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  “I have a shoot this afternoon, but if you could come down to Dos now, I’d love to see you.” The guy was more easygoing than Tad expected about the last-minute meeting, and he made sure not to waste the man’s time.

  “Give me fifteen minutes to get ready, and I’ll be on my way.” He ended his call on a positive note and then hurried to shower. He was cleaned up, dressed, and on his way to the meeting before he knew it. The Mustang got a good work out on the way, and he even squealed the tires once. This could be a big opportunity for him.

  Dos was located in an upscale building in the city, and he was glad he’d made quick time on the road because parking was a total bitch. As he drove around looking for a place to leave his pride and joy, he couldn’t help but think back to the day his uncle had shown him the camera and the very first picture he’d taken of him.

  “Stand over there by that backdrop, and I’ll take your picture.” A sheet hung on the wall, and Tad stood against it.

  “Don’t lean against the wall, now. You’ll pull it down. Step away and give me a big smile.” His uncle had snapped the photo and called him over to see. The digital camera’s tiny screen turned blue before he got a good look at the photoand Uncle Roddy cursed under his breath, and pulled it back up. “It’s ready for another one. You want to do something different this time?”

  “Like what?” Tad didn’t know if he was supposed to try and pose or look like he was doing something.

  “Well, I think you could handle some still-life shots.” He walked over to the small kitchenette and found a popsicle in the freezer. “Do you like popsicles?”

  Tad thought he’d won the lottery that day. His uncle had all the best foods, and popsicles, too. “Yeah! Who doesn’t?” He took it from his uncle’s hand, and then his uncle opened one, too.

  “Here, let me show you how to eat one of these for the camera. You have to take it nice and slow.” He put the popsicle against his tongue and licked it slowly from the bottom to the top. Then he stuck it into his mouth as far as it could go and slid it out again. “Now, can you do that?”

  Tad shrugged. “Like this?” He licked the popsicle just like the older man had, and while he did, his uncle snapped a few pictures.

  “Boy, you’re really good at that, Tad. You know, there are a lot of people who like to buy pictures of this kind. A handsome, young man like yourself could make a little money. Of course, I don’t think your mom would let you. She doesn’t realize how much of a man you are, does she?”

  His mother never gave him any attention, and she was barely around. His sister had already taken up with the girl next door and only came home for lunch and dinner that summer. One of the rules was that they didn’t bring around any company.

  “No, she doesn’t. She still talks to me like I’m a baby.”

  “I bet she doesn’t think you know how to keep secrets, either, does she? But you’re a good boy. A fine young man. I bet you could even be in the military one day, a secret spy.”

  “You really think so?” Tad had never really thought about his future, but he finally had a man investing some time in him, teaching him how to be a man.

  “Sure. You’re practically grown.”

  Tad nodded firmly. “I want to make money, then.”

  “Well, there’s one thing I’m not sure you’ll like. Maybe we should wait until you’re a bit older. That’s a pretty big secret, too. Are you sure you’d be able to handle it?” His uncle was one hell of a convincer.

  “I will like it, I promise.”

  “Well, it’s not really that big of a deal, but the real money is made from nudes.” Uncle Roddy shrugged.

  Tad’s eyes widened. “You mean I’d have to be naked?”

  “If you want to. I mean, I’d never ask you to or force you.” He walked over to the trunk that was at the foot of his bed and opened the lid. He sifted through a few things and then brought Tad a copy of a magazine. “See this. These people know where the money is. You could be just like them.”

  Tad flipped through the pages of the magazine, seeing nude men and women in all sorts of poses and positions. Sweat broke out on his forehead, and his hands went clammy. He was instantly turned on, but also ashamed. “I can’t do that. I’m not like them. I’m not big like they are.”

  “Oh, sure you could. There are lots of different kinds of people who do this. And lots of people like variety. But if you don’t want to make fifty dollars, I understand.”

  Tad had never seen fifty dollars in his life. “Fifty dollars?”

