of speaking about what happened like he was telling the weather, emotionless. He wasn’t sorry for anything he did; he was just sorry he was sloppy and got caught. “They’re ruthless.”
He leaned over the railing and let out a deep sigh. “It’s a good thing you’re here, then.”
“Yeah, my father certainly thinks so.” I watched a dark cloud move in front of the moon and dull its shine.
“What do your parents do?”
I downed a little more coffee just to stay warm. Oliver seemed easy to talk to. He asked questions and seemed generally interested in me.
“They both work in the Army.” I kept it vague.
He nodded and stood straight again when he heard a car coming up the driveway. A lady stepped out with three plastic bags, and I strained to see who it was.
“That’s John’s mother, Kelly.” Oliver filled in my unasked question. “She went out for dinner.”
I suddenly felt like I was in the way. I really wished Dell had picked me up. Kelly walked up the stairs, and when she spotted me with her husband, she stopped short.
Oh, shit. She was the lady who had been crying at Zack’s.
“Kelly, this is John’s friend Sloane.”
I reached out and pretended like we hadn’t met earlier. “Lovely to meet you, Mrs. Black.”
She shook her head free of the trance she seemed to be stuck in. “Please call me Kelly.” Her worried face swung over to Oliver’s. “Everything okay?”
“Just a little misunderstanding, but John’s inside.”
“Okay.” Stress outlined every wrinkle on her face. “Are you hungry, Sloane?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
I felt my phone go off in my purse. I fished it free and saw it was an unknown number.
“I’m sorry, but would you mind if I took this?”
“Not at all.” Oliver steered Kelly inside. “Come on in once you’re done. It’s much too cold to be out here for long.”
I smiled at his warmth before I answered the call.
“Sloane Harlow.”
“Why aren’t you home?”
Just like that, a frost layered my insides.
“I told you I was working on another case—”
“And I told you we weren’t finished yet.”
“Henry,” I pinched the bridge of my nose to stop the headache that wanted to come on, “let’s look at this another way. I lost your case, so why would you want me to re-open something if I did a bad job in the beginning?”
“I know you have connections, Sloane.” His voice changed to a more serious tone. “I know your father can make things happen with one phone call.”
“How do you know my father?” We went by different last names on purpose. It just made things easier.
“I know a lot about you, Sloane.”
“Well,” I lifted my hands, finished with this, “if you’re so good at finding out information, why don’t you call him yourself?”
“You will do it.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Sloane,” again his voice was laced with a sharp undertone, “remember what Ken Wind did to that girl at the bar?”
I froze on the spot and let the notes from Henry’s case flip through my head like the pages of a book. It stopped when it came to the photo of the girl flung into a field like she was nothing more than a burger wrapper. She had been beaten and raped for witnessing a meeting between two of the head mob bosses. Though he went to prison for it, he got out on bail and was never seen again.
“I take it from your silence you remember.” He seemed amused. “We are not your normal gang-banger clients, sweetheart. We are organized, methodical, so why don’t you get your sexy little ass back to Washington so we can finish what you started?”
“The judge signed off on the case, Henry.” I repeated the usual response Frank coached me to use. “Neither my father nor I can get you your guys back. I didn’t do those crimes, I didn’t kill those people, I didn’t lose your son’s case. You did. Until you can see that, I can’t speak to you. Don’t call me again.” I hung up and sucked in a huge, deep breath of cold air.
“Everything all right?” John asked from behind me. I jumped and nearly had a heart attack.
“Yeah…yes, just work.”
He studied me for a moment before he looked up at the sky. “Can I ask you for a favor?”
“Sure.”
“I need to help out my parents tomorrow early in the morning for Ellie’s appointment—”
“I can drive back.” I cut him off, trying to give him an out before it got even more awkward.