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“Understand?” The final air of authority his voice carries makes me bob my head up and down without further questioning. “Now get out.”
My hands fly to clutch my notepad to my chest as I make my way out of his office, which is as cold as the man himself.
Well, that went well!I think sarcastically to myself.
***
It didn’t occur to me that there would come a day like this when I would offer to take Dennis Finnegan to lunch.
He chose The Broadway Restaurant, one of the most expensive ones in New York. What can I say? Apart from finally getting an opportunity to walk into a place as fancy as this, I can have as much time with Dennis as I want alone.
And that means getting some answers, if not all the answers, to the millions of questions that have bugged my mind for the past few years.
Especially answers regarding Mario’s death.
“You don’t like seafood, I remember that,” Dennis says. The corners of my lips lift politely as he gulps down his second glass of champagne while we await the food.
“Well, I can always have something else.” My lashes flicker to hold his gaze briefly.
“This place is renowned for its excellent seafood. You should try it sometime. Maybe it would change your mind.”
I cannot stand the ugly sight of his crooked, slightly yellow teeth grinning at me, so I turn my attention away from him, taking in the beautiful ambiance of the restaurant.
A sigh escapes my lips as the waiter heads over to our table and sets a plate of seared scallops with lemon butter sauce in front of Dennis.
He rubs his palms together, his face spread out in a wide grin.
“Your roasted butternut squash soup doesn’t look less appetizing. I guess we’re both going to enjoy ourselves then.” A chuckle escapes his lips as he grabs the fish fork and delves right into the food.
My throat constricts as I struggle to swallow my irritation, knowing full well that I have to spend a great part of my day in this weird, annoying guy’s company. Grabbing the soup spoon, I dig into the hot soup, savoring its sweet, nutty taste.
“So tell me, the last time you were at my office, you wanted me to attend to you urgently. What was it about again?”
I was going to wait till we finished the first course, but since he’s bringing it up, I’m more than excited to indulge him.
“It was about my brother, Mario...” My fingers reach for a napkin, dabbing at the corners of my lips as he cuts in.
“Ah, yes. The one who was said to be mugged.” A large wrinkle creases his forehead as his brows furrow in concentration. “That case is not on the public docket. It’s sealed.”
“Yes, but why?” I set my soup spoon down and knit my hands together in a clasp, “Why was his case suddenly dismissed and swept under the carpet?”
His shoulders lift and drop in a swift movement. “To be honest, I don’t know. That case isn’t within my investigative jurisdiction…”
He raises his eyes to mine for the first time since he pounced on his food. “The only way is to request special clearance from my agency head to revive the case, which I don’t think they will grant me.”
“So what do I do? How do I find out who murdered Mario and make them pay?” The words find their way out of my mouth when I cannot even feel my lips move. I feel the tears starting to sting the back of my eyes as I lift my head to look into Dennis’s eyes.
“I…I don’t know. I think you have to let go, Aria.” He shakes his head from side to side, and his eyes dart away from holding mine. “I don’t know much about your brother, but I know he was a good man. And he would never have wanted for you to live like this, in agony for such a long time…”
My body jerks, and I find myself on my feet, tears streaming down my face.
“I have sacrificed my entire life for this. Taking dual-enrollment courses just to earn college credit in high school, carrying heavy course loads to hasten my progress, and going straight into law school after college just to get a chance to intern at the DA’s office…” Dennis opens his mouth to say something, but I shut him up with a shake of my head.
“All those sleepless nights studying, all the times I beat myself up for not being any good to my brother, now I have a chance, and you ask me to give up?”
My arm snakes out to grab my black bag beside the chair. “If you’re not going to help me, then I guess I’ll just do this on my own.”
His hand circles around my wrist as I go to walk away. “I’m sorry, please. Have a seat, and let’s talk about this.”