video of their final conversation?

“For the best? You talked to her. You know what’s happening. You just don’t care, you son of a bitch. Of course you don’t give a shit. You know what I should have done?”

Maddox’s hand fisted on the table, but his voice remained calm. “Don’t say something you can’t take back. Calm down. Everything is going to work out in the end. I need you to give me a little time.”

“So you can go through another fifty women? I’m supposed to believe you’ll change if you get a little more pussy? Fuck you, Mad. I’m going to kill you for what you’ve done. I’m not going to do it today. I’m not going to do it tomorrow. I’m going to wait until you think you’re safe. Then I’ll be there. Do you understand?” He stood, throwing his napkin down in obvious disgust.

“I understand you are one overly dramatic motherfucker, Gabe. Please sit down. I can’t tell you everything. It wouldn’t be good for you. But something’s happening, and I need time to sort it out. I need to ask you if you’ve ever heard the name Sergei?”

“I don’t give a flying fuck what you need. Don’t ever call me again, Mad.” Gabriel walked out of view.

And she watched as Mad’s head fell forward. He cursed audibly, then tossed some cash on the table.

The video ended abruptly.

She watched it through again. Okay, so that explained why the police considered Gabriel a suspect. He’d clearly had motive and intent, but her head still rang with questions. Obviously, he’d been angry, but who was the female they’d fought about? And who was Sergei? Even if he knew, Dax wasn’t going to tell her anything more than he had. She might get something from watching the interrogation. She wasn’t sure why Roman Calder had allowed her here, but she wasn’t about to miss the chance.

Everly straightened her clothes and tucked her phone away.

It was past time to put her heart on the back burner and start thinking with her head.

She had her mentor’s murder to solve. She hoped that when she was done, her investigation didn’t prove that the man she’d fallen for hard and fast during their weekend together had killed in revenge.

• • •

Gabe glanced at the clock. They’d been asking him the same questions for hours. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch that last one.”

Roman sighed. “Probably because you’re hungry. We were supposed to have lunch two hours ago. Is this really how you want to roll, detective? It’s so cliché to hope that my client will give more if you starve him. Are you planning on denying him bathroom breaks as well?”

The detective shrugged, obviously willing to play the bad cop. Gabe wished the good cop would show up. “You can eat once you’ve sufficiently answered our questions.”

“He’s answered every single one,” Roman shot back. “Several times.”

The detective ignored him completely, choosing to focus on Gabe. “Were you aware someone was filming you when you threatened Crawford’s life?”

Ah, finally a new one. “No. I wouldn’t have done it if I had known.”

“So you admit you didn’t want anyone to know you planned to kill Mr. Crawford.”

Maybe the detective wasn’t smart after all. “I admit I didn’t want to be recorded without my knowledge. Is this a good time to point out that, according to that video, I wasn’t planning on killing Mad for a few years?”

“He’s being sarcastic.” Roman shot him a dirty look and leaned in, his voice dropping low. “Is this a good time to remind you that we’re being recorded here, too?”

Gabe was getting really sick of the whole conversation. “I’m pointing out the flaw in their theory. They seem to think that snippet lays out my nefarious plans to murder my best friend. If it does, then it should clear me because I threatened to kill him a few years down the road, not a few hours.”

Roman gaped at him. “Do I need to staple your mouth shut?”

“Please don’t. He has a point.” Detective Johnson sat back, his look turning thoughtful. “I assume you had good reason to be angry with him. I’ve read about Crawford. He wasn’t the nicest guy in the world. You seemed to be fighting over a woman. I understand he had a very busy love life.”

“As I’ve stated several times, Mr. Bond was angry with Mr. Crawford over a personal issue. The actual point of contention isn’t relevant.” Roman had been doing his best to deflect questions from Sara. The news that Gabe’s sister had been involved with Mad and was pregnant with his illegitimate child would be like pouring gasoline on a blazing clue for the police. The press would follow. They would race to his house in the Hamptons before he could reach Sara, and once he cut through the swarm of reporters, he’d have to try to move his sister somewhere else with them following.

They’d dig until they found out about Everly, too. It was just a matter of time. Would he leave her hanging in the wind or try to protect her as well?

“I disagree,” said the thirtysomething detective. “I think the woman those two fought over is incredibly important to this investigation, but we’ll figure it out with or without Mr. Bond’s help. How about we talk about what you did the rest of that day?”

He tapped his left hand against the desk. This was one line of questioning he would rather avoid. “I went to the park after I left Cipriani. I decided to take off from work that afternoon and I wandered around the park to think for a bit.”

“And I suppose there’s no convenient video of you doing that currently posted on the Internet.” Johnson slanted him a dubious stare.

“Likely not.” It would be easier if there were. “Can’t you have the city pull the security feeds from the park?”

The detective didn’t answer him directly. “And the rest of your day?”

Shit. How much did he tell the police? How much did they already know? “I spent it alone, thinking about that conversation with Mad. I had dinner at home. My housekeeper can verify that. I went to bed around midnight.”

He hadn’t exactly made it to the bed. When he’d reached his penthouse, he’d barely touched his food, but he’d torn through a bottle of twenty-five-year-old Scotch. He’d awakened the next morning on the couch with a dry mouth and a throbbing head. He’d gotten the terrible news about Mad an hour later.

His whole world had been upside down since.

Was Eve . . . Everly gone already? Had she done the smart thing by packing up her desk and walking out on this mess? Gabe wasn’t sure he could accept that outcome right now. He still didn’t know what she’d meant to Mad. But at this point, he wasn’t sure he cared.

Anger rolled in his gut. Yes, he’d been planning on firing Everly. That had been an easy decision before he’d known who she was. Letting her go now . . . As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted her close. He couldn’t explain why except that he needed to see her again, touch her. He needed to fuck her out of his system. Maybe he should agree to whatever deal Mad had given her. She could keep her job and sleep with him until he purged himself of this horrible longing.

“Gabe?”