No, I didn’t. Even knowing about the e-mail to Joe didn’t make me believe Reeve had done something to her.
But there were a hundred reasons not to dwell on it too much. “I think there’re too many questions that will never be answered. And other than that, I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Fair enough.” He squinted, as if trying to decide to say more on the subject. “For what it’s worth, I should mention that I’ve done my own investigating, and I’ve been in contact with Sallis’s team, and no matter how I look at it, I just can’t figure out how Vilanakis would have managed to get into that compound. Every one of the staff checks out clean. The flight itineraries and hotel records off the island show no one suspicious at first glance. I can keep digging if you want, but I don’t know how deep I’m going to have to get before I get anywhere.”
“Well, that just points more to Reeve, doesn’t it?” All the evidence seemed to point to Reeve. Which was exactly my reason for not wanting to think about it.
Joe shrugged. “I guess. But there’s something that still doesn’t add up, and, if I am to continue investigating, he’s not where my focus would be.”
“Where would it be instead?” I asked, actually interested in the answer.
“Not sure yet. I guess I’d start looking harder at Amber, figure out who she had relationships with and see if I could make a link that way. Dig deeper into the things that don’t make sense. Like, for example, did you know she got that tattoo on her own?”
“What do you mean?”
“In my investigating, I found the place she had it done. The owner of the tattoo shop said Amber came in with a picture of the V and paid for it herself. She was alone. He also said that was the only tattoo like that he’d ever done. And when I showed him pics of Vilanakis, he claimed he’d never seen him.”
“Do you believe him?”
“I’d have to dig deeper to know that.” He frowned. “It’s just odd. Why would she get a tattoo that stands for something so specific and terrible? Did she have feelings for Vilanakis? Did she get it to impress him? Was it just another way to piss Reeve off?”
There was something about it that definitely didn’t make sense, and with all the questions, it was tempting to want to continue the investigation.
But just like Reeve had suggested, more proof wouldn’t change how I felt in my heart. “You don’t need to dig anymore. I’m ready to be done with all of that.”
“I think that’s probably smart.”
We grew silent, and I wondered how long it would hurt like this to talk about Reeve. Would I ever actually be able to be done with all of that? Be done with him?
The question was exhausting. “Anyway,” I said, dismissing the subject of my ex. “You came here for more than just to feed me. What’s up?”
Joe scratched at the back of his neck. “Very perceptive. If this acting gig doesn’t pan out for you, you should consider joining my team.”
“Your team,” I chuckled. “You’re a solo kind of a guy and you know it.”
“Maybe that could change,” he said with a wink. “But yes. I’m glad you’ve decided to end the investigation, because I came to say that I’m leaving town for a while. I wanted to make sure I gave you a proper good-bye before I did.”
I gave him a knowing smile. “You’re going after Vilanakis, aren’t you?”
“I’d rather not say anything more.”
“That’s not at all obvious,” I teased, then paused, debating whether I should say more.
I decided I owed Joe everything I knew, even if it some of it hurt to talk about. “You should probably know that Reeve is planning to go after him as well. I don’t have any details, but it was his intention when we last spoke.”
“Damn,” he said, stunned. “That’s not going to start a war or anything, is it?”
“Not my circus anymore.” But my stomach churned, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t just my dinner digesting.
“Well, even if Reeve manages to take care of Vilanakis without getting himself killed, it won’t free any of the women he’s helped enslave.”
“So they’ll need to be rescued,” I said definitively, ignoring that he’d just put a label to the cause of my stomach pain. “Like Maya.”
“I think so. Yeah.” His brows furrowed and he stared at his hands, growing somber. “Though it seems I’m not always good at recognizing which women need to be rescued from the ones who don’t.”
He peered up at me, his expression asking. And I realized it was an apology of sorts, for once thinking that Reeve had been a danger to me. For warning me away when I’d been dead set on pursuing Reeve’s company.
So I hadn’t needed rescuing. But maybe if I’d listened to him, it could have prevented the awful heartache I was feeling now.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think you’re better than you realize.”
We said our good-byes after that, making promises to stay in touch that I was pretty certain neither of us would keep.
Then I poured a second glass of wine and settled down on the floor to tackle more boxes. The very next one I opened caused my heart to skip a beat. It contained items from my mother’s house, one of several that didn’t go with her to her new facility. On the top of the pile was her old answering machine, the one that had Amber’s message from last summer on it.