Loose Ends (Magnolia Series Book 1) Read Free Page A

want with a gorgeous blonde like Ava. Besides the obvious of course.
    “Look, you son-of-a-bitch, I pay you to find people and do your goddamned job. Not to ask me fucking questions.” It sounded like the guy took a drag off his cigarette through the line. Luke then heard him exhale the smoke and let out a slight cough. “I’ll ask you again, where the fuck is she?”
    There was really only one reason someone would hire him. They wanted someone dead. His best guess was that these people didn’t just want Ava found like they’d originally said, they wanted her to disappear. But why? Luke made a split-second decision. “She’s in Phoenix.” His voice was steady as he lied.
    “Don’t be lying to me.”
    “What reason would I have to lie? You paid me half a mil to find this chick.” Luke laughed.
    “Fair enough.”
    “So, what now?” he asked, but knew the answer.
    “I want you to keep tabs on her for a few weeks. Document where she goes, who she’s with and when she wipes her fucking ass. Report back to me a few times a week.”
    “My job isn’t to play detective, my job is to…”
    “Your job is to do what I tell you to. So fucking do it!” The guy screamed into the phone and abruptly hung up.
    Luke lifted the console and tossed the phone back inside. He sat back in the truck seat and wiped his hands over his face. If they didn’t want her dead, then that meant she was of some importance to them alive. So what secret was Ava hiding that made her so damn valuable? Seemed he was going to be hanging around Biloxi for a while to find out what secrets Ava held.
    ***
    “Over here!” Ava heard her friend Brandi shout as she walked through the doors of Bo’s Beer Bonanza. It wasn’t the trendiest of bars, but it was local and quaint. It was a survival tactic to stay away from chain restaurants and bars that had security cameras. Being seen on camera somewhere could’ve resulted in her past catching up with her quicker than she wanted it to. It was bound to happen eventually, but by taking simple measures like trying to not be captured on film, it might draw things out just a bit more.
    Brandi was sitting at a pub table near the bar so Ava went over and took a seat in an empty chair.  “Hey.” Picking up the laminated menu she scanned the list of drinks even though she already knew what she wanted. She slid the sticky menu across the small table and let out a hefty sigh.
    “You look wiped. Busy day?” Brandi patted her arm and gave a look of sympathy.
    “It was steady but not swamped.”
    “How you stand on your feet all day and throw hair around is beyond me.”
    “I love doing hair. It’s all I’ve ever known since I graduated high school.”
    “Yeah, but why on earth did you move from California to the south to do hair?”
    Ever since Ava moved to Mississippi, Brandi was full of questions. Truth was, she didn’t move from California. It was actually Chicago. But telling everyone her real story wasn’t an option. She hated lying, but it was another necessary piece of her puzzle. Her life had been amazing in Chi Town. A top stylist at the Paul Mitchell Academy, a clientele that any stylist would die for and a rent-controlled apartment. What more could you ask for in life? Ava’s move to Mississippi wasn’t really a fall from grace though, it was an OMG I tripped over grace and landed right in a steaming pile of shit .
    “Just wanted a change of scenery.” She gave another bullshit answer to the person who’d become her best friend in Biloxi.
    “You’re out of your mind. I know I tell you that every time I see you, but I’m just gonna say it again.” She smiled.
    “And I love your honesty.” Glancing around the semi-crowded bar, Ava tried to spot a waitress. “Where’s the damn wait staff tonight? I need a drink.”
    Brandi began to wave her arms in the air to get someone’s attention. “Here comes Jeannie.”
    “Hey, girls. What can I get ya?” Jennie was a buxom redhead who had