“Muchas gracias,” I say with a smirk.
I’m rewarded with a tight smile. “You are very welcome, sir.”
The ride up is quick thanks to all the advancements n modern technology. A blessing and a curse, I suppose. When I exit, there is already a man waiting for me, no doubt chosen because of his resemblance to a military tank.
“Enrique Marín?”
I’m tempted to give a smart assed answer, but this job is going to be difficult enough as it is. “Guilty as charged,” is what I settle on.
Either way, he’s not amused.
“I’ve been ordered to pat you down and scan you with this before I take you in,” he says, holding up a black wand.
Expected.
It would have been stupid of me to do this with a weapon or suspicious technical device on me. I lift up my hands and allow him to do his thing. The only items he finds are my keys, wallet and phone.
“I’ll be holding onto the phone while you meet with Mr. Coleman.”
I could protest, but I need to get inside that apartment. “No sneaking in any porn on that while I’m in there,” I say with a smirk.
Again, not amused.
I follow him to the only entrance in this hallway, a set of double doors at the end. The foyer is exactly what you’d expect from a megalomaniac like Richard Coleman. It’s just ostentatious enough to reek of wealth, as if that view of Central Park wasn’t enough, but not to the point of complete tackiness. The henchman-cum-bouncer guides me further along until we reach another set of double doors.
“Come in,” the voice on the other side says after the man with me knocks twice.
Hearing that voice sends a chill through me. It’s not familiar at least beyond what I’ve heard from various videos online, but it’s the same voice that spoke before I saw the man attached to it kill another man.
When the doors are opened, that’s when the memories come flooding back. I look around wondering if, in fact, this is where I grew up. I spent so much time sneaking into my father’s office as a kid, it’s practically etched into my brain. There’s the leather couch that I always hid behind when he entered before I could escape.
Even the globe is still there.
“Look familiar?”
My eyes land on the man behind the desk who is staring hard at me with green eyes that most definitely spark a memory. The marks on his cheek are fresh.
So Leira is probably here somewhere. That certainly saves me from having to look too far when this is over.
“Did she do that to you?” I ask with a smirk, gesturing to his face.
“You can go, Leonard,” Richard says, his voice and eyes hard as he continues to stare at me.
I tear my gaze away to get a better look at the place, circling in place with my hands stuffed in my pockets. Snatches of memories fall into place, locked in like stacks of LEGOs.
“I liked the decor of the old place so much I had them transfer it here, inch by inch. I suppose I’m nostalgic that way.”
I turn around to find a taunting smirk on his face as he studies me. He waves a hand toward the chair across from him. “By all means, have a seat.”
I walk over to take a seat, and it turns in to a brief staring contest as we lock eyes with each other.
The son who saw his father commit murder.
The father who probably still wants to kill his son because of that.
“Enrique Marín,” he murmurs. “I liked Eric better, chose it myself. I thought about Richard Jr., but I figured there could only be one of me. Better to become your own man, which you apparently have. Quite busy the past few years it would seem.”
A cold smile lifts one side of my mouth. “Not to worry, I’ll be retiring soon.”
Richard laughs, deep and hearty. “Is that a threat? Here, in my own home? I could easily kill you, and everyone would still believe my version of things.”
“It isn’t like you haven’t done that once or twice before.”
His amusement fades. “Is this the part where I’m supposed to confess? Maybe I should get closer so I speak into the wire.”
“Neither of us is that stupid.”
“No,” he says, sitting back to cooly assess me. “You’re too slick to pull something that obvious off. So, what is it? Will ninjas be crashing through the window at any moment?”
“That would be amusing, wouldn’t it?” I say, smiling at the thought.
“So why are you here?” he asks, his voice going dangerously dark.
“I’ve come to get answers.”
“Information,” he mutters. I hear a subtle note of bemusement in his voice. “It’s interesting that you should say that. Because I myself have been in search of answers recently, and you may just be the key to getting them. In fact, that’s the only reason you aren’t already dead.”
Outside I maintain a facade of perfect calm. Inside, the blood flow in my veins may have reversed course for a second or two. He has a plan of his own, which is odd because he certainly wasn’t expecting me.
He reaches out to press a button. “Leonard, have them bring her in.”
Now my blood is at a cold standstill. Leira is not supposed to be directly involved in this.
Which means I need to act quickly.
Chapter Fifty-Four Leira
The monotony of being on my own is quickly eradicated when the door swings open. I expect Lucinda to walk in, perhaps to persuade me once again to talk. Instead, the same lug I briefly recall from earlier grabs
