Trent was taking dangerously long to crack her. Dopp hated to cut it so close. He had assumed that after the dinner, Trent and Arianna’s bonding would kick in, and her caution would unravel like a schoolgirl’s braid. But apparently it had not. And what was this garbage that Trent spewed about the stem cell heart possibly helping people, the very heart that was the stuff of the dead? The thought revolted him. Perhaps he had misjudged Trent—maybe he was too inexperienced to be trusted with such a serious case. Not to mention his immature impulse to quit, as if he were pursuing Arianna for kicks and not out of a sacred duty to protect the Lord’s youngest children.
But Trent had seemed so eager and capable, Dopp remembered. And he had managed to forge a closeness with Arianna that begged to be exploited. Well, now they were too invested to rethink that strategy. At any moment, she could confess to him. But it was possible to keep closer tabs on the situation.
A flick of his finger and a few words later, his trusted employee Jed White was standing before him. Like a sideways skylight, the sheer glass wall behind Dopp’s desk ushered in sunlight, catching the copper in Jed’s hair. The light bounced off the walls, highlighting the largest frame on the wall, one of ornate twisting gold, which held a photograph from a private meeting of Dopp shaking hands with the Pope. That had been before Dopp left the priesthood, but while his affair with Joanie was developing. Dopp still felt ashamed for having presented himself to the Pope as a servant of the church while lust festered inside him. He kept the picture front and center to remind himself not of the honored meeting, but of his deeply human failure.
“Jed, what do you think is the most important quality I seek in my employees?”
“Loyalty?”
“That’s right. To the Lord and our mission. Those loyalties should outweigh any allegiance you feel toward a coworker.”
“Of course.”
“Are you friends with Trent Rowe?”
Jed hesitated, seeming unsure of the correct answer. “We’re cool.”
Dopp smiled. “I thought so. Given that, I need you to take over a special role for the department: integrity control.”
“Integrity control?”
“Yes. What you will need to do is handle a private assignment that requires total confidentiality and discretion. A bonus will be arranged.”
“I’m listening.”
“Trent has been acting a little strange lately, so I need you to watch him and see if he is doing his job. See if he seems motivated to solve the case, or if he’s slacking off. Spend some time with him and Arianna Drake together. Do they seem close or distant? Does she seem to trust him? And what does Trent tell you about her when she’s not there?” Dopp paused while Jed scribbled notes on a pad. “Got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. I saw them together at my house last weekend, but I bet she acts differently toward Trent when she’s more comfortable, like around friends. And I bet Trent will share his attitude about the case more freely with you than with me.”
“Makes sense.”
“Fine, then I will suggest to Trent that you spend some time with him and Arianna again, so you can help reinforce his good image. The way we did it before, weeks ago. He’ll buy it, no problem.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Dopp smiled. “I know your paycheck is due in a week. I’ll be sure to add a little something for your extra time.”
“Thank you,” Jed said graciously. “My pleasure.”
* * *
“Seventy-third and Columbus,” Trent told the cabdriver, hating that he had to pick up the watch before seeing Arianna. At home, he could at least change out of his suit.
Twenty minutes later, the same cab was speeding down Fifth Avenue toward Washington Square. Trent rubbed his palms on his jeans and looked out the window, ignoring the leather strap that felt too tight around his wrist. The glass face bore a scratch from being thrown at the wall, but the recording feature worked as well as ever. Outside the window, chic storefronts and fancy hotels sped by in a blur, until the cab stopped before the concrete arch at Washington Square Park. Trent ran into Arianna’s building and climbed the stairs to her third-floor apartment. Before he knocked, he made sure to turn off the watch’s ear, at least for now.
She answered the door with a tissue in one hand, wearing pajama pants and a tank top. Her ragged hair clung to her temples as if she had been lying down, crying.
“My God,” he said, stepping inside and embracing her. She pressed her head against his chest, sniffling.
“What’s done is done,” she mumbled.
“It’ll be okay,” he said, aching to believe it. “There are still two men working practically around the clock, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So we still have a chance.”
She looked up at him, and a smile restored the beauty to her face. “We do.”
“As bad as it is, this isn’t the worst that could have happened.”
She nodded, slipping a cold hand into his. “Come lie down with me. But let’s not talk about this. I need a day away.”
“I hear that.”
She led him into her bedroom. Slanted light shone through the window, illuminating the dancing dust in its rays. Her red comforter sat on the floor in a fiery lump. On the bed, the white sheets were tangled.
“Looks like my bed most days,” he joked.
“We should have slept here last night. Sorry I fell asleep on you.”
“We can still make up for it.” He kicked off his sneakers and slid on his stomach onto the mattress. Then he unhooked the watchstrap and put it on her nightstand behind a lamp so
