“Tom Simpson is dead.”

I dropped my cell phone, and it clattered onto my kitchen table. I quickly picked it up. “Sorry,” I said to Melanie Carmichael. “And…what?”

“He’s dead. He killed himself. Jonah saw the whole thing. The police were there too.”

My heart beat rapidly. “Oh my God. Is Jonah all right?”

“Yeah. He’s fine, thank God. I begged him not to go over there. Our PIs found Simpson at his house in Snow Creek. Jonah went over to confront him, and Simpson ended up killing himself.”

Despite the twinge of nausea that crept up my throat, I felt no remorse that a human being was dead. I only wished I could have shot the fateful bullet. I didn’t know Tom Simpson personally, but I did know he was a criminally insane psychopath. Jonah Steel referred to him as an ice man, according to Melanie. The world was better off without him. The only other thing I knew about him was that he’d clearly been working with my father for decades.

My father.

Theodore Mathias. Known by many other names.

My father, who had raped my cousin, Gina. Who had raped and tortured a ten-year-old Talon Steel. Who had killed and mutilated ten-year-old Luke Walker. Who had attempted to rape me.

And God only knew what other heinous things he’d done, though I had my theories.

Just thinking about Simpson and my father was reason enough for my queasiness, but another reason existed.

If Simpson was dead, I wouldn’t be able to question him.

I’d gone to see Larry Wade, their third partner, a few times and peppered him with questions. I hadn’t told Melanie or the Steel brothers. Didn’t matter anyway. Larry wouldn’t roll over. I’d tried everything. Deals, money, a conjugal visit, you name it. The dude just wouldn’t talk.

Most of the dumb fucks sang like a canary when I offered them women. Of course, I wasn’t able to offer Larry any young boys, which seemed to be his preference.

Maybe now that one of his partners in crime was dead, he’d start talking.

I doubted it.

I eyed my phone in my hand. Shit. Melanie. “Sorry. Are you still there?”

“Yeah. Are you okay?”

“Sort of. It’s all surreal. Now we won’t be able to get any information out of him. Since he’s dead and all.”

“I know. Jonah said the same thing. But at least he can’t hurt anyone else.”

I inhaled. “Amen to that. When did this all happen?”

“Earlier tonight. I figured you hadn’t heard yet, since the Snow Creek police handled it.”

“No, I hadn’t. Thanks for letting me know.”

“There is another reason I called, Ruby.”

“Yeah?”

She cleared her throat. “How would you like a vacation?”

A vacation? I hadn’t had a vacation in… Well, since never. I’d been working my ass off since I was fifteen. Work was my refuge, my solace. If I was working, my mind was occupied, and things I didn’t want to think about couldn’t creep in. A vacation? Nope. Not for me.

“I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but I’m pretty busy at work.”

“I know. Cops always are.” She sighed. “This may seem like a crazy time to bring up a vacation.”

“Kind of,” I said.

Silence for what seemed like a small eternity.

“You still there?” I asked.

“Yeah. It’s just…”

“What?”

“Jonah and I are getting married.”

So that’s what this was about. I couldn’t begrudge her some happiness in this sea of misery and psychopathy we were both embroiled in. “Congratulations!”

“Yeah. Thanks. And I’m…pregnant.”

I jolted a bit. “Oh? So…”

“That’s not why we’re getting married.”

“Oh. Good. I guess.”

“Anyway, we’re going to Jamaica. Talon and Jade are getting married too. A double wedding.”

“How nice.” I wasn’t sure what to say. I knew nothing about weddings. Nothing about men. Nothing about…any of it.

“Anyway, the reason I was asking if you wanted a vacation is that…I don’t really have any close friends. I’ve been a workaholic my whole life.”

“I hear you.” Seemed we were two peas in a pod as far as work was concerned.

“I don’t have any family members I’m close to, so I was hoping that you might…”

Was she saying what I thought she was? Was she about to ask me to stand up for her at her wedding?

We hardly knew each other.

