“No practice?” Ben asked quietly.
Willow’s forehead wrinkled. “No. I was too shocked. I mean, I didn’t know there was anything romantic going on between Shana and Marg. Didn’t even know Shana or Marg, were, ah, well, you know. And really. Shana is a good-looking woman. But Marg?” She shuddered.
“Marg Valen makes Tommy Lee Jones dressed in drag look hot, and that’s if you can get past the sight of her pointy four-inch nails.” Rome stated his opinion quietly.
Ben made a face. “Got it. Sorry. Go on, Willow. You’re doing great.”
Willow turned back to gaze blindly into the fire. “The next morning the police came by the studio. They told us Shana had been killed in a mugging incident after she’d left the building the night before.” Her voice lowered, tightened with remembrance. “But I knew that to be a lie because I’d peeked out the side window and watched as Marg and Shana got into Marg’s limo. I guess I freaked a little.”
“A little?” Willow caught Rome’s teasing smile in her peripheral vision. “She looked like she was about to lose her breakfast, and that was before she raced off as if the hounds of hell were after her.”
Willow ducked her pink face, stared at Kaylie’s hand on hers. “So anyway, that’s when I remembered the tugging on my bag when Shana pushed me up against the wall. When I searched inside, I found a thumb drive.”
Elbows on the chair arms, Rome interlaced his fingers over his abdomen. “A thumb drive implicating the production company as a front for smuggling guns, but nothing specifically pointing to Valen. Enough for a warrant, but not enough to put her behind bars.”
“A ballet company? Seriously?” Kaylie seemed to find the idea hard to believe.
“Um.” Caleb pursed his lips. “Maybe ship large quantities of boxes containing slippers, leotards, those tutu thingys, whatever, to the company when in fact it’s guns. Who would know the difference until the crates were opened and you looked past the false packaging?”
“People who know dancers only buy slippers according to their individual feet measurements and so always special order them. Like Shana.” Willow whispered.
“All right, then. So how does this Valen know you had the thumb drive?” Ben wanted to know.
Willow gave him a deprecating smile. “Did you miss the part where Rome said I freaked and ran to the bathroom?” When his lips twitched Willow continued. “Maybe she knew Shana had given me a key and by my reaction thought I’d been at the studio that night. Anyway, after the cops left, telling us to call if we remembered anything, no matter how slight, I began to panic.” She shrugged a shoulder. “Luckily, Marg canceled practice shortly after, telling us we weren’t being productive and a waste of her time.”
“Nice,” Brandon murmured from his position by the entryway.
Willow’s lips curved in a wan smile. “Yes, she’s a delight. But she held the purse strings, so we all tried to ignore her lousy attitude the best we could.”
Zan grunted. “Not anymore.”
Her reply was noncommittal until Kaylie nudged her, arm to arm. “Then what happened?”
Several rapid blinks to refocus on the story. “Oh. Well. As soon as I got home I used the card Rome gave us and called him. He showed up, took the thumb drive, told me to pack a bag, and, um…” Willow petered out, unable to say more.
No doubt sensing her discomfort, Rome picked up the reins. “The ATF had received an anonymous tip, probably from Shana, and had been keeping an eye on the company for several weeks before Shana’s death. We’d gone to the studio to study everyone’s reaction to the news and Willow’s response raised my hackles. I could practically smell her fear. When she contacted me I wasn’t taking any chances and brought extra protection.”
Rome paused, his eyes glinting with fury. “Only I underestimated Valen’s determination. Just as I reached the stairwell, someone from the apartment at the far end of the hall across from Willow’s opened fire. The bastard must have been watching us through the peephole. One officer went down and because I was too fucking slow, Willow was hit twice before I could return fire and get us down the stairs.”
The thick silence broke when Kaylie softly stated, “I take it the officer didn’t make it.”
Willow only shook her head, not really hearing the conversation going on around her as she lost part of herself to the pain, both physical and emotional, Rome’s words had dredged up.
Kaylie squeezed Willow’s hand, cutting off the memories. “Is there anything medicinal you need?” At Willow’s questioning gaze, Kaylie smiled. “I’m a vet and Zan’s wife is a doctor. If you need more than Tylenol for the pain, you can tell us. We both know the damage a bullet can do and have no problem easing any discomfort you have.”