“I’m extremely fond of your doctor, Detective. Have been from the moment we met.”
“Good. Think of that fondness as you go about your business.”
He snarls, rapidly growing impatient with my disrespect. “You’ve been absent a long time, so perhaps you have forgotten your place. I caution you to speak carefully; few men regard me so casually and live to tell the tale.”
Shut up, Archer. Or you’re dead. And after you’re dead, Minka’s dead, too.
“Wise,” he grumbles in response after a moment of silence. “Sending Chief Mayet away was the right thing to do. In the meantime, I’m taking care of things on my end. Soon, I hope we can put all this behind us and move forward as friends.”
Mm. Unlikely.
“I will say, though.” He chuckles, the sound bouncing between us. “I was quite surprised to find out our doctor for the dead is, in fact, a practitioner in more ways than one.”
“I’d rather not discuss it if it’s all the same to you.” I glance to the right and watch as headlights flicker to life within the Malone driveway, my vantage point fifty yards along the road in the darkness, close enough that Ialmostget to be with her. “She took care of a stain on society. He’s dead, and those girls are now safe. I will never condemn her for the reasons behind her actions.”
“No condemnation needed. But perhaps a little more discretion in the future. Her actions have caused quite a stir within certain circles. What of the buyers? I’m led to believe you possess a list of those men, and the police department is following them up.”
“My partner and I are no longer primary, considering the girls are not victims of homicide. My involvement in the matterhas officially and formally ended. My only concern is with my wife. The sooner you silence those who speak of her, the better off we’ll all be.”
“Of course.” His lips curl into a grin. I don’t fucking see it, but Iknowit. “And since I would be doing you quite a favor…”
I crush the heel of my palm against my eye socket and swallow my groan. “Then…” I sigh. “I suppose I am indebted to you.”
“Yes,” he hums, entirely too smug. “You are. But we’ll discuss the details at a later date, and of course, we needn’t burden Felix with such things. For now, I’ll let the subject sit. It’s getting late here in New York, so…”
“Mmhm. Pleasure as always, Mr. Cordoza.” I drag the phone from my ear and kill our call before this mess gets way,wayfucking worse. Then I start my truck and roll forward, timing my momentum with the car pulling out of the Malone property and turning toward the city.
She came home for a moment. She took me at my word, comforted by the fact I wouldn’t be here, and because she did, my phone now beeps with brand new data from Steve’s monitoring apps.
The old man is resting and, according to Mary, his blood pressure has come down for the first time in days.
Minka needed him, and he needed her.
This, at least, I could give them.
MINKA
Soph:
Strike Sheppard and Roux from our list. They’re done.
Giambattista Haynes was nabbed at JFK and is now in federal custody for matters unrelated to what we’re doing, and I received intel this morning Poul Abate might’ve gone ghost.
That’s two more to tick off our list, and two that have escaped our control. The data pisses me off.
Iwalk a lap of the bay in yoga shorts and one of Archer’s shirts the next morning, in sneakers as new today as they were when I bought them three or four years ago, since exercising is not typically part of my daily routine. It’s barely past six, but the air is already hot, sweat alreadypools under my breasts, and Mr. Harrison’s beady-eyed stare only makes things worse.
Sucks to be him, though, because at least I don’t have to do this nonsense in jeans and boots.
Me:
We’ll monitor Haynes’ federal investigation. Chances are, they’ll let him walk, and when they do, we’ll step in.
I’m at the bay, but there’s no sign of MihalisSalonen yet. I have a tail anyway, so there’s not much I can do without listening ears, but I figured getting eyes on him would be a good start.
Soph:
Harrison’s your tail? That bothers me a little.
