“Oh my God, tell me we are not having this conversation. Albert, we are not having this conversation!” I hung up, horrified, yet laughing. The man belonged in a cage. In a zoo. On Mars.
But in his disgusting, direct way, Albert had given me the answer. Matt and I had loved each other to the end of our lives. To the dawning of our eternity. I sure hoped he was delirious with joy wherever he’d ended up. Did he feel the same about me?
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
Before I found true peace, however, I had to finish this job. And now that I knew how to do that, I needed to put the plan in motion. I dialed the home office.
“Demlock Pharmaceuticals,” answered Martha in her rough and ready voice.
“Marketing department, please.”
Three clicks and a buzz later Martha felt safe to say, “Go ahead.”
“It’s Jaz. Is Pete around?”
“Where else would he be?”
“Tap class?”
“Ha! Hang on, hon.”
Pete’s greeting was typical. “Tell me you haven’t wrecked a car.”
“How could I?” I replied bitterly. “All you sent was a moped.”
“Have you taken a look at that palace Vayl leased? It’s costing me an arm, a leg, and a couple of vital organs!”
“Well, I’d better tell Bergman to get that supercharged V8 off the floor then, huh? Do you think Palmolive gets out Pennzoil?”
Pete makes this unique sound when he’s about to have an I’ve-reached-the-bottom-of-my-wallet fit. It used to scare me, but I’ve begun to enjoy it. I know, sick.
“I’m kidding; the place is in mint condition.” Well, it would be as soon as the carpet cleaners showed. “However, the performance tent burned down last night.”
Again with the sound, a subtle blend of choking-on-rib-eye, suffering a megawedgie, and walking barefoot over broken glass. I quickly added, “The people who burned it are replacing it as we speak. Which leads to my problem.” I explained last night’s scenario, Jericho’s involvement, and how Pengfei—through Lung—had begun to cover their tracks. “They’ve already pocketed the governor of Texas. Has anybody been on you to shut us down?”
“No,” he said thoughtfully. “But I have been asked to brief the president tomorrow morning on an unrelated matter. Now I’m wondering . . .”
“Yeah, me too. Is there any way you can make yourself scarce until then? Just in case?”
“You can get this done tonight?”
“Then I’m feeling queasy. Must’ve been that cream cheese on my morning bagel. I’m going home now, Jaz. Twenty-four hours. That’s all I can promise you. And you know what? Thanks for the excuse. I hate this suit I’m wearing today. It hits me right in the pits. Can’t wait to shuck this coat and—”
“Oh my God, Pete, I think I have a lead.”
“What?”
“You mentioning your suit just brought it together in my head. Samos’s
“We’ll check it out.”
“Hang on. Let me think. Let me try to remember the conversations . . .” I took my mind back to the talks I’d had with Shunyuan Fa and Yale. “The store’s in Reno.”
“Excellent.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Since Pete had given me his blessing to bring Jericho in as far as I thought necessary, I was set to spill the beans when I went back outside. But the old desire to protect those frail lives surrounding mine started banging cymbals in my head when I saw him talking earnestly with Cassandra.
Which was when Xia Ge showed up. Like Cassandra, she’d taken some extra time in front of the mirror this morning. She wore her sleek black hair down, which complemented her red V-neck sweater. Her black slacks looked immaculate, one of the advantages of having a kid who doesn’t regurgitate his meals on a regular basis. Baby Lai, dressed in a blue one-piecer dotted with monkeys, cruised in the stroller in front of Mom, looking so cheerful he might’ve been smashing miniature baby bottles all morning.
Cole had already risen to greet them. The light in Ge’s eyes when she smiled at him disturbed me. I didn’t think she’d ever act on her crush, but the fact that she felt it at all made me hurt for Shao.
I crouched by the stroller and spent some time talking to Lai, suggesting maybe someday he could give E.J.
