Page 51 of Breathe Me In

“Don’t tell me those things.” Lainey held up a hand. “Shit, just check in, okay?”

“We really need some help with this case,” I tried to explain.

“Don’t you have someone else who could go? I get people to do things for me all the time.” Charley shook his head, and I could tell he wasn’t happy about me going.

“I promise, I’ll be careful.” I waited for them to step back so I could swing around the loop in the driveway and head into town.

The club was in full swing by the time I arrived. Nelly’s “Hot in Herre,” to my surprise, was blasting from the speakers, and a sea of people danced away to the beat. I couldn’t reach Cap on the way in, but I did leave a detailed message and made sure to show my ID to the bouncer and the police and let them know my intentions.

“You’re working with Detective Stone, right?” one of the officers asked.

Bree: I’m here, where are you?

“Yes, we are.” I tried to recall what he had just said.

The officer was undercover in street clothes, and he shifted his belt in a poor attempt for me to look down at his crotch. “He’s a lucky man.”

“More like lucky me,” I tossed back and headed into the crowd to see if I could spot Sophia. I did a quick once-over of my dress in the mirrored wall on the way down the stairs. My dress was open in the back and had a thin lattice detail down the front. It complemented my cleavage, and I felt nerve-rackingly sexy. Once I joined the crowd of other women who were dressed much like I was, I felt I didn’t stand out as much and took a breath to reassure myself.

I glanced at my phone and saw no missed calls or messages, but it was getting close to 1 a.m. Sophia, where are you?

The dance floor was much too crowded to spot anyone. I felt like a ball in a pinball machine, being bounced around by the crowd. I glanced at the time again, and, worried, I moved to the bar, where I flashed my ID at the bartender. He recognized me, as we’d met before with Brad, and I asked for a mocktail. I knew not to drink on the job. I wasn’t going to risk anything being thrown out or used against me in court.

“On the house,” he yelled, and I mouthed a thank-you. I kept my place at the bar but turned to face the club and scanned all the faces around me. There was no sign of Sophia. Come on, you sorry excuse for a murderer, where are you? Out of the corner of my eye, I felt someone watching me. I tried to take in what I could see, but it was tricky, as the place was so packed. Dark hair, taller than me, slimmer build. After a few moments, I sucked on the straw and made a face like it tasted funny. Slowly, I turned toward the bar, but as soon as I did, the man I’d tried to get a look at turned away from me and faded into the line of people farther down the bar.

“Okay?” the bartender asked. I nodded and made a movement with my eyes that I might have spotted something. He stepped back and switched the way he was accepting orders, making sure not to head the way I motioned. Smart man. Someone tipped over their drink on the bar, and I heard a girl’s voice as she apologized. She was only three people down, and when I glanced that way, I caught a man’s hand as it reached out to right the girl’s drink—and I spotted the green nail. I froze for a millisecond before I stepped back and saw a guy heading for the exit.

“Hey, man.” I hit his shoulder, and he whirled around with a nasty expression. “Sorry, but I think you have something on your hands.” I reached down and lifted his hand to see his nails were clean.

“What the hell?” He snarled and ripped his hands away.

“Sorry.” I stepped back. “My mistake.”

An earth-shattering scream tore through the place, and instantly, something cold ran through me. I beat my way through the crowd as other officers and bouncers followed suit. I followed the sound of sobbing straight into the room marked employees only and saw Maria on the floor holding Sophia. My mind immediately went to Shelly and Maggie. It was obvious Sophia was dead.

“No one leaves!” I shouted at the bouncers and police to bar the exits. I checked Sophia’s pulse on her wrist even though I knew she was gone.

“Is she alive?” Maria sobbed.

I looked up at the officer I had spoken to earlier as I shook my head. He spoke into his phone as the weight of what had just happened sank in. I reached over and hugged Maria, who had completely fallen apart. I didn’t blame her.

“Come on.” I helped her to her feet and walked her back out to the dance floor. The music had stopped, and officers were asking people to remain calm as they attempted to herd them into groups against the walls. In the moments after the screams, I knew there had been time for a lot of people to escape in panic. Hopefully, the cameras would help identify any of those who had run through the doors.

The officers were asking anyone who had footage or pictures to send them to a designated email address, while they pleaded for calm.

“Bree?” Brad and Kennedy came rushing in with their jerseys on. Clearly, they got the call while playing hockey, given that they were sweaty.

“I’m fine.” I left Maria’s side and waved them away from the others. “I know he was here, but dammit, I didn’t get a good look at him.”

Brad moved in front of me and looked me up and down. “Were you trying to be his next victim?” His voice had an edge to it. “That dress would certainly draw his attention.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I was trying to do—I was trying to prevent someone else from being killed, Brad.”

“Okay,” he said, lowering his voice as he looked around, and that’s when I saw Cap arrive. “And what exactly were you going to do once you caught his attention? Tell him to wait while you wave over an officer? Christ, Bree, you don’t even carry cuffs!”

“Hey,” the officer I had been dealing with called to Brad as he did a gawking sweep up my front. He got a hard look from Brad in return. “Did your rent-a-cop recognize anyone?”

“What?” Brad spoke sharply.