Vigilant

“Security isn’t bad. Believe it or not, Oliver may be the safest guy I’ve ever dated.”

Ari rubbed her face with her hands. “Ugh, I have no idea what to do.”

“Well,” Veronica said, wrapping an arm around Ari’s shoulder. “The good news is you don’t have to pick tonight.”

“You’re right.” Ari needed to think. To figure this out.

“But from the worried look on your face about the man serving us all dinner in there, I think it may be time to make some decisions.”

Ari rested her hand on the doorknob and sighed. “You’re right. Thank you.”

“Any time.”

* * *

Ari drained her wine glass and set it on the table. She figured if she was going to break things off with Nick, she might as well have a bit of a buzz.

“Did you hear anything else about the Vigilante?” Veronica asked.

Startled, Ari asked, “Me?”

“Well, anyone, I guess. I haven’t seen the news.”

“I heard there’s a reward out for him. From the mayor’s office,” Oliver said. “The senior partners were talking about it today. Sounds like everyone was kind of willing to let this slide until he shot that kid.”

“Do they have any idea who it is?” Ari asked, playing dumb.

“I think the police know more than they’re letting on,” Nick said.

Oliver leaned forward. “Why do you think that?”

“I talked to some of the cops today at the courthouse

. This guy won’t get away with it. In fact, I suspect they’re pretty close.”

“Anything specific?”

Nick took a sip of wine. “Well, I hate to tell Ari this, but rumor has it, the police are very interested in the program Oscar came from. It’s possible the Vigilante has some kind of connection with the GYC.”

“What? Why?” Ari asked.

“You saw the video. The two men were pretty evenly matched. Oscar could have taken him if it weren’t for that gun.”

“That’s too bad,” Oliver said. “They’ve got a great thing going on over there. I’d hate to see it shut down.”

“I doubt it will come to that, but I could see some kind of investigation taking place. Or possibly removing the staff if necessary.”

Ari frowned. “The staff? Why? They’re awesome. What does this crazy guy have to do with the program anyway?”

“Like I said, I’m not sure, but it seems logical if the murderer is connected somehow. Why do you care so much? You only have one kid placed there. Surely Judge Hatcher can help you find another placement.”

“Because, like Oliver, I think it’s a pretty great program and I’d hate to see it get destroyed by some nut job.”

“I didn’t say it would be destroyed. Just possibly under more reputable management.”

“You’ve never even been there. How do you know there’s a problem with management?” Ari’s voice hit an unpleasant level and across the table, Oliver raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like a bunch of courthouse gossip,” she said. She got up and started clearing the table. In the kitchen, she turned on the faucet and scraped the plates into the sink.

Nick came in behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “What’s bothering you?”