“No, they were working on the show,” Ash said quietly, avoiding my shocked gaze. “They’re dancers.”
“According to the information held by the Immigration Service, Marta Babiak left the US three weeks ago.”
Ash stared at Petronelli, a bitter expression on his face.
“Do you believe that?”
Petronelli ignored his question.
“We have some photographs that we’d like you to look at,” he said, his gaze shifting to me and back again. “This morning, the body of a Caucasian female in her mid-twenties was recovered from the desert outside Las Vegas.”
Oh no, I hadn’t expected this.
“And you think it’s Marta?” asked Ash, his voice strained.
“We’d like to eliminate that possibility if we can.” Petronelli looked at me again. “You might want to look away, Miss Hennessey.”
This time I took his advice willingly. I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair.
After a moment, I heard Ash’s choked voice. “It’s not Marta.”
“Are you sure, Mr. Novak?”
“I’ve never seen her before.”
There was a heavy silence, and when I opened my eyes, Ash had his head in his hands.
“You’re sure about that? Because according to your statement, you only saw her three times briefly, twice at night.”
“My client has already answered that question.”
“I’m sure.” Ash spoke without looking up, and the two detectives exchanged a glance that told me they believed him.
When Petronelli slid the set of photographs back into a folder, I caught a glimpse of a woman’s body, naked against the desert backdrop, limbs folded at odd angles. My stomach heaved.
“Interview terminated at . . .”
Ash’s voice cut in, the words stretched and awkward as he spoke in a low monotone.
“Can you find out about Yveta and Gary? If they’re still in the show, they’re okay. And Galina. I’d like . . . I need to know.”
“We’ll make inquiries,” Petronelli assured him.
Ash closed his eyes.
“Just one more thing, Mr. Novak, Detective Susan Watson would like to talk to you. She’s worked with other rape victims and you could . . .”
Ash’s head shot up, anger and frustration spilling from him.
“No! I wasn’t . . . they didn’t rape me!”
“But, it’s not just . . .”
“NO! I am not a victim!”
He stood abruptly and stormed out.
I stared uneasily at Angie and the two detectives, then followed Ash.
He wasn’t in the lobby, and I wondered for a moment if he’d left the building completely, but then I saw him outside the main door, pacing up and down as if he’d been chained in a cage.
When he turned his eyes toward me, I saw shame, guilt, fear, and his hands shook slightly as he ran his fingers through his short hair.
“They could be dead because of me. Like that girl. What they did to her . . .”
He shuddered and swallowed several times.
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. If I’d told someone . . .”
“You’d probably be dead. These people are evil. It’s not your fault.”
He didn’t bother to disagree again, but I could see that he didn’t believe me either.
As soon as we got back to the apartment, Ash said he was going for a walk. I didn’t try to stop him. Instead I gave him a door key and a twenty from the pile of bills he’d given me earlier.
This time he didn’t argue, but nodded, opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, shaking his head. I watched him striding down the street until he was out of sight.
We stumbled on, an awkward ménage: Ash silent and distant, Collin loud and patronizing.
It was tiring. The easiest thing would be to tell Ash to go, but I just couldn’t do it.
Then one day, Dad asked to meet for lunch at an Italian restaurant near the police station. It wasn’t something we did often, so I guessed it had something to do with Ash.
I hadn’t even chewed my first breadstick when he started the interrogation.
“How’s Collin?”
“Fine, thanks. Busy. Same ole.”
“And how’s your houseguest?”
“Fine.”
“No problems?”
“Such as?”
He eyed me wearily.
“How’s Collin taking it having another man living with you?”
“He’s not a fan, but it’s not his decision. What’s this really about?”
“I worry about you being alone with him. You don’t know this man.”
“He wouldn’t hurt me, Dad. He couldn’t.”
“You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“I know him better than you.”
“Laney! Wake up! He’s involved with some very dangerous people.”
“That wasn’t his fault! He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ash is a good person.”