She hadn’t even sung karaoke in years, for heaven’s sake.
Somehow she made it through the song. She couldn’t decide whether she wished she hadn’t had anything to drink or that she’d gotten totally bombed. But eventually it was over, and she gave thanks for drunks, because they made for the least discerning audience she’d ever seen.
Only as Vinnie hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek and introduced her to the crowd, explaining how they had grown up together, did she feel that familiar sense of unease settle over her again.
She didn’t want to be pointed out to the crowd.
Mason helped her down from the stage. But when she reached their table, she realized that at least part of her fear had been for nothing.
Neither Aidan nor Zachary was still at the table.
She felt strangely deflated. She ought to feel relieved, but instead she was inexplicably…
Disappointed.
“I thought you quit,” Aidan commented, watching as Jonas lit up another cigarette.
Jonas gave him a glare. “I did. But being bugged by people like you wore away at my resolve and I started again,” Jonas said.
“Jonas, I found dried blood out at the plantation, and I collected a sample. It needs to be analyzed.”
“I’ll make sure the lab sees what they can do with it. But we both know, if it’s compromised enough, nothing will come from it.”
“I know that, but I’m hoping you’ll take this matter a little more seriously now,” Aidan said impatiently.
Jonas laid a hand on Aidan’s shoulder. “Look, we’re old friends. You were one of the best the Academy ever turned out. But…” He paused, shook his head and continued. “When Serena died, something happened to you. You have to get a grip, buddy.”
“Serena died three years ago. And now you tell me to get a grip on myself?”
“Just take it from me—we will do our best to analyze that blood. And while we’re waiting, cool down…In the meantime, you can’t go barging into the medical examiner’s office or calling the local homicide guy and just generally driving everyone crazy. Due process, okay?”
Aidan looked at him and nodded.
Jonas had asked him to come out back with him just after Aidan had noticed that Hal Vincent—who had been hanging in the back of the room—had made a sudden departure. He wondered if there was a connection. Maybe he really was making himself a local pariah.
He had headed straight for Jonas’s office after finding the blood, certain that he didn’t want to go back to Jon Abel and not at all sure Hal Vincent was in a mood to pay him any attention.
But he hadn’t done a damned thing tonight to make Hal walk out. He’d just taken a seat with his brother to hear the music.
“So,” Jonas said, looking at him, “stop following us around.”
“What?”
“You came here because…we hang out here, right?”
Aidan laughed. “Get over yourself, Jonas. I came here because my brother was asked to sit in with the band.”
“Oh.” Jonas stared at him. Then he laughed, too. “Oh.”
“You didn’t realize that was Jeremy up there?” Aidan asked.
Jonas shook his head sheepishly. “Sorry. I just saw you sitting there, like you were going to start interrogating the Montgomery girl who took care of Amelia.”
“No, the Montgomery girl, as you call her, is friends with Vinnie, the guy she just went up to sing with,” Aidan explained, realizing that because of this conversation, he’d missed hearing Kendall sing.
She’d definitely been a little drunk tonight, he thought. Maybe enough to make her say more of what she might be thinking.
“I’m not following you around. So chill.”
“I think I’ll head home anyway.”
“Your wife didn’t join you tonight.”
“She doesn’t join me every night,” Jonas said, sounding defensive. “I like to hang out with the guys sometimes.”
Aidan didn’t think he’d spoken with any reproach; maybe Jonas was suffering from a guilty conscience.
Jonas waved and started off down the alley toward Bourbon. If he’d been asked to walk a straight line, Aidan knew he wouldn’t have made it.
Aidan started back into the bar alone.
He should have expected it, he thought, when he saw Zach still at the table with Mason and no sign of Kendall Montgomery.
Aidan hesitated, but he knew where Kendall lived.
With a shrug, he headed back outside and started in that direction.
A headache had started knocking against her skull the minute Kendall had left the stage. She had quickly kissed Mason on the cheek and made a hasty departure.