He drops it in the bag and retrieves a wire garotte. “Old-school, huh?”
“Lake’s by herself.”
Miro drops the wire and turns to me. “We agreed on this, Alessio. I told you after Paris, I want nothing to do with your personal business.”
“I need a favor.”
He makes a sour face. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“No problem. I’ll tell you.” I clear my throat. “That’s Lake’s bedroom over there in the corner. You see?” I point at the dimly lit room with white see-through curtains.
“How do you know that’s her bedroom?”
“After the incident in Paris… I live a few blocks from here.”
Miro gasps. “Why didn’t you say anything? We’re practically neighbors.”
“What should I say?”
“That you need a therapist.”
I give him a pointed look. “Says the kettle to the pot.”
“Yes, well, there’s that. What’s the job?”
“Lake’s been writing a lot. On paper. I think she might be journaling. Every morning, she reads what she’s written the night before, then rips it up, rather violently. Most nights, she cries herself to sleep. I want to know what she wrote tonight before she shreds it.”
“Did you already go through the trash and put the ripped pieces from the other nights together?”
I side-eye him. “Maybe”
He strokes his beard. “Huh.”
“What?”
“I’m trying to picture you digging through trash.”
“How’s it going?”
“Very satisfying imagery.” He nods. “I’ll do it. Do they still have a dog?”
“Yeah.” I show him a brown bag from the fast-food joint I stopped at while Miro slept on the ride over. I can tell the man’s lacking sleep. As am I. “Been feeding her dog at my house.”
“Their dog is at your house now?”
“Yeah, the dog dug a hole in the backyard, and he sneaks out.”
“You’re stealing a family dog, Alessio.”
“He eats and goes back home, like Lassie.”
“In this day and age, nobody knows who Lassie is except me, you, and Troy’s dad, so let’s not mention it ever again.”
I toss him the key to Lake’s house. “Here’s the key to the glass slider in the back.”
“Impressive.” He accepts the key, slides on his mask, and disappears quietly into the shadows.
I lean back in my new luxury car and stretch my legs. A few minutes later, a flash of light in Lake’s bedroom tells me Miro’s reached the destination. I trust he won’t wake her or anyone else in the house. A few minutes go by, and Miro slides back into the car.
