Page 95 of Lost Lake
Gabe gave her a flirtatious smile. “Friends or just involved in the business together?”
“Not just the work, but friends. Good friends.” She returned Gabe’s smile with a wide one, her eyes alive with interest in him. “Honestly, I don’t know where Patrick fits socializing into his crazy schedule. By the time he was thirty-five, he’d already sold two startups, and venture capitalists were drooling over him and his third company when he started working here.”
“Thank you, Trudy,” a booming male voice came from behind them. “You’ve told them quite enough.”
Gabe spun to see the man with the big voice but was surprised by the lean mass of the tall blond guy standing there. His sleek black suit with a tailor-pressed cut screamed taste. The gold cufflinks on his starched white shirt and his Rolex watch spoke to money, maybe ambition.
He strode with extreme confidence toward them. He stretched out his hand to Gabe. “Patrick Sloan. Detective, what can I?—”
“Sorry, man.” Gabe held up his hands. “Wrong choice.” Gabe’s comment briefly ruffled the guy. “I’m Gabe Irving with the Lost Lake Locators, and this is Detective Elaina Lyons.”
Sloan turned on a megawatt smile and fired it and his hand in El’s direction. “I’m so sorry, Detective Lyons.” His gaze fixed onher, looking at her as if she were the only woman in the world. “Can you ever forgive me?”
El wasn’t in any way affected by his overdone charm. She maintained her professional posture and firmly grasped his hand to shake. “Nothing to forgive. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?”
His smile evaporated. “What’s this about?”
“It’s better if we discuss it behind closed doors.”
“We can go to my office.” He performed a razor-sharp pivot and marched to a door he quickly unlocked with a key card. It led into a long hallway with offices on both sides.
“So many offices,” El said. “New Tide must be doing very well to need all these employees.”
“Indeed.” Sloan led them to the end of the hallway and swung into a doorway on the left.
The corner office. Decorated in an ultra-modern style. Glass everywhere. Expensive artwork and objects all around the room, and beautiful views of a large wooded area. The office, combined with his attire, sent red flags flying for Gabe.
Of course, if what the receptionist had said was true, he would’ve come to this business with money, and his pretentious display might not have anything to do with his current salary. Hayden’s deep dive would tell them if that was true.
Sloan gestured with a manicured hand at a round table. He waited until they were seated, then joined them, crossing his long legs and leaning back as if he were king.
“Now, what’s this all about?” he asked, sounding as if this conversation was beneath him.
El took her time retrieving her notebook and pen. “We’d like details on how payments are handled between New Tide and Safe Harbor.”
His eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure that’s information I should provide to you.”
“Why not? It’s not like you’re giving me trade secrets or anything.”
“No, but?—”
“I can get a warrant if I need to.”
He snapped his chair forward and planted his feet on the floor. “What’s this about, anyway? Why do you need the information so badly that you’d get a warrant?”
“We believe it relates to an investigation we’re working on.”
“That was a perfect non-answer.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t share information for an ongoing investigation. Please answer my question, Mr. Sloan, and stop wasting our time.”
He sat back. Pondered for a while. “I guess it won’t hurt to tell you. It’s not like it’s a secret or anything. Each month, Mr. Trent tells me how much money to transfer to Safe Harbor, and I write a check. Simple as that.”
Gabe thought he was either lying or sharing a half-truth. If paying the home was so simple, why was Sloan making such a big deal of keeping it from them?
El finished writing a note and looked up. “Does the money vary every month?”
Sloan nodded. “They’re guaranteed a basic amount each month, but we often raise additional funds, and that money is passed on directly to them.”
