Chapter 32

CHAPTER

THIRTY-TWO

Isabella didn’t reply to Cillian’s text for several hours. He was beginning to think he’d misjudged the situation. Perhaps he needed to ask a few others, but he’d started with Isabella because he knew her the best. He was feeding Snap before heading out to perform when she called.

“Hey.” Snap head-butted Cillian’s ankle, trying to hurry him along or trip him. It was hard to tell which.

“Hi. I wanted to call, not reply by text. I’m guessing he asked you to be a character reference, too?”

“Yeah.” Cillian ripped open the pouch of wet food and let it drop into the bowl, barely missing Snap’s head as he dived for his bowl. “He suggested there’d been affairs. Bianca never said anything to me.” Why would she? They weren’t that close, but they had hung around the same circles, and no one had ever hinted that she was that kind of person.

“He said the same to me. He knows about some of the parties and said he could make things difficult.”

Cillian sighed. So he wasn’t the only one. He shouldn’t feel relieved that Isabella was also being blackmailed, but… Fuck, he was a terrible friend, but knowing he wasn’t alone made him feel slightly better about the situation, and Dahlia would now have more evidence she could use.

“Mmm. My agent is handling this issue for me. It might be wise to call her.”

“What has he got on you?”

“I’m not allowed to say anything but talk to my agent. I’ll text you her details.” He washed his hands. “And now I have to abandon Snap and do some work.”

“Oh shit, I forgot you’re performing.”

“It’s fine. Do you know of anyone else he might have asked? You’re the first person I contacted… I don’t want to ask too many?—”

“In case it gets back to him,” Isabella said.

“Exactly.” Though that hadn’t been his first worry. He’d been more afraid that he was the only one and that Isabella would wonder what the hell he was on about. Fear loved company. “I was also told, when approached by the lawyer, not to lie.”

“Okay. Have you tried to contact Bianca recently?”

“Yes, but she hasn’t replied. My agent also sent her an email.” He topped up Snap’s water bowl and gave him a pat before grabbing his bag.

“Well, I’d better email her, too. You go. I have two people I’ll contact before emailing your agent.”

“Subtly.” Because Isabella, while a brilliant composer, wasn’t known for her tact.

“I’ll follow your example. Go, don’t be late.”

One way or another this was going to be over soon. Now that he’d started moving in the right direction, the end was all that mattered.