Liam shrugged. “Not saying it’s fair, darlin’. Just saying it’s what would happen. His sub, on the other hand, is not quite so well educated. Her real name is Leslie Starling. She’s originally from New York. Looks like she made it through a year of community college and then quit. She’s had a couple of jobs, but mostly waitressing and serving drinks at golf courses. She worked a couple of jobs on private boats. Do you think that makes her a hooker?”
Liam always went to the worst possible place. “No, I think some crazy rich people can afford to hire staff. My brother-in-law used to captain boats for people. Some of the yachts he worked on had staffs of up to ten people to wait on the owner.”
“I bet she still probably slept with them. She’s definitely sleeping with the doc. She moved into his condo a month ago. No idea why she suddenly up and moved. She was working in New York and from what I can tell, she just quit and moved here. She got a job at a doctor’s office as a receptionist and now she’s seeing Master Will. That’s probably where they met.”
“I know some people in the lifestyle in the city. If she was bottoming there, someone should know her. Maybe I’ll give them a call.” It was likely nothing, but she liked to follow up when her instincts started to flare. Something was wrong with Starr. She didn’t fit, but Karina couldn’t put her finger on why.
“Already did,” Liam shot back. “I have contacts there, too, and god knows everyone knows Tag.” He leaned forward. “No one’s heard of her. If she was playing, it wasn’t at any of the good clubs. They did ask about you, though. You still have people who care about you up there. Why don’t you call them?”
There was something about the way he said it that just let her know. Maybe it was the sympathy that crept into his tone. Maybe it was the way his eyes looked through her. “You know.”
He didn’t prevaricate. “Are you talking about the fact that you were arrested twice before you were eighteen on drug charges and the only reason you didn’t have an adult arrest was the fact that Officer Kevin Mills took you in and got you through rehab?”
She felt her body go numb. Well, if he knew everything it was stupid to lie. “Are you going to tell Tag?”
“Darlin’, Tag knows. I knew. This is not information I dug up today. I vetted you before we hired you the first time. I’ve known for years. What I didn’t know was that you don’t talk to your friends anymore. They miss you.”
She shook her head. “You can’t have known. The records were sealed. They were sealed by the courts and then I buried them myself.”
“Unsealing records is my job. And you should know nothing ever stays buried. Talking to people is my job. Figuring out who the bad guy is and who the girl who got herself into trouble and was strong enough to get herself out—that’s me job, too.”
She clenched her fist to stop the fine tremble. If everyone knew, would they look at her differently? “Liam, it was bad.”
“Most drug addictions are. And the rate of people who fall off the wagon is high. You didn’t. As far as I can tell, you never went back after that last rehab.”
She took a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm herself. She could sit around in a meeting and talk for hours, but talking about it to Li was different. “Five thousand four hundred and seventy-nine days sober. And I can’t forget to count the days. I do it every morning when I wake up. I shower and brush my teeth and I add another day to the calendar. I look in the mirror and make the decision to not use. Do you understand, Liam? I’m always one step away from falling off the edge.”
“Karina, we all are. You seem to think there’s something shameful about this. I admire you for getting up and choosing. Why on earth would you hide this?”
“Because I am ashamed. Liam, this is nothing to be proud of.”
He shook his head. “You’re wrong. You were a kid. You made some rough mistakes but then given what happened to you, I think I understand. You got yourself out. You have nothing, I mean nothing, to be ashamed of. I’m quite proud to call you my friend.”
If he kept this up, she was going to lose it. She took the only out she could see. “So I’m not getting canned?”
“Never,” Li promised. “But I’m telling you all this because Brighton knows about the sealed records. The fucker forensics guy told him. Eve told me and I thought you should know. He didn’t tell Brighton what you’ve been arrested for, but I doubt it will take him too long to figure it out. Tell him.”