blame?”
“Why, they supported his campaign.”
“Campaign for what?”
Clarence smiled and slid a photo across to her. In it,
a man in a suit stood atop a podium, jubilantly raising his hand, a woman in a
sensible dress and three children stood behind him, smiling. Red and blue
confetti littered the air around him. His face was very familiar.
Of course it was.
Her stomach lurched. This is too big. Even
for father , Giselle thought.
“I know what you are thinking. But, perhaps your plan
for Galbraith and Mr. Monday contain more wisdom than you think. Don’t
despair, Ms. Giselle. Tears and blood will flow soon. Debts will be
paid in spades. Mr. Nicholaisen is a vengeful
man and I am a dutiful servant. And you, my dear, are a talented daughter
that can make all this work.”
She swallowed and looked again at the photo. Clarence
was trying to inspire her, but she only felt dread.
“I am going to need some more champagne, I think.”
Clarence smiled and checked the nails of his fingers.
“Besides, Giselle, I happen to know someone who wants this
man dead more than your father does. Perhaps I can speak to him and get
his input and influence.”
Giselle stared at him. Clarence would be a very
dangerous enemy, she realized. She brought a smile to her face and raised
her empty champagne glass in a silent toast.
Chapter 13
Back in the Saddle Again
Jake was glad the winter was behind him.
The last few months had been a whirlwind of activity.
He could barely remember the assignments, the locales, the faces of the men who
deserved the justice he provided.
Justice. What a
funny word to call murder , he thought. He reasoned that his conscience
would spit the word “murder” out like bad sushi, or choke on it like a foreign
object lodged in his throat. In order to better swallow the reality that
was his profession, Jake had created the fantasy that he was secretly
protecting something dear to his heart. The truth was , he felt like his heart was as empty as a politician’s promise. What
compelled him to cling to the moral high ground? What impelled him to
continue to come to work every day?
He pondered these weighty things while standing in line
awaiting his daily joe .
He stared at the menu board, wondering if he should deviate from his normal
fare. He was proud of his ability to be unpredictable, but he seemed to
have one habit of bespoken familiarity. He ordered the same thing
every weekday. It just seemed to fit.
Once he had his caramel macchiato and strawberry cream
cheese danish in hand, he
made his way to the elevator queue. Members of his old team were already
there.
“So, I told her that next time, she would have to do better
than just the two tickets to the Brooklyn Nets,” Gary was saying. Violet
stood next to him, pretending to be interested. Gary was really just
showing off for the new girl. She stood, smirking and sipping her coffee.
Violet glanced at him. He could see the hatred in her
eyes. He had not seen her in over three weeks. With the sudden
change of venue, Jake had almost forgotten her. He wished that he could
erase the feeling in the pit of his stomach.
The images that ran through his mind were a dragon, a
fiery-headed Gorgon, and an alien with deep black pupils. He
fought the urge to turn back to the lobby. Instead, he gave the
obligatory lifting of the chin and a slight smile.
Nothing untoward has happened between us. You do
not intimidate me. These were the messages he hoped he was
sending. I bested you , he tried to say with his
eyes. Of course, she would take it as a challenge. Or worse, an allurement.
She looked at him fully and licked her finger.
“You ready for another round? Sergei says you have
been avoiding training,” Violet challenged.
“I don’t have time. They are keeping me pretty busy on
the 55 th floor,” Jake countered.
Her eyes floated from his knees to
“Why, they supported his campaign.”
“Campaign for what?”
Clarence smiled and slid a photo across to her. In it,
a man in a suit stood atop a podium, jubilantly raising his hand, a woman in a
sensible dress and three children stood behind him, smiling. Red and blue
confetti littered the air around him. His face was very familiar.
Of course it was.
Her stomach lurched. This is too big. Even
for father , Giselle thought.
“I know what you are thinking. But, perhaps your plan
for Galbraith and Mr. Monday contain more wisdom than you think. Don’t
despair, Ms. Giselle. Tears and blood will flow soon. Debts will be
paid in spades. Mr. Nicholaisen is a vengeful
man and I am a dutiful servant. And you, my dear, are a talented daughter
that can make all this work.”
She swallowed and looked again at the photo. Clarence
was trying to inspire her, but she only felt dread.
“I am going to need some more champagne, I think.”
Clarence smiled and checked the nails of his fingers.
“Besides, Giselle, I happen to know someone who wants this
man dead more than your father does. Perhaps I can speak to him and get
his input and influence.”
Giselle stared at him. Clarence would be a very
dangerous enemy, she realized. She brought a smile to her face and raised
her empty champagne glass in a silent toast.
Chapter 13
Back in the Saddle Again
Jake was glad the winter was behind him.
The last few months had been a whirlwind of activity.
He could barely remember the assignments, the locales, the faces of the men who
deserved the justice he provided.
Justice. What a
funny word to call murder , he thought. He reasoned that his conscience
would spit the word “murder” out like bad sushi, or choke on it like a foreign
object lodged in his throat. In order to better swallow the reality that
was his profession, Jake had created the fantasy that he was secretly
protecting something dear to his heart. The truth was , he felt like his heart was as empty as a politician’s promise. What
compelled him to cling to the moral high ground? What impelled him to
continue to come to work every day?
He pondered these weighty things while standing in line
awaiting his daily joe .
He stared at the menu board, wondering if he should deviate from his normal
fare. He was proud of his ability to be unpredictable, but he seemed to
have one habit of bespoken familiarity. He ordered the same thing
every weekday. It just seemed to fit.
Once he had his caramel macchiato and strawberry cream
cheese danish in hand, he
made his way to the elevator queue. Members of his old team were already
there.
“So, I told her that next time, she would have to do better
than just the two tickets to the Brooklyn Nets,” Gary was saying. Violet
stood next to him, pretending to be interested. Gary was really just
showing off for the new girl. She stood, smirking and sipping her coffee.
Violet glanced at him. He could see the hatred in her
eyes. He had not seen her in over three weeks. With the sudden
change of venue, Jake had almost forgotten her. He wished that he could
erase the feeling in the pit of his stomach.
The images that ran through his mind were a dragon, a
fiery-headed Gorgon, and an alien with deep black pupils. He
fought the urge to turn back to the lobby. Instead, he gave the
obligatory lifting of the chin and a slight smile.
Nothing untoward has happened between us. You do
not intimidate me. These were the messages he hoped he was
sending. I bested you , he tried to say with his
eyes. Of course, she would take it as a challenge. Or worse, an allurement.
She looked at him fully and licked her finger.
“You ready for another round? Sergei says you have
been avoiding training,” Violet challenged.
“I don’t have time. They are keeping me pretty busy on
the 55 th floor,” Jake countered.
Her eyes floated from his knees to
Similar Books
