Time to slip the mask back on.
When I arrived, the double doors with the lions adorning them stood open, the butler hovering in the foyer beyond. We greeted each other with a nod, and I went past him into the den.
“Good afternoon, Benito,” I said as I walked into the room.
The beaming smile he gave me made my stomach twist and flop. How much more could I betray this poor man?
“Sailor,” he said. “You came back.”
“Of course I did.” I went through my routine, and he sat patiently while I checked everything out.
“I admit, I was afraid my son had scared you off.”
He’d made a damn good effort, but I didn't have a choice at this point. Everything I did was for my parents. “I’m made of tougher stuff than that.”
Besides, I knew the powers that be wouldn't do a damn thing about me being assaulted while on assignment for them, whichmeant I hadn’t reported it. They would let all the small stuff slide in order to worry about the big stuff.
“That’s a trait I admire in a person.”
“It’s kind of a necessity when practicing medicine.”
As long as my patients lived, then I was confident and assertive. If I failed them, I’d lose my way for the rest of the week. But there was no need to tell him that.
“Your lungs sound better,” I told him, draping my stethoscope over my neck. He had healthy color in his cheeks, but his vertically striped pajamas made him look frail. Snowy white hair stuck out in tufts around his ears, and I resisted the itch in my palms to smooth it down.
“Any news about the bomb?”
My ears pricked at the voices in the hall, though I pretended not to have heard anything. Scribbling in Mr. Costa’s chart, I listened to the person respond to Noah’s question.
“It wasn't the Chinese.”
Their voices were low, but they obviously didn’t know I was there. In my head, I repeated the wordsbombandChinese.
As though I could forget something so important.
I needed to keep things consistent, even though I wanted to remain silent for the next hour so they’d keep talking in front of me. “How are you feeling today?”
“Better,” Benito replied.
And that was the end of that. Noah and Gio came into the room immediately, but I knew I’d done the right thing. If I’d been too quiet, it would have brought suspicion down on me.
“Dr. Wentworth,” Noah said stiffly. His standard uniform of a bespoke suit and tie gave him an air of importance, and he always glared when he looked at me.
“Mr. Costa,” I replied evenly.
Glancing from his father to me, he moved closer. I forced myself not to back up, and he stopped a few feet away.
“I want to apologize for my actions yesterday.” He glanced at his father again, and I understood why.
The apology was forced.
“I accept that you regret your actions, but I don’t forgive you.”
His eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth before closing it again.
“I’m only here for Benito. He’s the sole reason I came back today.”
With a curt nod, he said, “Understood.”
