coming in.
Lacey smiled. “Never,” she said. “I just wanted to ask you something.”
“Anything,” he said.
“Is Jason involved in anything dangerous?”
Luis thought for a minute before answering her. “All young men are involved in dangerous things,” he said. “It’s in their nature. It’s their passions. If they’re passionate, if they’re worth anything, they’re involved in something dangerous. Even being involved with a beautiful woman like you is a danger, Lacey.”
“I know,” she said, “but I meant something more specific.”
Luis looked up at her. His eyes were kind but there was a seriousness to the way he looked at her. “What’s troubling you, child?” he said.
“It’s nothing.”
“Lacey.”
“Well, this morning, I was looking in his desk, I shouldn’t have been, but he left me at his house by myself and I was being curious.”
“You were snooping.”
“I was.”
“Women snoop,” Luis said. “That’s nothing to be ashamed of, you can’t help it.”
“Well, I was snooping , and I found a handgun in his drawer.”
“Ah, yes.”
“So?”
“So you want to know if Jason is a drug dealer or a jewel thief or something.”
“Well, is he?”
“Lacey, God as my witness, he’s nothing of the sort.”
“Then why does he have the gun?”
“That’s something I’ll let him explain to you himself, when the time comes.”
“When the time comes?”
“Yes, when the time comes.”
“And in the meantime?”
“In the meantime, all I can say is that young men have always been involved in dangerous things. It’s the passions, Lacey.”
“The passions?”
“Sí.”
“Sí?”
“And I might also remind you,” Luis said, “young women are also very passionate.”
Lacey nodded.
Luis continued, “They also get involved in dangerous things.”
Lacey looked at him for a minute before leaving the kitchen.
*
L ACEY AND CHLOE ENJOYED A delicious meal. Luis told them stories of his youth while they ate. It seemed he’d been involved in his share of dangerous things as a young man also. There had been all sorts of political troubles in Spain and he’d always managed to be at the center of them, or so it seemed from his stories.
Just as Luis was offering them some dessert Lacey’s phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello?” she said.
“This is Claire Lally.”
“Claire! You called. I was afraid you wouldn’t.”
“Then why did you give me your number?”
“I had a sense,” Lacey said, searching for the right word.
“What kind of sense?”
“A sense that you and I had more in common than either of us would ever guess.”
“Well, I have an offer for you,” Claire said.
“Anything.”
“You come to my apartment tonight, alone. I told my husband that you were an old college friend. He won’t be surprised to see you.”
“Why alone?”
“I want you to let my husband seduce you.”
“What?”
“It will keep him off of me for the night.”
“You want me to distract him.”
“Yes. The honeymoon is over, so to speak,” Claire said.
“Okay.”
“You don’t mind doing that?”
“It’s what I do,” Lacey said, trying to sound as natural about it as possible.
“And in exchange,” Claire continued, “I’ll help you with whatever you’re trying to find out about my father.”
“I’m not even sure what I’m looking for,” Lacey said.
“I’ll help you.”
“You’ve got information that could get him in trouble?”
“I’ve got a lifetime’s worth.”
“Do you know about The Club?”
“Just come over tonight. Let my husband have what he wants. Tomorrow, I’ll give you what you want.”
“Quid pro quo,” Lacey said.
“Exactly,” Claire said.
*
C HLOE WASN’T SURE IT WAS safe for Lacey to go over to Claire’s alone.
“What if it’s a trap?” she said. “What if she told her father what you were up to? What if he’s there, waiting for you?”
“I don’t think it’s a
Lacey smiled. “Never,” she said. “I just wanted to ask you something.”
“Anything,” he said.
“Is Jason involved in anything dangerous?”
Luis thought for a minute before answering her. “All young men are involved in dangerous things,” he said. “It’s in their nature. It’s their passions. If they’re passionate, if they’re worth anything, they’re involved in something dangerous. Even being involved with a beautiful woman like you is a danger, Lacey.”
“I know,” she said, “but I meant something more specific.”
Luis looked up at her. His eyes were kind but there was a seriousness to the way he looked at her. “What’s troubling you, child?” he said.
“It’s nothing.”
“Lacey.”
“Well, this morning, I was looking in his desk, I shouldn’t have been, but he left me at his house by myself and I was being curious.”
“You were snooping.”
“I was.”
“Women snoop,” Luis said. “That’s nothing to be ashamed of, you can’t help it.”
“Well, I was snooping , and I found a handgun in his drawer.”
“Ah, yes.”
“So?”
“So you want to know if Jason is a drug dealer or a jewel thief or something.”
“Well, is he?”
“Lacey, God as my witness, he’s nothing of the sort.”
“Then why does he have the gun?”
“That’s something I’ll let him explain to you himself, when the time comes.”
“When the time comes?”
“Yes, when the time comes.”
“And in the meantime?”
“In the meantime, all I can say is that young men have always been involved in dangerous things. It’s the passions, Lacey.”
“The passions?”
“Sí.”
“Sí?”
“And I might also remind you,” Luis said, “young women are also very passionate.”
Lacey nodded.
Luis continued, “They also get involved in dangerous things.”
Lacey looked at him for a minute before leaving the kitchen.
*
L ACEY AND CHLOE ENJOYED A delicious meal. Luis told them stories of his youth while they ate. It seemed he’d been involved in his share of dangerous things as a young man also. There had been all sorts of political troubles in Spain and he’d always managed to be at the center of them, or so it seemed from his stories.
Just as Luis was offering them some dessert Lacey’s phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello?” she said.
“This is Claire Lally.”
“Claire! You called. I was afraid you wouldn’t.”
“Then why did you give me your number?”
“I had a sense,” Lacey said, searching for the right word.
“What kind of sense?”
“A sense that you and I had more in common than either of us would ever guess.”
“Well, I have an offer for you,” Claire said.
“Anything.”
“You come to my apartment tonight, alone. I told my husband that you were an old college friend. He won’t be surprised to see you.”
“Why alone?”
“I want you to let my husband seduce you.”
“What?”
“It will keep him off of me for the night.”
“You want me to distract him.”
“Yes. The honeymoon is over, so to speak,” Claire said.
“Okay.”
“You don’t mind doing that?”
“It’s what I do,” Lacey said, trying to sound as natural about it as possible.
“And in exchange,” Claire continued, “I’ll help you with whatever you’re trying to find out about my father.”
“I’m not even sure what I’m looking for,” Lacey said.
“I’ll help you.”
“You’ve got information that could get him in trouble?”
“I’ve got a lifetime’s worth.”
“Do you know about The Club?”
“Just come over tonight. Let my husband have what he wants. Tomorrow, I’ll give you what you want.”
“Quid pro quo,” Lacey said.
“Exactly,” Claire said.
*
C HLOE WASN’T SURE IT WAS safe for Lacey to go over to Claire’s alone.
“What if it’s a trap?” she said. “What if she told her father what you were up to? What if he’s there, waiting for you?”
“I don’t think it’s a
Similar Books
