Stranger in Town - By Cheryl Bradshaw Page 0,23

I contemplated my options: let it ring, send the call to voicemail, or answer it. It was late, and my eyes were only about twenty-five percent open. I wasn’t up for a conversation with anyone, especially him. Still, I wondered where he’d been the past several days. Why he hadn’t called, texted, or communicated with me? I wanted answers, but I was too drained to care. I needed sleep. It was his turn to wait.

I tossed the phone to the side and rolled over, appreciating the hotel for using duvets on their beds instead of those cheap tapestry-looking comforters from the eighties. Or was it the seventies? It bugged me that the cover bedding was seldom washed, like slapping on a set of sheets made up for a bedspread that contained more germs per inch than the inside of a frat boy’s toilet. I couldn’t sleep at night no matter where I was without folding the top sheet over the comforter. It was like a protective layer between me and unwanted germs, and I justified myself by thinking everyone had the same little rituals. Didn’t they?

According to a news report I’d seen on TV, the remote and light switches were the areas that contained some of the highest amounts of germs in a hotel room. Since entering, I’d only disinfected the TV remote and the light switch next to my bed. That wasn’t too bad, was it? I didn’t intend to turn on the bathroom faucets using my elbows or flush the toilet with my foot; I wasn’t a germaphobe, I was germ-aware. Big difference.

The phone rang again, which meant Giovanni would keep calling until I answered. He was unstoppable when he wanted something, and I needed sleep. I picked it up.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hello, cara mia. It’s good to hear your voice.”

It was nice to hear his too, but the sweet talk wasn’t going to work. Not this time.

“Are you there?” he said.

“I’m here,” I said.

“Say something.”

“Like what?” I said.

“Anything.”

“I don’t feel like talking,” I said. “I’m tired.”

“You’re angry. I can hear it in your voice.”

“I haven’t heard from you in almost a week, Giovanni. Not one word. And now you finally call, and there’s no apology, no explanation, nothing. Maybe this is typical relationship behavior for you, but I—”

“I know, I should have told you.”

“Told me what?” I said.

“My sister was taken.”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” I said. “Abducted?”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t believe it. Another one. Although the reasons wouldn’t be the same. Giovanni’s sister wasn’t a child.

“From where?” I said.

“Her apartment in New York City.”

“But she has an alarm system, doesn’t she?”

“It was disabled.”

“Do you know who did it?”

“My brother and I are working together to figure it out. He’s here with me. We’re getting close.”

Giovanni’s brother was in the FBI. If anyone could find her, he could. I wouldn’t want to be the other person when they did.

“Why would anyone want to take Daniela?” I said.

There was a pause, followed by heavy breathing.

“Giovanni, I want to know. Tell me.”

“I’m afraid it has something to do with me.”

“You? Why?”

“A few months ago a group of men I used to do business with reached out to me. They needed a favor, asked for my help. I turned them down. They got angry, started making threats, but I didn’t take them seriously. I never believed anything would come of it. I had those closest to me under surveillance, just in case, but—”

“Wait a minute,” I said. “You didn’t have anyone keeping an eye on me, did you?”

His prolonged silence provided the answer. But I lacked the energy to be angry, and the right—not while Daniela was still missing.

“If you were looking out for your sister, how did she get abducted?” I said.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out. It appears one of my men may have been providing information to someone else.”

“Who?”

“I have my suspicions, and he is being followed. I need to be sure.”

“Why did you wait so long to tell me?” I said.

“I didn’t want to get you involved—this is something I need to do on my own.”

“You involved me when I became part of your life,” I said.

“I knew you’d be right beside me, which is why I waited to tell you until you had a new case. I’ve put Daniela in danger; I won’t let it happen to you as well.”

“How do you know about my case?”

Stupid question. He knew everything, except for the current whereabouts of his sister. And he was right. If I hadn’t