“I’m here to see your dad.”
“We’re having it redecorated,” Julian said, coming a step closer.
I took a step back. “Got told to wait here.”
“Just alittlelook?” He gave a charming smile. “Just put your head around the doorframe, Jack. Just a quick peek.”
His eyes were unblinking as he stared me down. I knew enough not to trust him, but I couldn’t see what his play here was supposed to be. “I’m not big on interior design,” I said.
“But you like art,” he said. “Youknowart.”
“I’m sure it’s real nice. Maybe when it’s done, I’ll have a look then. Get the full effect.”
He backed up a few steps into the doorway and put his hands up on the frame, a little smile flitting over his lips. “You should really have a look.” He disappeared into the salon, but his voice floated back after him. “Come on, Jack. I insist.”
“Shit,” I muttered. Keep the crazy son happy, and potentially piss off the Boss? Or mind my station and keep to the foyer, like I’d been told? There was always the chance that Ciro Castellani had sent his son as a test, although I had no idea what he’d be testing.
I inched toward the salon. I already knew the portrait of Caroline Castellani had been moved from the salon to the study, but Iwascurious about what had happened to the Caroline Jar. Was it still sitting in that glass case where it had once been, situated under a blank space on the wall now that the portrait had been moved?
Julian had been young when his mother—Ciro’s second wife—had died. Very young. But I knew I wasn’t the only one in the Family who sometimes wondered if he’d had a hand in his mother’s death. And I knew better than most that kids could make effective killers.
That was the thing about Julian: he was unsettling on a very deep level. Even if hehadn’tcommitted matricide, I didn’t think he’d be averse to the idea. He wasn’t cold-blooded; he was absent any blood at all, I sometimes thought. Nothing ran in his veins. They were empty. He was a void inside.
“Jack.” He called me once more, a soft warning in his voice.
“For fuck’s sake,” I sighed, looking back toward where the butler had disappeared. There was no sign of him. And as long as I didn’t get too close to Julian, there seemed to be no harm in sticking my head around the door, if he wanted my opinion on the wallpaper so damn bad.
I took a few steps and approached the door warily, but I could see Julian was well into the room, staring at the wall, waiting for me.
I stopped at the door, glanced around, and said, “Looks great.” I could see no substantial changes.
“Comehere,” Julian said, pointing insistently next to him.
I chanced one step across the threshold, keeping my other foot firmly on the tiled floor of the foyer, and peered down the wall. All I could see was a pile of furniture with sheets over it, the sides of a few paintings leaned up against the wall but not yet mounted, and an empty glass case where the Caroline Jar and her sapphire necklace had once been contained.
So Caroline Castellani’s asheshadbeen moved.
Julian crooked his finger at me. “Come in, Jack. You have to comeright into the roomto get the full picture.”
The insistence in his voice almost pulled me in. Ialmosttook that second step into the room, almost went over and stood there in arm’s reach.
Knife’s reach.
But behind me there was an offended throat-clear, and I whipped around to see the butler had come back. “Ifyou’ll follow me, sir,” he said stiffly.
I glanced back at Julian, who was still staring at me with the strangest expression. I couldn’t read it, but it seemed something close to exasperation.
Maybe he’d really, really wanted to kill me, and was mad I hadn’t played along.
“Sir,” the butler said firmly. “Mr. Castellani is avery busy—”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” I assured him before the top of his head blew off. I gave Julian a wave. “I’ll see you around.”
Jeeves had probably saved my life, I thought, as I followed him through the house. What the hell had I been thinking? Julian Castellani would kill me as soon as look at me, and for no particular reason other than he fucking felt like it at the time. I only killed under orders. Julian killed as a hobby.
I shook my head and gave a silent, rueful chuckle. I was losing my edge.
And I needed to get it back fast, since I was about to face the Boss.
