Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
“That’s not funny.”
“I’m not laughing. Go get me my answers before he gets home.”
He leaves the kitchen and I dial Kane. He doesn’t answer.
Chapter Forty-Six
My next call is to Kit, who doesn’t answer.
Enrique calls me back five minutes later. “Kit is with Kane. I’m your guy. I’m here in the building.”
So much for Kit being my guy. The very fact that I wasn’t told about the change and Enrique called me back for Kit says Kane and Kit are avoiding me. “Where are they, Enrique?”
“I don’t know.”
“Bring your ass up here and tell me to my face. I’ll leave the door unlocked.” I hang up and use my phone to dismantle the security for thirty minutes.
I join the team in the living room and claim my favorite chair at the end of the coffee table. My brother’s at the window on the phone. Tic Tac and Jack are on the couch, both already working on their MacBooks. Jay is just sitting in a chair looking uncomfortable.
Andrew disconnects his call. “I don’t know what to do here. I’m no help. I can’t hack. I can’t go ask questions because you say they won’t let us.”
“Who won’t let us?” Jack asks.
“This is why you can’t be here, Jack. You do not work for the FBI.”
“Neither does Jay or your brother.”
“Jay works for me, and Andrew works for the future governor.” I eye Andrew. “You want to help, Andrew, go back to the Hamptons and find out where this diner employee disappeared to. Go to Nashville, if that’s what it takes. Murphy left me that card for a reason.” I pick up the baggies with the two cards I found at Murphy’s place from the table where I’ve set them and read the message. 1900. You know where. Maybe 1900 isn’t a time. Maybe it’s part of the message Murphy left for me. Maybe it’s an address or part of a phone number.”
“I’m on it,” Tic Tac says.
“I’ll check the dark web,” Jack offers.
“I’ll go dig around,” Andrew replies, pushing to his feet.
Andrew leaves, and I can hear the voices at the door. Enrique is here and when he walks into the living room with my pie, a fork in his hand, and food in his mouth. I’m contemplating adding another murder to the list.
“Oh, no,” Tic Tac murmurs, and I point Enrique to the kitchen and follow him. Once we’re there, I confiscate my pie, shove it in the refrigerator and stare at him. “What is going on with Kane?”
“I have no idea.”
I believe him. That’s the problem. Kane intentionally left someone with me who knows nothing.
I’m going to have words with my husband, but he expects that, so whatever he’s doing is bad. It’s the whole do it and live with the consequences thing, and I’m at least one of the consequences.
***
Kane
Don’t wait for trouble, walk up and introduce yourself. It’s a strategy I learned years before and it works for me.
I land in Long Island and travel to the estate I’m visiting, an impressive twenty acres with high security, and the name on the gate is Romano. This is the meeting I thought I’d never entertain, but never say never. This is the home of the mob’s patriarch who I share a jaded past with. I tied the man up in my garage at one point, but I also made peace with them and stopped the war between the cartel and the Romano family. If they find out my father is alive, there will be bloodshed. But knowledge alone won’t stop the war.
Control will, though.
My control of my father.
There’s only one way to do that, and while my wife will not approve of my methods, she’ll eventually see the light.
I’m going to make a deal with the mob.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Lilah
A couple hours later, I’ve still not heard from Kane, and there are several empty pizza boxes at the end of the coffee table that we all pretty much inhaled. I ate almost a whole one myself while the men in the room marveled. “If I have to kill someone, or arrest them rather, I need energy,” I explained.
At this point, I’m on the floor in front of a chair, at the end of the coffee table. Tic Tac and Jack are still side-by-side on the couch, doing who knows what on their computers, because we have no answers. Even Tic Tac can’t find a location for the ex-diner employee, which has me concerned about her safety.
People don’t just disappear.
Unless they’re hiding or dead.
It’s interesting to me that I have not heard from Adams, who should be worried about one of our own dying. Andrew has nothing to offer me. Chief Houston has nothing to offer me. No one knows shit. On the bright side, no one else has died. Frustrated at our lack of progress I call Ellis. “What do the two directors have in common?”