All She Ever Wanted - Barbara Freethy [32]
"I think we can add Drew to your growing fan club," Cole said as they walked out to the car.
"I don't remember him disliking me so much."
Cole unlocked the car door and held it open for her. "I found that interesting, too."
Natalie didn't like the sound of that. "Drew made you doubt me again, didn't he? Are you so easily swayed, Cole?"
"I make up my own mind after I look at all the facts."
"Of which there are few," she said, as she slid into the passenger seat. "Maybe we should talk to some of your friends. Emily spent time with Dylan Somerville. He might know something about what went on that night. And what about Josh?"
Cole didn't answer until he got into the car and closed the door. "I told you before that Josh and I were at Dylan's apartment that night."
"But Dylan wasn't with you." A brief image of Dylan walking down the hall at the sorority house flashed through her mind.
"What are you talking about?"
"I saw Dylan at the house. I just remembered that." She saw the skepticism in his eyes. "I did," she added defensively.
"That's convenient."
"It's probably because we've been spending so much time talking about the past. Things are starting to come back."
"Maybe some other things will come back, like where you were when Emily fell."
"Cole, you already said you didn't think—"
"I don't. Look, Natalie, Dylan and Josh were like brothers to Emily. There is no way in this world they would have hurt her. But I agree with one thing—we should talk to them, especially Dylan, since he lived in Santa Cruz. We'll stop at his club on our way back." He turned the key in the ignition and started the car.
"His club?"
"He runs a nightclub south of Market called Club V. It's a techno-magic club and very popular. I take it you haven't been there."
"No, I haven't. And what's techno-magic?"
"Virtual reality, technological illusions, and other cutting-edge magic tricks. He opened the club last year and has a line out the door most nights."
Dylan had always been into magic, Natalie remembered. He'd worked as a magician at a nightclub in Santa Cruz while they were in college. Emily had gone there a lot; she'd even worked as his assistant on occasion. The two of them had been very close. Personally, Natalie had never warmed to Dylan. He'd always played the man of mystery, riding up to the dorm on a motorcycle, dressed in black leather and dark glasses. She didn't remember him saying much of anything to anyone except Emily. That little fact had driven Madison crazy. Dylan Somerville was probably the only guy who hadn't taken one look at Madison and fallen in love. Which reminded her, they also needed to find Madison.
* * *
Madison glanced down at the paper in her hand, which listed the address for Club V. Located in a refurbished warehouse, the club was very unpretentious, one of those places that was known by word of mouth rather than by visible advertising. In fact, the only indication that this was in fact Club V was a small bronze sign on a solid black door. According to the Club V web site, the main club was open nightly for drinks, dinner, and shows of magic and illusion, with the virtual reality room also open on weekends beginning at one o'clock. She was a few minutes early, but maybe that would work in her favor. She could catch Dylan before the crowds came.
She put her hand on the door and hesitated, already having second thoughts. Dylan Somerville was one of the few people in her life she had not been able to figure out or control. It was doubtful he'd be receptive to her invitation to perform at the masquerade party and even more doubtful that he'd want to renew their old acquaintance. In fact, it was highly likely he'd blow her off as he'd done before, and she wasn't really in the mood for that.
The sudden wave of insecurity annoyed her. It reminded her of the early days of her childhood, before she'd gotten pretty and grown breasts. In those days, she'd been filled with doubts about herself, a lack of confidence borne from being the