“Well, you know what they say about cow’s milk.”
I stare at her blankly, shaking my head as the waiter stops by to refill the breadsticks Becky inhaled.
“Cow’s milk isn’t free unless...no, that’s not it. Don’t give him a cow unless he offers...hmm, I think I’ve got it wrong. Hold on.”
The waiter gives Becky an odd look, asking if we want more Diet Coke.
“No, thanks. We’ll take the check.”
“Guy in the suit covered it.”
Becky’s eyes widen again as she giggles like a schoolgirl. I blush, realizing with horror that this is Luke’s first time buying me lunch, and I’m sitting with Becky, three tables away.
“Maybe he does want the milk.”
I have no idea what she’s talking about, so I don’t respond.
I resist trying to scratch the itch on my arm. The stitches are hidden under my long sleeve, which thankfully no one seems to blink an eye at despite the hot summer day. Becky is typing on her phone, presumably looking for a quote about cow’s milk.
“Listen, Becky, I have a favor to ask.”
Her eyes jump up to mine, and I see a spark of excitement.
I lean in closer. “I need you to look into a guy...a guy my roommate is dating. I don’t think he’s...good for her.”
She’s already reaching for a pen and notepad inside her enormous bubblegum-pink handbag. “I would love to! What’s his name?”
I lower my voice, looking around to make sure no one is listening.
“His name is Nik, short for Nikolai—well, that’s what he goes by. He’s from Russia, I think, and his real name is Edik Lebedev. He works as a bartender at Divine Taste downtown.”
She’s scribbling away. “Hmm, I’m intrigued. What does he look like?”
“Long blonde hair, tattoos, muscular. Has an accent.”
“Oh, yummy. Why don’t you think he’s good for her?”
I shrug. “Just a hunch. Could you text me when you find something?”
“I’ll let you know tonight. I’ve been in need of a good sleuthing session.”
It’s been way toolong since I’ve seen my dad. If he lived closer to where we are, I’d ask Luke to make a pit stop, but I know he needs to get back to the office.
“Can we go by Memory Caretonight? My dad lives there.”
Luke is in the driver’s seat of the black SUV as we make our way back to work.
“I had Jackson check in on him and Mel this morning. They’re both okay.”
“Oh, thank you . . . can I still go see him?”
“Of course, if you’d like. The issue is...if they are still after you, going around him could expose a weakness. These kinds of people are beyond ruthless. If they know your dad is important to you, they could use that information as blackmail. Potentially.”
The panicked thoughts that screech through my mind are interrupted by my phone ringing. It’s a new one that Luke bought me, since the other may have been tapped. I pull it out to see Mel’s face on the screen.
“Hey, Mel.” I attempt to make my voice sound neutral.
“Hey! I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages. Can we please plan a marg night out?”
