“So you planning on doing both hits that night?” Ben asks.
“No,” Isolde says. “But you’re going to leak that I got the Harold contract still.”
Leaks in our line of work are deadly.
“In reality, who will take the Harold contract?” Ben asks.
“Leo.”
Ben snorts. I’m inclined to agree. Leo is just a kid.
“He’s not ready for that,” Ben says.
“Yeah, he fucking is,” Isolde replies.
“So everyone thinks you’re focusing on Harold when in reality you’re taking on a contract worth triple,” I say.
“Yes.”
Ben rubs his mouth again. Ren’s been gone over a week and he looks tired. “Ren doesn’t even want you working.”
She picks up her chopsticks, beginning to eat. “Ren’s not going to like it when I go straight to Addam’s.”
“That’s an empty threat,” Ben calls her out.
She’s scarfing food down when she motions at Ben to pass over the black planner in front of him. Ren’s schedule. No one should have access to it. Ben slides it over.
She flips through it. There’s nothing incriminating. Doodles and doctor’s appointments. But Isolde knows what she’s looking at.
“Ren let you have that, or did you steal it from her apartment?” I ask him.
Ben smirks.
Isolde taps at one of the appointments. “Todd will fuck that up.”
“Todd is cozy with the client,” Ben replies.
“Call the client and tell them they deserve better,” Isolde says. She offers me her bowl of ramen.
Ben stares wide-eyed at us as we eat.
“Todd’s got the Feds sniffing around him,” Isolde says.
Ben rubs his face. “You’re not fucking seri?—”
“Mirabell wants more,” she says. “She’s thinking about making a break and going overseas. Be a pity if someone so professional left.”
Ben picks up his coffee. “How do you knowabout the Feds?”
“I know about the Feds,” she says, not giving up her source. Since it’s Isolde, Ben takes her word for gold.
“Why don’t you come work for us?” he asks.
“This again?” Isolde chews her food.
“Can you blame me? You come sweeping in here acting like HR.”
She makes a face.
