“That he doesn’t remember anything. That he blacked out or he’s missing time, and he has one hell of a headache when he tries to remember.”
Connor’s brow furrowed. “He told me about the headaches—he was obviously in pain, and I asked him about it. But I didn’t make the connection to his memory.”
I nodded. “Someone was very careful to hide their tracks. Unfortunately, that means Riley can’t tell us what actually happened. And I didn’t get anything else specific—nothing about Tomas or anything weird that happened at the party that might have triggered someone to frame him. Did you get anything else?”
“No.”
“Is there anyone who’d particularly want to hurt him? Not just Pack enemies, but personal ones?”
He walked to Thelma, whisked an invisible spot of dust from her leather seat. “Not that I’m aware of. You know Riley, Lis. He’s likeable. Big and a little gruff, but—and I’ll deny it if you tell him I said this—a teddy bear. He’d chew off his own arm and offer it up if you needed one. That’s why he’s one of us.”
“What about Tomas?”
Connor sneered, and still managed to make the expression sexy. There was, apparently, no expression that didn’t look good on the prince. And that was just irritating.
“My only knowledge of him comes from his displays at the theater and the party. He’s not a man I’d ever want to know, or know more about.”
I couldn’t really argue with that. “Okay,” I said, and pulled the handkerchief from my pocket, showed him the brooch. “Do you know what this is?”
He glanced at it, lifted his brows. “No. Should I?”
“I don’t know. I found it on the patio at Cadogan House.”
“Did someone drop it at the party?”
“I don’t know,” I said. And this time, looking at the brooch tickled a memory I couldn’t fully access. But before I got any further down that path, the door opened, more waves of music following the big man who walked inside.
This was Eli Keene, Connor’s uncle. He was tall, with tan skin, broad shoulders, and dark wavy hair that skimmed the shoulders of his shirt. There were strands of silver in his hair and the scruffy beard that covered his jaw, and they made him look more experienced, more powerful.
Eli looked at Connor, then at me. If he thought anything was odd about a vampire standing in the Pack’s garage, he didn’t mention it.
He gave me a nod. “Elisa. Heard you were back.”
I nodded back, tucked the handkerchief back into my pocket. “Hey, Eli. Building looks good.”
“It does,” he agreed. There was pride in his eyes, but his expression stayed somber. “You’re needed,” he said to Connor.
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
Eli looked at him as if debating whether to repeat the order, then slid me a glance before looking back at his nephew. “Make it quick.”
He disappeared again, leaving the cry of a squealing guitar in his wake.
“The show must go on,” I said, when the door closed.
“That’s what they say. Responsibilities.”
“Alaska?”
“Alaska,” he said, but his eyes were shadowed. “He was supposed to go with us.”
“Riley?”
Connor nodded.
“I’m sorry. And that someone is using the Pack for this.”
“Why do you care?”