  Uncle Roddy smiled. “Sure. Fifty per shoot. So, you could save up for something nice, if you wanted. But it would have to be our secret. I’m sure you can see how some people might not like this sort of thing, and well, let’s face it. Your mama would never let you keep your fifty dollars.”

  He knew that was the truth, but was still unsure about having people see him without clothes on. “I’ll try it. But promise you won’t laugh at me? And I don’t want anyone else to know what I’m doing.”

  “I won’t tell a soul. You have my word on that. We’ll just take a few for practice, and I’ll give you the fifty for a hard day’s work.” The two shook hands, and Tad stepped behind a curtain to undress and then wrapped a towel around his waist. Something inside him kept telling him not to do it, but his uncle had been so convincing that his trust for the man won out. He’d never do anything to hurt Tad. They were family, and more than that, they were friends.

  They took those first photographs, and when they were done, his uncle handed him a crisp fifty-dollar bill. It was the first money he’d ever made.

  Tad parked his car finally and then wiped the sweat from his brow. He felt the same way he had all those years ago, anxious and unsure. Everyone else had called him pretty and went on about his looks since he was a kid, but he’d never felt good enough.

  He’d do this for Hannah, but if it didn’t work out, no biggie. He’d get back to his life and trying to figure out who had left that note. He looked around the garage to make sure no one had followed him in, and then he opened the door and hurried into the elevator.

  He checked a few signs to find his way and then moments later found himself in the office where a young man sat on the corner of a counter and laughed with three women who hung on every word he said. He looked up and saw Tad. “Ladies, here’s the man I was waiting for. I’ll have to tell you the rest of that tale tomorrow.”

  The ladies made a sound of disappointment and then turned to welcome Tad with smiles. Then they went back to their stations around the room as Spencer waved him back. Tad gave the ladies a nod and followed him.

  “That was one of my mid-morning pow-wows with the girls. They run my office, and I adore them all, but man, can they keep me talking.”

  Tad followed him around a corner, and then he pushed a large door open and flicked on a light. The room was Spencer’s huge office, and though there were plenty of places to sit, the man waved him over to a small seating area near the window.

  “This is a nice view,” Tad mumbled.

  “Thank you, and speaking of nice views, I saw your shots. Amazing stuff, but I have to say, you’re even hotter in person. Your face is the most symmetrical I’ve ever seen.” Tad was sure he turned a bright shade of red, but the man didn’t let on that he’d noticed.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’m serious. And just so we’re not wasting any time, I want you to come back and pose for me. I have an opening. It just came open, actually, so I’d love for you to fill it. It’s in two days.”

  “Are you serious? I feel like I haven’t said three words to you yet.”

  The guy’s smile was contagious. “No one gets a word in with me, so it’s okay. Are you in?”

  “Yes, yes, I’m in.” He leaned over and took the man’s offered hand. “Thank you.” Not only did he feel all of the nerves go away, but he was actually less stressed than he’d been in weeks. Something about the man, his office, the entire atmosphere told him that this tim
e, things would be different.

  He ended the meeting, and by the time he grabbed a bite for lunch, it was time to head to his shift at Bakes. He was over the moon with happiness about the new opportunity and couldn’t wait to share the good news with Hannah.

  He’d only been at Bakes for twenty minutes when Darek Blake showed up alone. At first, he wondered if the man was there to arrest him, but he stepped up and shook his hand. “How’s it going, man?’

  “Okay, is everything okay on your end?”

  “If you call my wife leaving me and trying to clean me out, okay, then sure.” He’d never heard the guy say too much about a wife, and now he was getting a divorce.

  “Will any table do, and are you expecting a guest?” Tad asked.

  “Give me a table in the back, and you’ll know him when he gets here.” Darek gave Tad a wink, and he turned and led Darek to the back, thinking he had to mean Bay. He couldn’t imagine Darek coming to Bakes to meet anyone else.

