I will sing your praises out loud
If not
I will make sure you rot
Without hesitation, Layla slipped the note into her bag, reached for her phone, and called Javen.
NINE
CAKE BY THE OCEAN
Aster Amirpour gazed out the passenger-side window and stared longingly at the pretty postcard view of Laguna Beach. With its iconic lifeguard tower and crowded pedestrian walkways, everyone looked so happy and trouble free, skating, strolling, and surfing their way through another hot summer day.
At the start of the season, Aster would’ve defined luxury as a closet full of designer dresses, handbags, and shoes. It was only now that she understood just how misguided she’d been.
Real luxury, true luxury, was having the freedom to embrace a beautiful day relaxed and unbridled from the sort of threats she currently faced.
“I can’t believe I don’t visit more often.” She sounded distant and dreamy, like they were merely enjoying an afternoon drive, and not on a mission to unearth the sort of clues that could change everything.
“I blame the traffic. That long stretch of freeway is a formidable barrier no matter what time of day.” Ryan exited Coast Highway and navigated a series of hilly, narrow paved streets, as Aster tracked the numbers on the haphazard row of mailboxes alongside the road.
The neighborhood was beachy and cute, pretty much what she expected to find in a small coastal town, though its quaint appearance was deceiving. Those small, charming cottages were known to consistently fetch an easy seven figures whenever one came on the market. The neighboring Tuscan-style two-stories fetched even more.
“You sure this is the right street?” Aster frowned.
“Camellia—that’s a flower, right?”
Aster gave a distracted nod.
“But more importantly, are you sure you want to go through with this?”
Aster balked, surprised by his words. They’d driven all this way and he was still questioning her intentions? “Of course I’m going through with this! Unless you have a better idea?”
She didn’t mean to sound so edgy, but luckily, Ryan took it in stride. “Actually, I have a lot of ideas. Not necessarily better ones, just—”
From out of nowhere, a band of skateboarding teens blazed down the middle of the street, immune to any oncoming traffic concerns.
Ryan swerved to avoid them, then rolled his eyes and groaned, “Kids.”
Aster was about to laugh, when she noticed the house just up ahead. “That’s it.” She jabbed a finger in that direction. “Number fifty-eight. Quick, pull over!”
“Um, where?” Ryan glanced up and down the street, crowded with cars lining both sides.
“Right up there.”
“That’s someone’s driveway.”
“Well, I don’t know.” Aster was flustered. “Double-park—or drop me off while you figure it out.”
She was antsy, shaky. Now that they’d arrived, she could barely contain her excitement. It was entirely possible the clue she needed most was right within reach.
“Hey—” Ryan reached for her arm in an attempt to keep her from jumping free of the still-moving car. “You can’t just run in there. We need to come up with a convincing story.”
Aster grumbled in frustration and reached for the door handle. “I have a convincing story. I told you all about it on the drive down.”
“Okay, then we need a more convincing story.” Ryan switched between the side-view mirror and his backup monitor as he struggled to parallel park without scraping his bumper against the Tesla in front of him or the vintage Porsche angled awkwardly behind. “Listen,” he said. “I’m just . . .” He frowned at the small, well-kept cottage with its painted yellow shutters and wild English-style garden. “What exactly are you going to say? You can’t just storm in there and start grilling her about Madison.”
“Have a little faith.” Aster spoke with more confidence than she felt. “I’m going in as an interested buyer. I’ll admire her work, inquire about her process, and then I’ll just happen to mention . . .” She paused.