Colm slowly smiled. “Nah, the food is shit.”
She wondered why anyone would go to a restaurant that sold bad food, but Colm was already in the corridor and she didn’t want to make him wait for her.
***
Tilly stared around her in shock. “I can’t believe you brought me to a whorehouse,” she whispered at Colm.
An unbelievably nice whorehouse. She’d kind of imagined something sleazy and overblown. But the beautiful old house had been restored to an excellent standard. The woman who had shown them in had been fully dressed and polite. She gestured to them to wait on a large, plush couch.
Tilly studied it closely as Colm sat with a sigh.
“Sit down,” he said with a grin. “No one has sex in the waiting room.”
“You sound like you know from experience,” she replied, sitting gingerly on the edge of the seat.
Colm just shrugged.
“How did you know Jimmy would be here?” she asked.
“Because this is where he spends every night.”
“Every night? It’s not even seven o’clock, isn’t it a bit early for him to be here?”
“Some people work all night and sleep all day. Man’s got to have a place to lay his head. And having some company isn’t a bad thing.”
“But doesn’t that cost a fortune?”
“Not if you own the place,” Jimmy said with a grin as he stepped into the room. The sleek woman who’d opened the door followed him. “You wanted to talk to me?”
Tilly jumped to her feet. “Yes, but it’s private.” She gave the woman an apologetic smile, but she didn’t appear to care.
“We’ll use the green sitting room, Amanda,” Jimmy said. “Make sure we’re not disturbed. Come with me.” He gestured to Colm and Tilly, who followed him down a passage to a small sitting room.
“You own this place?” she said.
“Well, I’m a silent partner. When Felicity hit money trouble, I said I’d help her out. Of course, I can’t actually own a business.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“Because I don’t exist.”
Tilly opened her mouth to question him, but Colm shook his head sharply, glaring at her.
Right, don’t ask too many personal questions.
Colm had grilled her on the way over about being careful what she said to other people, especially to Jimmy, who made his money from information.
Just keep it brief and to the point.
“Do you know where my friend is? Miller Toresso.”
Jimmy sat back on a large, plush chair. “Take a seat. No need to stand around.”
Colm stood by the door. He nodded to her.
She sat but leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. “My friend, Miller. You said the other night that she wasn’t with the Vipers by choice and I needed to get her out. How did you know that?”
“I know a lot of stuff.”