  8

  Darek

  Darek sat at the table in the back section of Bakes and waited for Bay to show up. He had a lot to go over with the man and hoped that he’d give him some sound advice on how to deal with Megan. He didn’t want to even have to communicate with the woman, but that might not be a possibility. Divorces were never easy, and often messy. He’d have to suck it up.

  Tad walked into the private section with Bay behind him and followed him all the way to the table. “Can I get the two of you anything?”

  “Yeah, you can take five and sit with us. I’m sure you’d like to hear this as much as me.” Bay gestured toward him, and he moved over so Tad could sit with him.

  Bay shot Darek and Tad a hard look. “Good, now that I have two of you, I’ll kill two birds. I talked to Logan. He says he sold the brands. He’s looking for the list of names from those sales but assured me that he was careful about who he sold them to and made sure he scattered them. But you already know this, don’t you?” He turned to Tad.

  “Yeah, so, I talked to him. I didn’t think I had to wait for you.” Tad gave Bay the side eye, and then Baysquared his shoulders.

  “Well, it would have been nice to know.” Bay gave Tad a pointed look.

  Darek ignored whatever was going on between them. “Good, once we have those names, I’ll have a list of suspects. We’re supposed to go to the victim’s house after lunch and look for leads. I’ll make sure the brand isn’t there. If it pops up, it will be evidence. I won’t be able to tamper with it.”

  “But it could have my DNA on it, right?” Tad asked. “It could have all of our prints, or those of anyone who touched it. I highly doubt it’s been wiped clean.” Tad leaned across the table. “We need to remove our marks.”

  Bay frowned. “Yeah? How do you plan to do that? Are you going to go get professional help to take it off now that everyone is on the lookout for it?”

  “I’ve got another modeling gig, and I can’t hide the thing from everyone.”

  “You’d better try, or keep your ass at home. Pretend you’re cold, put a bandage on it, anything. Just don’t let anyone see it.” Bay’s tone was harsh. “In the meantime, I’ll keep pushing Logan and the others for information.”

  “I need to talk to Bay alone,” Darek said, giving Tad a sympathetic look. “It’s why I asked you here. It’s divorce talk; it would probably bore you to tears.”

  “Yeah, I’ve got to get back to my station anyway. My shift has only just begun, and I’ll have people looking for me. Lewis is the bane of my existence, by the way.”

  “That’s because you won’t fuck him,” Bay said with a laugh. “I knew the two of you would hate each other the minute I placed you here.”

  “Thanks a lot.” Tad did not look amused. His mouth set into a hard line, and he balled his fists on the table.

  Bay smiled like the devil. “Well now, I can’t have you getting too comfortable.”

  “Well, for your information, I have a modeling gig coming up. It might just get me out of this place.”

  “We’ll see.” Bay gave him a look, and Tad rolled his eyes as he stood and stormed off.

  “It really gets your rocks off to fuck with people, doesn’t it?” Darek shook his head at Bay and then placed his phone on the table. “Megan’s threatening me. I told her you were my representation, and she was so threatened by your name that she said she’d tell the FBI about my little blackout problem.”

  “So, maybe we should have her snuffed out. Is that what you’re suggesting?” Bay was in a rare mood today.

  “No, jackass. And that’s not funny. I’m serious. Is there any way I can get her to keep her mouth shut?”

  “I’ll handle it. But stop showing her your cards, and don’t let her get to you.” He made things seem easier than they were. Or maybe things were that easy when your name was Bay Collins. Unfortunately, life wasn’t the same for everyone else. The guy was the luckiest motherfucker Darek had ever met.

  “Is that the major crisis you needed to see me about?”

  “That, and I need a place to live.”

  “I do own a few places, but if you set up residence someplace else, how am I going to get a judge to feel sorry about your living conditions? There’s a motel on the other side of town; it’s just the type of pathetic place you should stay. Not too fancy, affordable. Probably clean enough, but I can make a few calls, light a few fires.”

