The Scarlet Stinger (LRDA Book 1)

Chapter 14

Talia walked into the cafeteria.

He smiled at her when she came over. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked about—"

"Nicolai. I need to talk to you. Now," she said. He looked confused but followed her out anyway.

"Is this about the questions I just asked? I didn't mean to pry or anything," Nicolai said.

"What? No. That's not the problem here."

"Then what is it?"

Talia didn't stop walking until they were behind one of the school buildings and she was certain that no one was around. This was as private as they were going to get in that school.

"Talia, you look worried about something. What is it? Maybe I can help," Nicolai said.

Talia turned to face him. "Nicolai, I'm going to ask you a few questions and please answer them truthfully. What were you doing Saturday night?"

"I was at home watching TV."

Talia searched his face. Nicolai showed no sign of guilt. He was a better liar than she'd thought he was.

"How did you get that bruise on your chest?"

"I fell."

"On what?"

"On the stairs," Nicolai said. "Why all these questions?"

"Nicolai," Talia said slowly. "I asked you three questions and you've only answered one truthfully. I have one more question, what did you see when you stole the Scarlet Stinger from Richard Taylor's apartment?"

His eyes widened just a little, then they hardened into an expression she'd never seen him make before, or thought he could make at all.

"I suspected you were the one who contacted me last night but I couldn't be certain. Now I am, Ted Lawson," Nicolai said.

"Everything is so obvious now. Your parents aren't art dealers. They're thieves," Talia said. Nicolai shrugged. "Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of virgins, firefighters and teachers but he's more well known as the patron saint of pirates, robbers and thieves. The way you move. The glasses. The fact that you didn't ask me for any details when I hired you and knew exactly who and what I was talking about. All the evidence was right in front of me! I suspected you but... it's just..."

"You just didn't want to believe that the quiet kid in glasses was actually a thief," Nicolai said coldly.

"Of course not. That's dangerous!" Talia said. Nicolai blinked and looked surprised.

"Is that why you're angry?" he asked.

"I didn't want to think that you were involved in this. Do you have any idea the kind of mess you got yourself mixed up in?" Talia asked. "Craig Rogers is suspected of murder and attempted murder. What if he'd caught you?" She was trying to keep her voice low in case anyone was passing by.

"They can't catch me."

"They came very close," Talia said.

"Close doesn't count. They can either catch me or not."

"Nicolai—"

His eyes softened and he rested his hands on her shoulders. "I'm fine, Talia. The bruise is going down. They don't know who I am and they don't know who you are. In your email you said you needed the painting and the information that I got with it. I'll get it for you."

"Didn't you give it to Craig Rogers?"

Nicolai gave her that same cocky smirk she'd only seen on him one time before. "I gave him the painting. I didn't give him what was underneath the painting. Once I saw what was in that envelope I knew I had to keep it."

"Where did you hide it?"

"Somewhere safe but I can't get it until tonight."

"Why not?" Talia asked.

"You let me worry about that."

"What was in it? I need to know."

Nicolai hesitated for a moment. "Let's just say that Richard Taylor dug up some pretty nasty stuff."

"Details Nicolai."

"I didn't look at them long enough but I knew it had something to do with drugs, the good kind used in bad ways."

"I suspected as much." Talia held onto Nicolai's arms. "Listen to me. As soon as you get the papers, send me them in pictures to the same email I contacted you with last night."

"What about the papers?"

"Give them to Phillip Taylor with this note," Talia said. She scribbled something onto her notebook and tore out the page. "Make sure he gets it in his hand."

"What are you going to do?"

"Well, first, I have a date tonight and second, once you send me the pictures I'm going to see just how far I can make Craig Rogers fall. There are a few other things I need to check out as well."