Yet…Melanie Carmichael knew more about me than anyone else in the world. She knew about my past as well as my present. My coworkers knew only my present. My father and uncle knew only my past.

Melanie was about the closest thing I had to a friend.

She was probably thinking the same about me.

And while I didn’t really relish a vacation, time spent with Melanie and the Steels would give me a great chance to question them about…things. Though they probably wouldn’t want to talk about that kind of stuff in the middle of a wedding. A wedding was a happy time.

Happy.

Now there was a word I wasn’t very familiar with.

I’d grown content with my life. Content with my work.

Content.

But never happy.

Never full of joy.

Never flying to the fucking moon.

Nope, not in the cards for me.

“…come along and be my maid of honor?”

Yep, there it was.

“I don’t know…”

“Look, I know we don’t know each other very well, but you’re honestly the first person I thought to ask. I understand if you can’t make it, but I’d love it if you could come.”

For a minute I let myself think about it.

Jamaica.

Beach. Sand. Sun. Swimming.

Relaxation.

Another word I wasn’t very familiar with.

Of course, the Steels wouldn’t do anything halfway, and I could never afford to do it their way.

“That’s really nice of you to ask. I’m honestly flattered.” And I was. “But there’s no way I’d be able to afford to go, Melanie.”

She laughed. “It’s all on me. Seriously.”

“I couldn’t let you do that. We don’t know each other well enough for me to let you treat me.”

“Please. I want to. I have some savings, and the Steels are paying for the big stuff. The wedding and all. I have a feeling no one has offered to do anything for you in a long time, Ruby. Let me. Please.”

She had the truth of that. A vacation… Suddenly the idea didn’t seem so scary.

“That’s really generous of you, but I can pay my own way. I mean, as long as you’re not staying at the Ritz Carlton or anything.”

“No,” she laughed. “We’ll be spending a week at this all-inclusive resort in Negril. All of the rooms are the same price, and Jonah’s sister was able to book us all in one bungalow. But I really wish you’d let me—”

“No. I’ve managed to save a few bucks over the years.” That was no lie, either. I lived well beneath my means. Not that I made a lot as a cop, and now a detective, but I spent little on clothes. Little on luxuries. My gym membership was my big expense. I needed to be able to work out, stay in shape. It was a great way to work off steam, and I also wanted my body in the best condition possible. Just in case.

“Then are you saying you’ll go?”

I smiled into the phone. Was I? “Yeah, Melanie. I guess I’ll go.”

“That’s so great!”

She actually sounded happy that I was going. I hadn’t known Melanie Carmichael for that long, but I did know she was a genuine person. A caring person. Maybe we could both use a friend.

“There is something I should warn you about.”

“Oh?”

“There’s a nude beach on the resort.”

My stomach dropped. “Is the resort all nude?”

She laughed. “Oh, no. Of course not. There’s a regular beach too, and several pools. Then there’s a nude beach and a clothing-optional pool as well. All other areas, like the restaurants, are clothing required.”

“Okay…”

“You don’t have to go near the nude beach. I promise you. I already made Jonah promise that we weren’t having a nude wedding.”

Before I could stop it, a guffaw emerged from my throat. I wasn’t ashamed of my body. Hell, no. I was in great shape. I looked better naked than clothed. But no one, other than physicians, had ever seen me naked. Not since that fateful day when my father had tried to…

But I really didn’t want to go there now.

“That’s good. I’m not sure I want to participate in a nude wedding.”

She laughed. “Believe me, neither do I.”

“Still, I need to see if I can get off work. When is the event?”

“Next week.”

Next week? Shit. I had plenty of vacation time to spare. I rarely used it. Even when I was off the clock I was working. I had spent a lot of time investigating my cousin Gina’s death with Melanie, all off the clock. Of course, I had only just made detective a few weeks earlier. I didn’t know if my boss would be amenable to me taking a week off already.

“I can’t make any promises. I have the vacation time, but I have to clear it with my boss.”

“Great. Let me know what he says.”

“I will.” I cleared my throat. “Melanie?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for inviting me. I mean really. Thank you.”