  “How come I feel like it brings you joy to send me to the slums? Don’t you own a hotel? Wouldn’t it be perfectly suitable for you to put me up in a room there?”

  “Yes, but not as much fun.” He smiled.

  “Fuck you, man. I’ll find my own place.” If Darek wanted a cheap motel, he could go find a clean one someplace else.

  “Fine. For God’s sake, I’ll let you have a room at my hotel. It can’t be anything too big, though. I’m not kidding about the whole sympathies thing. You need to look like a hard-working cop who has been tossed out on his ear.”

  “Good, that’s an act I can live up to.”

  Bay jotted down the name and address of the hotel and then pushed the card in front of him. “I’ll call ahead and make sure you have a place.”

  “Thanks, man.” Darek hated that he needed Bay’s help, but he was glad to have him in his corner nonetheless.

  The two ended their conversation, and then Bay slipped out ahead of Darek in case anyone was paying attention to their whereabouts. As soon as Darek opened his car door, his phone rang. He tapped the screen and greeted the caller.

  It was Lizzy. “Darek? Meet me at Victor’s house. We’re going to the private residence first. The all-clear just came through.”

  They’d gone to look at his place before, but this time, they were going to be collecting more evidence, and hopefully, solve his murder. Their first run had been limited because they were only looking for evidence that might have linked him to the girl’s murder, but now, they needed to take a deeper look. Seeing a scene from a different perspective and mulling it over with new information just might lead to new suspects or point to a reason why anyone might kill Victor.

  “I’m on my way.” He took off to the house. It was much different than Victor’s private residence at his workshop where the man had made his BDSM gear and leather collars. Darek could still see the thing wrapped around Alicia David’s neck.

  Lizzy and Max were already at the house, as well as about ten other officers who were separating and combing the area, the backyard included.

  “Let’s hope we find something.” Lizzy looked tired, and Darek knew that these types of cases always took their toll.

  He pushed up his sleeves. “Let’s see what we can find.” He walked into the house and went into the bedroom. Several others were digging around in there, so he stepped into the guy’s master bathroom to check it out. While in there, he reminded himself to look high and low, and when he looked up, he saw something he hadn’t ever seen in a bathroom. He pulled the string, and then placed his hand up to make sure nothin
g fell out of there, including the ladder.

  “I think the guys have already gone up there. There’s access on the other side of the house.” Max’s voice turned Darek’s head.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen attic access stairs in the bathroom ceiling.” He hoped he wouldn’t find one of the man’s gimps dead from starvation, or worse, some kinky fucking punishment.

  “You know, I haven’t either. Maybe it’s for plumbing purposes?” Max helped pull the ladder the rest of the way down, and then he waited as Darek climbed up.

  At the top of the ladder, he turned on his phone’s light and shined it into the darkened sapce. Seeing a switch, he flipped it on, revealing a private room that looked like it was walled off from the rest of the attic.

  “There’s a room up here.” He stepped into it, and then Max climbed the ladder. Darek opened one of the storage containers. “Damn, it’s videos and porno mags.”

  “Talk about a porn collection; this guy has an entire vault.” There was also a flat-screen TV with equipment for viewing and a double recliner.

  “Kinky fucker. All that’s missing is the lube and a box of tissues.” Max looked around and opened a small console between the chairs, which had to have been put into the space before it was closed in. “Scratch that, and check.”

  “So, not only did he view these here, but he wasn’t always alone.” Darek noticed an empty DVD case and picked it up. “Maybe what he watched last will give us a clue.”

  Neither he nor Max was prepared for what they found. The screen came to life showing a young boy, a young boy who Darek recognized right away. Tad Halston.

  9

  Tad

  Another shift down, and Tad hoped that if all went well, he would be done being Lewis’s bitch at Bakes soon. The guy was always on his ass, and if what Bay said was true, he’d probably paid the guy a bonus to be extra shitty to him.