It's Murder on the Catwalk by Alina Popescu

Author:Alina Popescu [Popescu, Alina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: An OWL Investigations Mystery
Publisher: Alina Popescu
Published: 2019-08-14T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

DINNER TURNED OUT TO be as boring and tedious as I’d expected. Tomas and Summer sat stiffly next to each other, exchanging nothing but curt and bitter words. Meredith was buzzed by the time we’d started, Dalia watching her like a hawk. Xander seemed to have checked out and Mateo sat to Morales’s right, flirting with him throughout the meal. Spencer seemed as tired as I felt, but we had to stick through all the courses and the lack of actual conversation.

When I could finally excuse myself, I headed for the bar. I was planning on getting a drink and waiting it out, see who did what for the rest of the evening. Maybe I’d catch one of the off-duty bodyguards and strike up a conversation.

There wasn’t anyone else around when I arrived, which soured my mood. Ayaz smiled as he wiped the bar top, but it seemed forced. Or more like a habit he’d ingrained into himself. I ordered a beer, not caring I wasn’t supposed to stray from my diet at all. I only had two more days of shooting and I could squeeze a nice little workout in the morning.

As Ayaz placed the bottle in front of me, Mateo and Morales walked out of the restaurant and headed for the hotel entrance. I caught Ayaz scowling and chuckled. “He’s not sugar daddy material, mate. He’s already got a trophy wife and doesn’t seem willing to exchange her.”

Ayaz’s scowl deepened and I held out my hands. “No offense, man. Just speaking the truth.” And enjoying how much it bothered him that he’d lost to Mateo. Of course, Mateo flirted, but didn’t seem enthralled by Morales. I got why the sly businessman would enjoy that sort of challenge.

“Good evening,” Ayaz said, turning to a new arrival and plastering that go-to smile on his face.

“Get me a beer, please. Anything American?”

I turned to the—bingo!—bodyguard who’d sat a couple stools down from me and held up my Efes bottle. “This local one is wonderful. You should try it.”

The man lowered his head and glared at me, then at my bottle. He gave a curt nod to Ayaz and watched him as he uncapped another beer bottle.

“Long day?” I asked as my new buddy swallowed down half his beer.

“Long and boring, yeah.”

So he must have been the one on door duty. “Must be hard, being stuck to one spot for a long shift. Can you, like, take breaks or something?” Okay, maybe I’d worked the ditzy model voice a little too hard. Especially since Morales’ had investigated me.

“Depends on the job. If we guard Mr. Morales, there’s no breaks. Or if there are any explicit threats against a client.” He looked over his shoulder at the brightly lit pool and the buildings surrounding it. “Not that anything’s likely to happen with a bunch of pretty boys and girls around our client.”

“So if he’s in the hotel room and you guard him, you’re stuck to his door? For how long?”

He narrowed his eyes at me.

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