But I couldn’t. I didn’t want to risk putting her in danger any more than I already had.
Two hours later, my phone vibrated across the tabletop again, and I looked down to see not a message from Nina but one from Daryl. He only texted after he’d seen her or when he had something important about Karl to tell me, so I read his message with a knot forming in the pit of my stomach.
Coming to see you. We need to talk. See you tomorrow afternoon.
I looked around at the mess of my rooms in this place I’d visited first as a child with my mother. The old hotel she’d fallen in love with was now a building under construction, except for this part I’d taken over. Dirty clothes hung over the backs of chairs, unwashed dishes sat on the table and piled high in the kitchen sink, and newspapers lay strewn across the couch I sat on and the floor next to me. Too fucking bad if Daryl had a problem with the way things looked. He’d complained the last time he’d come to see me, not that I cared then either. I didn’t need him to act like a parent. I needed him to act like a fucking detective and find out what I couldn’t so I could get home to the woman I loved.
A knock at the door nearly fifteen hours later had me face to face with Daryl. Looking exactly like someone who’d flown business class for over half a day, he nearly fell into the recliner across from the couch.
“Remind me again why your damn plane couldn’t fly me here?”
“Karl would know where I was if he found out the company jet was flown somewhere.”
“I swear I’m going to end up killing that bastard myself after my return flight,” Daryl groaned as he arched his back in pain. “Do you have any idea how terrible business class is from New York to Bucharest? Women in labor for days feel better than I do right now. Any chance you know a chiropractor here?”
“Are you here just to complain? You’re supposed to be my detective, so please tell me you have something instead of whining about a bad flight.”
“And you think I sound cranky? Is this what you get like when you’re removed from power?”
I wasn’t in the mood for Daryl’s bullshit nonsense. It hadn’t taken long for Karl and his friends on the Board to move on my position in my absence. I was still technically the CEO, but not for long. Every day I was forced to stay away was more justification for them to officially remove me and then replace me, likely with Karl or one of his handpicked lackeys.
“Just get to why you’re here.”
“Why aren’t you staying at that five star hotel I read about on the plane? The Ambassador or something. I get why you aren’t staying at one of your hotels, but why continue living here in this house? I mean, you can still afford it, so why aren’t you living in style like usual?”
Looking around at the old building my mother had fallen in love with nearly twenty years ago, I said, “I like this place.” Turning my attention back to him, I continued, “Enough with your bitching. Why are you here?”
“Your lady isn’t holding up very well.”
Leaning forward, I studied his face for any sign of what was going on with Nina. “What’s wrong? Is Nina okay?”
“Physically, she’s fine. The boys tell me she visits museums a lot. Pretty high brow stuff as far as they’re concerned, but she’s getting out. I think this whole thing is starting to take its toll on her, though. I’m wondering if you should consider another way of keeping her safe.”
“I don’t see any other way, Daryl. As long as Karl thinks what I have is a danger to him, I can’t be around her. I don’t know what he’s concerned about. I’d be endangering her for nothing.”
“You haven’t figured out anything? It’s been four months, Tristan. I know you spent the first couple out of your mind in more ways than one, but you’ve got nothing?”
Shaking my head, I admitted the sad truth. “Nothing. I’ve been through those notes over and over, and even those pages that are about other investigations. I’ve got nothing.”
“Then maybe it’s time to admit what he’s afraid of isn’t in that notebook. I think you’re on the right track, though. Your assistant told me that your penthouse was ransacked twice in the past two months. Michelle said the police think it was an employee each time, but I don’t think we’re talking about some disgruntled maid or bellboy. Karl wants something he believes you have, so the penthouse would be a logical place to look for it, especially since he can’t get at your house.”
“West and Varo are still guarding Nina?”
“Of course. And the security system you installed is working fine. No one gets onto the property without them knowing.”
“He’s going to want to get into the house when he finally figures out that’s the only place he hasn’t been able to check.”
Daryl nodded. “Have any other homes I’m not aware of?”
Chuckling, I shook my head. “No. I only kept the penthouse when I took over as CEO. Well, that’s not entirely true. My father kept a place in LA, but I never go there. The house has been empty for years.”
“Hmmm. I’ll check into whether it’s been broken into lately. Any chance what he’s looking for is there?”
“I have no fucking idea what he’s looking for, Daryl. If I did…” I ended my thought because I honestly couldn’t say what I’d do if I had what Karl so desperately wanted. Maybe I wouldn’t give it to him. If it just had to do with the terrible things my father and Taylor did to the Cashens and Nina’s father, then he could have whatever it was. But was there something more my father had done that I didn’t know about?
“I have to ask the question, Tristan. How far are you planning to go with this? Karl’s a man who seems to have something important to hide. If we find out what it is, are you going to let it go or is this going to be some kind of crusade for you?”
Daryl’s question wasn’t an easy one. Karl had always been a dick to me since the day I took over Stone Worldwide, but I’d thought it was just the way he was. Now I had the sneaking suspicion it was something much more. Even worse, if he had his way, he’d have made sure Nina was dead by now. For that, I’d be willing to make it my personal crusade to make Karl’s life a living hell.
“It depends on what he’s trying to keep hidden. Karl’s happiness isn’t my concern. If he suffers, I won’t be unhappy about that.”