Page 95 of Night Moves
Good. Good.Now Drake could concentrate on the woman who meant more to him than he could ever imagine and save her from a lunatic with a knife.
24
Tracey moved closer, her knife shining in the overhead light. Natalie swallowed her shock over Tracey claiming to be The Clipper and frantically looked around the room. She’d managed to stall Tracey by puffing up her ego, but Natalie was running out of things to say to build this killer’s ego.
Think, Natalie. Think.
“The nail polish,” Natalie blurted out. “How did you decide on the colors you used? And why do it at all?”
Tracey cast a well-duh look at Natalie. “Every woman should look her best at all times. I had to help them for their funerals.”
That made no sense. “Why only do their nails? Why not do the makeup, too?”
She pursed her lips and looked like a puckering fish. “Makeup requires perfection. It would take too much time. I couldn’t risk getting caught.”
“And the color choices?” Natalie caught sight of the large brass candlestick she’d bought last month. Solid and heavy. She could defend herself with it. She just needed to get closer. She moved a few inches.
“That was easy.” Tracey shifted on her sky-high heels but didn’t seem to notice Natalie’s movements. “Angelicfor your sister. She made everyone think she was a devout Christian, but she was as two-faced as they come. She was going to steal my clients. I couldn’t lose any money, and I had to stop her before she did.”
“How did you know that she was planning such a thing?” Natalie asked, as her sister would never have stolen anything from anyone.
“She told me she was branching out on her own.”
“But that doesn’t mean she’d steal your clients.” Natalie scooted a few more inches.
“Of course it did. Any business she started would compete with mine. I couldn’t afford for her to interfere. I just couldn’t.” Panic flitted through Tracey’s deep blue eyes, which were so reminiscent of Sadie’s that it put an ache in Natalie’s heart.
This woman feared business competition? That had to be the lamest reason for committing murder that Natalie had ever heard. “And the other colors?”
“Chameleon,for Veronika. She was more two-faced than your sister. She once managed my website and took care of uploading my videos. She wanted to start her own online channel too, under the name of Onyx and was going to promote another line of cosmetics. I was afraid I would lose a lot of clients to her, even if her product was inferior.” Tracey planted her hand on her hip and glared at Natalie.
“AndBewitchingfor Rebecca?” Natalie asked.
“Ah yes, Rebecca. She was a very special lady. Older, but she liked to look her best all the time. She could afford to—she was loaded, one of my best customers. I friended her online then visited in person to sell her new products. She paid me with cash from a safe filled with money. I needed that money. And I took it.” She laughed, a maniacal kind of laugh, her gaze flitting around, not landing anywhere. She seemed to be losing focus.
“And Laura?” Natalie asked.
“Vixen.”Her focus returned, and she stared at Natalie. “I met her like I met the others—after they commented on my videos. Laura left nasty comments about a few of my products, so I decided to interact with her to stop her from leaving more of them. I wanted to simply unsubscribe her, but I knew she would find a way to get back at me. So we engaged. I learned she had a boatload of money too. I needed it. She didn’t deserve it. So I took it.” She shrugged as if killing this woman and stealing her money was of no consequence.
“And what role did Kirk play in this?” Natalie scooted again. A couple more feet and she could reach the candlestick.
“Kirk, a role? No. No. It was all me.” She pulled her shoulders back. “He doesn’t have the courage to go after something bigger and better for us. The fool caught me doing Rebecca in. I thought he would go to the police, but he didn’t have the nerve to do that either. He simply ordered me to quit. Like he ordered me not to work. Not to dress flashy. Not to wear makeup. But I was done with his ordering me to do anything. So I left him—just walked out.”
“But you said you talked to him, and he told you about the children.”
“Oh, I did. He couldn’t stay away. Hunted me down. Asked me to run away with him. He’d never planned to turn me in so he prepared for a getaway. For all of us. But I liked being in charge for once. And no matter how hard he begged, I wouldn’t go with him so I slipped some drugs in his drink and left. He just didn’t understand. Ineedthe money. I must have it.”
“Couldn’t he have gotten a loan?” Natalie saw someone step into the hallway. Drake? Could it be? Or was she hallucinating in her fear and longing?
She blinked a few times. The man who’d sworn to protect her stood strong and powerful in his vest, his gun aimed ahead, his brother Erik backing him up. Drake held a finger to his lips, telling her to remain quiet and not alert Tracey to his arrival. Natalie had no idea how he knew she needed help, but here he was.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
“That’s what he said. Finally. But that would leave me under his control again. I couldn’t have that. Wouldn’t have that.”
“Did you know he started polishing Willow’s nails?” Natalie tried not to look at Drake, but she had to glance at him to see if he was coming closer. He was stealthy and silent, and he was nearly to the living room.
“Gross, right?” She shuddered. “He said it was a way to remember me. If I’d known that sooner I would’ve turned him in as The Clipper. I mean, I knew he kept the polish. He thought he could control me that way, but I was careful. I didn’t leave any prints or DNA on them. I could tell a convincing story to implicate the fool.”
