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Authors: Joan Mauch
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because of that?”
“Not only that. Her apartment manager said her
mail hasn’t been picked up for over a week, said it’s piling up. If she was leaving
town, wouldn’t she have put a hold on her mail?”
“Not necessarily. I would, but young people don’t
always think about stuff like mail and notifying bosses when they leave town.”
His tone of voice softened a bit as he leaned in toward Jackson.
“Look, I know you mean well. You’re concerned
about your partner. You come back from your father’s funeral and she’s not
around. Anyone in your shoes would be concerned. We were too. We did everything
we could: called her apartment, checked the contacts on her emergency-call
list, left messages on her cell, everything.
“No, we didn’t contact the police and maybe we shoulda . It just didn’t seem warranted. Even the police
admitted that if someone wants to walk off the job and disappear, they have
every right to do so. There’s no law that says they have to give their employer
proper notice. Last I checked it was still a free country and people can come
and go as they like.”
Jackson listened intently, nodding in agreement,
but in his mind he kept hearing Izzie tell him how she’d started seeing that
guy from the balcony. Should he tell his boss about that or keep it to himself?
Morris Stone was wrapping up his tirade. “Now
unless you have something more to tell me, I’d advise you to put Isabelle
Campbell out of your mind for once and for all. The girl has moved on, and if
you value your job, you should too. Capisce ?” He
stood up signally the discussion was over. There was nothing more to be said.
Chapter 25
It was after three in the morning and
despite his best efforts Leon Donatello was still awake. Even Tiny’s rhythmic
snoring from his corner on the floor hadn’t made him the least bit drowsy the
way it usually did.
Having spent the day working to
ensure the products’ enclosures were secure, he was dog-tired, but simply
couldn’t get Izzie off his mind. The harder he tried, the more wide awake he
became. Finally, with the red numbers on the clock approaching four, he decided
to get up and start his day.
Measuring grounds into the coffeemaker,
he wondered for what seemed like the hundredth time why Izzie couldn’t have
just stayed out of his business: why she had to start asking questions and
showing up like that. He had grown to care for her, damn it. Had let himself
become vulnerable for maybe the first time in his life. Why’d she have to go
and ruin it?
Grounds overran the top of the
filter as he’d continued to obsess over his ruined relationship.
“Son of a bitch!” he shouted to the
empty room, adding two more swearwords for good measure.
Then the oddest thing happened:
Leon Donatello, the tough guy who wasn’t afraid of anybody or anything—except
maybe Seymour Cottingham—began to bawl. It wasn’t a brief emotion-filled
breakdown either; it was the real thing.
Leon’s torrent of heart-wrenching
sobs left his face awash in tears which poured down his cheeks and onto his
boxers. Unable or unwilling to exercise control over his imagination, the love
of his life appeared before him looking every bit as lovely as the last time he
saw her. That evening her skin had seemed almost translucent in the moonlight;
her smile dazzled him. It never occurred to him their relationship would end
the way it did. His mournful lament was that of a grief-stricken man who would
not be comforted.
“Izzie,” he cried, “Why’d you have
to go and be so damned stupid? I miss you.” he buried his face in his hands and
wept until he had no tears left. Only then did he become aware of Tiny at his
side, nuzzling his foot with his nose.
Baffled and angered by vulnerable
feelings with which he had no experience, Leon picked up a plate from the
counter and threw it as hard as he could at the nearest wall. The violent
sound of shattering china startled Tiny who tore from the
because of that?”
“Not only that. Her apartment manager said her
mail hasn’t been picked up for over a week, said it’s piling up. If she was leaving
town, wouldn’t she have put a hold on her mail?”
“Not necessarily. I would, but young people don’t
always think about stuff like mail and notifying bosses when they leave town.”
His tone of voice softened a bit as he leaned in toward Jackson.
“Look, I know you mean well. You’re concerned
about your partner. You come back from your father’s funeral and she’s not
around. Anyone in your shoes would be concerned. We were too. We did everything
we could: called her apartment, checked the contacts on her emergency-call
list, left messages on her cell, everything.
“No, we didn’t contact the police and maybe we shoulda . It just didn’t seem warranted. Even the police
admitted that if someone wants to walk off the job and disappear, they have
every right to do so. There’s no law that says they have to give their employer
proper notice. Last I checked it was still a free country and people can come
and go as they like.”
Jackson listened intently, nodding in agreement,
but in his mind he kept hearing Izzie tell him how she’d started seeing that
guy from the balcony. Should he tell his boss about that or keep it to himself?
Morris Stone was wrapping up his tirade. “Now
unless you have something more to tell me, I’d advise you to put Isabelle
Campbell out of your mind for once and for all. The girl has moved on, and if
you value your job, you should too. Capisce ?” He
stood up signally the discussion was over. There was nothing more to be said.
Chapter 25
It was after three in the morning and
despite his best efforts Leon Donatello was still awake. Even Tiny’s rhythmic
snoring from his corner on the floor hadn’t made him the least bit drowsy the
way it usually did.
Having spent the day working to
ensure the products’ enclosures were secure, he was dog-tired, but simply
couldn’t get Izzie off his mind. The harder he tried, the more wide awake he
became. Finally, with the red numbers on the clock approaching four, he decided
to get up and start his day.
Measuring grounds into the coffeemaker,
he wondered for what seemed like the hundredth time why Izzie couldn’t have
just stayed out of his business: why she had to start asking questions and
showing up like that. He had grown to care for her, damn it. Had let himself
become vulnerable for maybe the first time in his life. Why’d she have to go
and ruin it?
Grounds overran the top of the
filter as he’d continued to obsess over his ruined relationship.
“Son of a bitch!” he shouted to the
empty room, adding two more swearwords for good measure.
Then the oddest thing happened:
Leon Donatello, the tough guy who wasn’t afraid of anybody or anything—except
maybe Seymour Cottingham—began to bawl. It wasn’t a brief emotion-filled
breakdown either; it was the real thing.
Leon’s torrent of heart-wrenching
sobs left his face awash in tears which poured down his cheeks and onto his
boxers. Unable or unwilling to exercise control over his imagination, the love
of his life appeared before him looking every bit as lovely as the last time he
saw her. That evening her skin had seemed almost translucent in the moonlight;
her smile dazzled him. It never occurred to him their relationship would end
the way it did. His mournful lament was that of a grief-stricken man who would
not be comforted.
“Izzie,” he cried, “Why’d you have
to go and be so damned stupid? I miss you.” he buried his face in his hands and
wept until he had no tears left. Only then did he become aware of Tiny at his
side, nuzzling his foot with his nose.
Baffled and angered by vulnerable
feelings with which he had no experience, Leon picked up a plate from the
counter and threw it as hard as he could at the nearest wall. The violent
sound of shattering china startled Tiny who tore from the
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