Read Online Codes of Betrayal by Dorothy Uhnak - Free Book Online

vicinity?”
    “I’m not sure yet. You’re the only bad guy I can see right now.”
    “Bad guy? Not moi, Nick. Independent guy, yes.”
    She always seemed to be on the verge of putting him down. Something about her was smug and irritating. Just like when she was a child: who the hell does Laura think she is?
    “Hey, how independent can you be? You married money. You’ve been left pretty well provided for, right?”
    She smiled, but her eyes were cold. “Whatever it takes, Nick. I learned that very early.” She shrugged in imitation of a neighborhood wise guy. “Hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do, right?” Then she stopped clowning. “Don’t think I didn’t earn every penny I ever got.”
    The playfulness between them was gone. He’d been spiteful, really, for no reason. She picked up her egg cream and gulped it down. No straws or sips for Laura. She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, then took the napkin he offered.
    “That’s a nice-looking boy, your Peter. Looks like his mother. What eyes. How come you only have one kid, Nick?”
    “How come you never had a kid, Laura?”
    She pulled back against the leatherette seat and stared at him, then looked away.
    “I would have had a child with my second husband. You heard about him, right? Emilio Sartucci, the skier.”
    Nick remembered. It had been a tragedy. He started to speak, but she cut him off.
    “Two years after Octavio was killed, I married Emilio. He was an Olympic medalist, a national treasure in Italy—like a matador in Spain. Everywhere we went, crowds gathered, just to see him, touch him. We were married six months—to the day—when we went with some friends of his to Switzerland. The macho gang; Italian heroes. They were told the skiing conditions were dangerous; wait a few days. But it was a challenge, you see.”
    Nick reached for her hand and she pulled it away. “Laura, I’m sorry. I—”
    “Oh, it was a long time ago, Nick. I told him it wasn’t worth risking his life to impress friends ignorant enough to challenge death so stupidly. So three of them died—an avalanche. One boy survived with brain damage. Only Emilio’s body was dug out.” She paused. “My God, the funeral was incredible. Every celebrity, actor, athlete, movie star, politician, every wanna-be and almost was attended the funeral. A cardinal officiated. The press said I was ‘beautiful and devastated.’” She shrugged. “What I was angry. I hate stupidity.”
    Her expression now was placid, calm.
    “Did you love him?”
    “What difference does that make? We were good lovers.”
    “No one special in your life now?”
    Laura closed her eyes, shook her head, and laughed. “Special? God, you sound like a high school boy. Lovers—yes. Who I choose, when I choose, for however long I choose. God, look at you—are you shocked?”
    He didn’t know what he was. The tone between them had grown edgy, antagonistic. He didn’t know why he felt so angry, so judgmental toward her.
    “So you’re a pretty rich lady now?”
    Laura nibbled on her pinky and grinned.
    “Fly all over the world?”
    He wanted to smack her or kiss her—either one, or both. She changed instantly as they got up to leave, as though she had pushed a button. Became a young girl, smiling, flirting with the counterman as they were leaving.
    Maury wiped his red wet hands on his dirty white apron; offered his cheek for her kiss. “Any time, Laura, you come to me for the best egg cream in the world, right?”
    “I come to see you, Maury. The egg cream comes in second.”
    “Ah, she makes me feel like a young boy, this one.”
    Nick knew exactly what the older man meant. He felt awkward, graceless, somewhat stupid.
    She gave him a lift to the subway; he’d head for the precinct and get a car for the trip home. She put her face forward for a light kiss. Without a thought, Nick jerked her face to meet his lips. The kiss surprised them both.
    It was nearly 1:30 A.M. by the time Nick reached