She followed Quinten into the other bedroom, which she’d converted into a small dance studio with mirrors lining one wall. Quinten gaped at her and pointed at the two metal poles bolted solidly into the floor and ceiling and located several feet apart in the middle of the room.
“I give pole dancing and striptease lessons from time to time.”
Quinten and she inspected the sound equipment in the corner, which seemed to have been disturbed but at least it hadn’t been tossed about the room.
“Thank goodness for small favors. I wouldn’t want to replace all of that.”
Quinten smirked. “I’m hoping maybe this means I’ll get a private show sometime. Rowr, baby.” His naughtiness put a smile on her face which was welcome at the moment.
“That could be arranged.” Maybe sooner than you think. She snuggled against him for a few seconds while they were alone in the room. She breathed with him, wondering what would happen next and grateful that she wasn’t standing alone in the room. Why? Why would someone do this? She didn’t have an expensive lifestyle, display a lot of wealth, or draw attention to herself. She had her sound system but otherwise her collection of electronic gadgetry was slim pickings for a thief, and they hadn’t taken any of it. Why?
Quinten stroked the back of her head as she put her arms around his waist. “You’ll drive yourself crazy wondering about it.”
“About what?”
“Wondering why this happened. The truth is you may never know. So don’t torment yourself.”
“Was it written on my face?” Can he read my mind now the way Grace insists Ethan can sometimes read hers?
“It’s normal to focus on why it happened. I just figured you were by the way your eyebrows were all scrunched up as I held you. Come on. Hank is probably waiting for us to finish. I’ll help you.” His warm, solid hand felt so nice wrapped around hers. She was grateful that he was there with her.
Hank nodded when she told him that nothing of value was missing. “Camilla, do you have any enemies? Anyone who might think you had something of theirs?”
Looking around, she realized what he was getting at. “You think they were looking for something?”
“Notice that nothing is purposely broken or vandalized. The furniture is ripped open, but the stuffing isn’t strewn everywhere. The pictures are off the walls but not broken. They weren’t bent on mischief or scaring you. They wanted something. And we didn’t get any usable prints. There’s nothing of value missing?”
“Not that I can tell. It’ll take a while to put everything back and be sure, but I don’t think anything is missing. Everything I have I own outright, so I don’t know what they’d be looking for. I don’t owe anyone money.”
Quinten spoke up just then. “What about…what’s-his-name? The embezzler?”
“Tyler? I cut all ties with him. He should still be at Huntsville. I cooperated with the authorities in his investigation, but I honestly didn’t know that much about him. Not as much as I thought I did.”
“Give me what you can on him anyway. I’ll look into it,” Hank said as he took out his smartphone and started tapping the screen. She provided what information she could recall about him. Something about this whole scenario didn’t sit right with her.
“There was a guy who pulled me off the stage at the Dollhouse, a few years ago. Cody, Heath, and Spencer roughed him up before they kicked him out of the club. But I have no idea what his name was. I’d never seen him before or since. I doubt the guys knew his name either, but I can ask them.”
“Okay.” Hank made notes of everything she said.
Quinten stroked her back. “Baby, while we’re here, let’s get a bag packed for you, if that’s okay?” He turned to Hank, who nodded and excused himself to address one of his deputies.
“Okay.” She followed him back to her bedroom and tucked the shoe box back on the upper shelf where it belonged then found a suitcase and began packing. She surreptitiously tucked all the extra things she would need for that night, wondering if Quinten would question the pair of stiletto patent boots she hid under a pair of jeans.
“What’s this?” Quinten asked, holding up a black latex dress she hadn’t worn since the last time she’d been clubbing with Brandon, the night he met—
“It’s a dress, silly.”
“Pack it. I want to see it on you.”
“No.”
She took it from him and dropped it in one of the drawers that was hanging open and kicked it shut with her foot then grabbed panties from the drawer above it. “I haven’t worn it in a while.”