The Game by Vi Keeland by Vi Keeland

“Alright then. I’ll reach out, if you want—save you the trouble of doing a FOIA request and keep things private for you. The FOIA request itself is public, and your name is pretty well known. Could get leaked that you even made it.”

I raked a hand through my hair. That was a good point. “As long as it won’t get you in trouble.”

“Not at all. But you’re going to have to give me the name.”

I was silent for a moment, kicking around my choices. “The name is Rose Keating.”

“Keating…why is that name familiar?”

“Because you met her daughter at Jake’s engagement party. Rose was Bella’s mother.”

“Oh shit. I didn’t realize her mother was killed in a hit and run. So what’s with all the secrecy if you’re looking into something for your girlfriend?”

“Long story. But she has no idea I’m looking into it.”



***



“What do you think?” Bella asked.

I looked around the small apartment. “It’s a nice building, in a good location. Has decent twenty-four-hour security and all the basic amenities. What do you think?”

She grinned from ear to ear. “I love it.”

The woman owned a team worth more than a billion dollars. There weren’t too many apartments in the city she couldn’t afford. Yet a simple, eleven-hundred-square-foot place made her happy.

I wrapped my arms around her waist. “You know, it was never too clear what a smart, beautiful woman like you saw in a dope like me. But I get it now. You like simple. Thank God.”

She chuckled. “I know it’s not big and fancy, but I don’t need much more than this.”

None of us really needed most of the things we had, but that didn’t stop most people from wanting them. Though Bella wasn’t most people. “If it makes you happy and it’s safe, you should take it.”

She squealed. “I’m going to!”

It made me happy to see her so excited. As far as I knew, this was the first splurge she’d made since coming into all that money, if you could even call it a splurge. She had to have made a good salary in her old job and could have afforded to live here. But she was conservative, and I liked that about her—probably could stand following her lead once in a while, too.

The real estate agent had stepped outside to give us a few minutes to talk. She knocked and let herself back in. “So what do you think?”

“It’s nice,” Bella said. “But do you think the landlord might come down a little on the rent?”

I had to cover my laugh with a cough. She could buy the damn building, if she wanted. Yet she was going to try to negotiate a better deal. I hadn’t expected her to ask that question, and it actually made me fall a little harder. Luckily the agent hadn’t recognized me, and I’m guessing she had no idea who Bella was either.

“Your annual salary is at least forty times greater than the monthly rent?” the agent asked.

Bella nodded. “Yes.”

“And you have references from a current landlord?”

“I’ve lived in the same place for thirteen years and never made a late payment.”

The agent smiled. “You’d be willing to sign the lease today?”

“Yes.”

“Give me a minute and let me call the landlord to see what we can do.”

The agent stepped outside into the hallway again, and Bella turned to me with a giant grin.

I chuckled. “You know you’re going to have to fill out a tenant application and list your occupation and salary. The poor woman is going to shit her pants when she realizes who she was haggling with.”

The agent came back with a smile. “I got you seventy-five dollars a month off the rent. Would that help?”

“Definitely,” Bella said. She looked at me with a mischievous smile. “Should I do it?”

“I think you’ll be able to swing it.”

She turned back to the agent. “I’ll take it.”

The agent went into action, and while Bella worked on some paperwork, my phone began to buzz.

“It’s Tyler.” I showed Bella my phone. “I’m going to take it in the hall, so I’m not interrupting your reading.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks.”

I made sure to pull the door shut and walked to the other end of the hall as I answered. “Hey.”

“I spoke to the detective who caught the case years back. He’s still on the job. I’m going to meet him before my shift tomorrow to pick up a copy of what he’s got in the file.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “Damn, that was quick.”

“You don’t ever ask for shit, not even when you were a kid, so I figured it was important to you.”

I blew out a deep breath. “It is. Thank you.”

“No problem. I’m working until seven. Your game’s at one o’clock, right?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s about a two-hour drive to the stadium from the precinct. You want to meet at eight? We’ll each drive an hour.”

“That sounds great. Thanks, Tyler.”

“I’ll figure out where there’s a diner halfway and text you a place to meet.”

“Perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”