The Liberation of Alice Love(68)
Author: Abby McDonald

Helena blinked. “But I thought—”

“No.” Alice folded her arms let her gaze drift over to Freddie. She curled her lip slightly. “Of course, Flora may change her mind, with a different buyer.”

His eyes widened. “And who the f**k are you?”

“Her sister,” she replied, with a smile. “Enjoy the rest of the show.”

Alice left them staring in disbelief. She’d just cost Flora a lucrative sale, but it was worth it, she was sure. Those kittens belonged with somebody who would actually appreciate them, not leave them wrapped in storage as if they were nothing more than stock certificates.

“You realize there are people out for your blood right now?” Nathan appeared, handing her a glass of wine. He nodded back across the room, to where Helena and Freddie were glaring at her.

Alice shrugged, unconcerned. “Some people just have no taste, that’s all.” She took a sip of the wine and studied him from under her lashes, torn between trying to continue their flirtation and asking about Kate Jackson. As always, her curiosity about Ella won. “Any news on that name yet?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

He grinned, moving back into a slight alcove. “I was wondering how long it would take you to ask.”

“How did I do?” Alice followed. He was tantalizingly close now, his jacket pressed against her bare arm.

“You know, pretty good.” Nathan pretended to muse. “You didn’t jump me the minute I walked through the door.”

“Tempting as it was,” Alice quipped, only partly joking.

“I’m sure.” He paused, looking out at the groups of casual guests, sipping Pimm’s and nibbling the tiny cucumber sandwiches the caterer had set out on lace-adorned tables to play up the English country theme. Alice was surprised they hadn’t hung bunting and served Earl Grey as well. “It’s a great showing tonight,” Nathan remarked. “Flora must be happy.”

“Yes, wonderful.” Alice waited impatiently.

“And it was nice to meet that friend of yours—Julian, wasn’t it?” he teased.

“Nathan!” Alice broke. “I have a blunt object, and I’m not afraid to use it.” She wielded her wineglass in what she hoped was a vaguely threatening manner.

He laughed, already pulling out a folded sheet of paper. Alice forced herself to take it calmly and not snatch it from his hand. “She paid at the hotel in cash, so there wasn’t much to go on, just the name,” he began, as she glanced through the long list. “I scanned for credit, property, driver’s licenses. After I cut them down for age, I got our short-list here. Those two are dead, that one has been missing five years, and she became a he last summer.”

Alice could still see at least two dozen names. “So what next?”

Nathan had his smug look on again, a fact that Alice found remarkably reassuring. “Next, I ruled out most of our remaining candidates with a few calls. The only one I couldn’t track down was bachelorette number twelve there.”

Alice followed his pointed finger to a single notation, just an address in Bath with none of the other details the rest of the possibilities had amassed. “It’s her?”

He nodded. “Seems so. Just one record of her there, a credit card registered to that address. Which is suspicious enough, but what do you know? There was a nasty outbreak of fraud and identity theft nearby.” Alice brightened, and Nathan laughed at her obvious enthusiasm. “Three people in apartments across the street fell victim, back at the start of January, just before Ella appeared in London.”

“That can’t be a coincidence,” Alice breathed.

“It seems to be her,” he agreed. “I’ve started contacting the police, getting access to the reports and any investigator files, so we should get something back soon.”

“Maybe I should get in touch with the victims,” Alice suggested. It had been hard enough waiting for Nathan to provide this information—she wasn’t about to sit back and let somebody else follow every clue without her. “I mean, they might be more relaxed, chatting with someone who’s been through the same thing. And, I’ll be able to recognize anything linking them to Ella.”

“Sure.” Nathan shrugged. “I’ll send you over the details.”

Alice beamed at him. “Have I told you how wonderful you are?”

Nathan adjusted his jacket, falsely modest. “Well, I don’t like to brag…”

“Yes you do,” she laughed. “But this time, you deserve it.” Seized by an impulse she couldn’t quite control, Alice stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

As soon as she was back down on solid ground, Alice began to regret the gesture. Nathan was looking down at her strangely, and their cozy alcove suddenly felt too small. She glanced up at him, about to make a casual quip, but her eyes caught his, dark and intent, and she quite forgot what she was planning to say.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you all over.” A familiar voice cut through the intimate moment and Alice looked up to find Julian closing in. He glanced back and forth between them, frowning. “What are you two conspiring about?”

“Oh, nothing.” Alice slipped the list into her bag. “Having fun?”

“More now I’ve found you.” Julian grinned at her. “Here, I got you some juice.”

“Already taken care of.” She held up her glass. “But thanks.”

“I thought you didn’t like to drink at these things.” Julian frowned. “Anyway, you’re almost done. I can take that.”

Alice looked at him curiously. “I’m fine.” She took a deliberate sip of the wine and looked back at Nathan. “So, did you guys have a chance to get to know each other? Julian is an accountant, over at Deloitte.”

“Really? How’s that working out for you?” Nathan lounged back against the wall and surveyed Julian.

“Pretty well, actually. I’ll be heading up my own department from next month.” Setting the glass of juice down nearby, Julian put his hands in his pockets and gazed back at Nathan evenly. “You’re in the same field, aren’t you?”

“Not exactly.” Nathan seemed amused by the thought. “I don’t sit around all day, crunching numbers.”

Julian raised an eyebrow. “My mistake. I suppose you’re running around, chasing after petty thieves then.”