“Sorry.” There’s a long delay. “When are you coming home?”
“I have a couple hours off tomorrow. I’ll see you then.”Maybe I can convince Mykola to do a little sightseeing.
“No, don’t. You’ll sit in traffic the whole time. I’m fine. Really, I am. I’ve been taking care of myself for years.”
“I fail to see how being an analyst in DC compares to being a private dick in Brooklyn.” We will talk later, just not on the phone. “Turn your camera on, sugar. I want to see your face.”
“Ah… I just woke up. I look like shit.”
“Honey, you always look beautiful. If you don’t, I’m comin’ straight home.”
“I can’t. It broke.”
“Sam.”
“The dog ate my homework?”
I chuckle even though it’s not funny. “I’m standing, I’m opening the hotel door, I’m walking down the hall...”
“Fine.” Her image flashes onto the screen and at first, I don’t recognize her.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” I punch the mattress, then unmute the phone. “Dammit, Sam. I want you go to the ER right now.”
“It looks a lot ’orse than it is.”
“I doubt it. How did you let someone get the drop on you?”
“The guy caught me unaware and the ground was icy. I could’ve shot him in the back as he ran, but figured killing him was a bad idea.”
“What did your father say? I assume you filed a report.”
“Ah...”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake.” I throw the phone on the mattress and thread my hands through my hair.
“No wait, listen. I don’t want the police, not yet. But I promise, I will. Let me explain. I went to work and Uncle Vinny invited me to lunch. He said our Anne Galloisinvolved in import-export but not the legal kind. We need to stop her. The only way to do it is to find the missing body. We must be getting close or why would someone try to rough me up?
“This happened right after talking to your uncle?” Warning bells go off in my head.
“Yeah.”
“Slow down. What exactly did he say to you?”
“He said we should not be investigating Anne Gallo.”
“And you said?”
“I told him I would think about it.”
“Fuck. Is there any chance Vinny ordered someone to scare you off?”
“I guess… But why?”
“To save your life, darlin’. He knows you never listen to no one.”
“That is so not true!” Her indignant tone makes me laugh but not in a good way.
“Name one time.”
