“I just want to see,” she says, edging back out onto the road. “Don’t you? I mean, you can learn a lot about a guy from his taste in buildings, right?”
I don’t answer. She and Ollie have made me think, and the truth is that I don’t know a lot about Damien Stark. I know what the public knows. And I know a few truly intimate details. But the man himself? How much have I seen of the real Damien Stark?
I glance sideways at Jamie, and then the words are out without me even making a conscious decision. “Ollie says Stark is dangerous.”
“Yeah,” she says, surprising me. “He told me. He’s worried about you.”
“I’m fine,” I say, sliding down in the seat and putting my bare feet up on the dash. I’m not going to pursue this. Ollie is just being overprotective. “Dangerous how?” I ask, ignoring all my wise counsel. “I’m not buying his line that it’s all about Stark’s temper.”
“Temper? I don’t think so. He wouldn’t say exactly. I figure he knows something from work. Bender, Twain & McGuire reps Stark, you know. Their corporate department handles all his business stuff, and I guess the rest of the firm handles, you know, everything else.”
“Oh.” I consider that. “Attorney-client privilege?”
“I guess,” Jamie concedes. “I mean, I don’t think Ollie has worked on any of Stark’s stuff directly, he’s too junior. But he’s probably seen files and heard the partners talking.”
“But he didn’t give you any idea what it’s about?”
“Well, no. But it’s pretty obvious, right?”
Not to me. “Obvious?”
“That girl. The one who died.” She pauses at a stop sign and shifts in her seat long enough to glance at me.
“The one you said he dated? What about her?”
“I read a little bit more about it.” She shrugs as I gape at her. “I was bored and I was curious. Anyway, she was asphyxiated. The coroner officially ruled it an accident, but I guess her brother’s been hinting around that Stark was involved.…” She trails off with another shrug.
I feel cold. “He’s saying that Damien killed her?” I try to process the thought, but it won’t fit into my head. I don’t believe it. I can’t believe it.
“I don’t think he’s gone that far,” Jamie says. “I mean, if Damien Stark’s a murder suspect, that would be all over the news, right? And it really isn’t. I just found a few comments on some crap-ass gossip sites. Honestly, I didn’t think anything of it. A powerful guy like Stark must field all sorts of nutcase rumors.” She drives in silence for a moment, and I watch as a frown creeps onto her face.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Dammit, Jamie, what?”
“I was just thinking about Ollie. If it is just Internet bullshit, then why would he know any of this? But if there’s really something to it, then Stark’s lawyers must be all over the brother, you know? Threatening libel or slander or whatever the hell you call it. And a guy like Stark is probably pretty good at controlling the press, right?”
I remember that Evelyn said almost exactly the same thing and feel a little queasy. “I guess. Is that what Ollie told you?”
“No, no. He didn’t say anything specific.” She shrugs. “He’s just worried about you. But honestly, Nik, it’s probably nothing. Just the crap uber-rich guys have to deal with.”
“So who’s the girl?”
“Some socialite type. Sara Padgett.”
Padgett. I remember Ms. Peters coming into the conference room during the meeting and mentioning that name.
Without warning, Jamie slams on the brakes and I lurch forward against my seat belt. “What the hell?”
“Sorry. I think I saw something on that street we just passed.” She thrusts the car into reverse and careens backward on the winding canyon road.
I swivel in my seat, terrified that I’ll see headlights approaching. But the road is dark, and we make the turn safely. By the time I’m facing forward again and ready to chew Jamie out for being so damn reckless, my anger is forgotten, pushed out of my mind by the sight of the incredible structure rising in front of me.