Page 8 of Lost Room Lawyer (Room #4)

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Nico

“Excuse me? Are you kidding me? … No! He’s at your second house in Vevey!… How is that supposed to work?”

I sat at my desk, bewildered by how Hector could lose his cool.

He had been pretty composed since I started working here—at least that was the impression he gave.

Even though I was less than ten feet away from him and could overhear almost every phone call—except for the one he had with this Juri Vinzens.

Despite the open nature of the office and the fact that I was essentially his secret, I couldn’t help but take it personally for reasons I couldn’t quite understand.

“What do you mean, it can’t be done?” Hector snapped into the phone, annoyed.

“Your house! Your keys! You don’t seem to realize what’s at stake.

We’re not just talking about a fine here!

Your freedom is on the line. You’ll go to jail if we don’t finally provide evidence! It’s too late to postpone the hearing.”

I knew he was talking to Pierin Canonica, but I was surprised by his tone.

From the files, I knew that the man was already sixty.

And from the collected newspaper articles, that he had a 25-year-old girlfriend.

Well… girlfriend… Would she even describe herself that way?

I opened OneNote and made a note about one of my characters.

“Do you think I’m doing this alone?… Yes, damn it!… No! Now! Then find someone to hand it over to me, or you can find yourself a new lawyer!” Hector slammed the phone down and let out a loud curse.

Secretly, I found it amusing how he had lost his composure so suddenly; it was oddly endearing. He was usually meticulous about maintaining a perfect exterior.

Besides his flawless hair and impeccable styling, it was only his tired, puffy eyes in the morning that hinted that he was actually a night owl. But apparently, he was trying to set a good example for me as a mentor, making sure to always be in the office before 10 AM.

I imagined how exhausting it must be to constantly uphold such a flawless appearance, especially since I knew his secret.

Maybe that’s why it’s even more important for him to keep up appearances, I thought, making a note at the same time. But he should be smart enough to know that such a web of lies will eventually collapse.

“Nico! Get your coat and shut down the computer! You’re coming with me!” Hector’s sharp voice echoed from his office.

“Yes, sir!” I responded obediently, jumping up from my chair like a soldier.

I’d been here for two weeks now, and it was the first time Hector took me anywhere. It was already Friday afternoon. I tidied up my desk and went to the reception. As I slipped into my coat, Linda gave me a wink.

“You’d better just keep quiet,” she whispered kindly. “After phone calls like that, he needs a moment to calm down.”

Just then, Hector came out of his office. He was holding his coat in one hand and a briefcase in the other. “If Pierin calls again, tell him… Damn it! No… Try to reach Gerry. I want to know if he has anything yet.”

“I’ll do that.”

“And if Juri Vinzens is looking for me, tell him to call me on my cell phone.”

“Okay.”

“It might be Tuesday or maybe Wednesday before we’re back in the office.”

We? I wondered.

“May I ask where you’re going?”

“To St. Moritz, but that’s nobody’s business.”

“Okay, boss. Have a good weekend! Bye, Nico.”

I waved goodbye to Linda and followed Hector to the elevator, which took us straight to the underground garage.

St. Moritz? We? What’s going on here?

Stay calm. He’ll fill you in.

So, I kept quiet and followed him to his car. I wasn’t surprised that he drove a super-cool black Jaguar. It was a nice car—sporty and elegant. Just right for Hector Lando.

“Do you have any plans for the weekend?” he asked as we drove out of the garage.

“Uh … no. Why?”

“I need you in St. Moritz. I’ll drive you home.

Enjoy the evening, because this weekend we’ll be slogging through countless files and receipts.

That damn Canonica… He suddenly remembered he also has stuff stored at his villa in St. Moritz.

I can’t believe it. And since Gerry is still in Vevey and the hearing is in a week, we’ll have to handle it ourselves.

Damn it… As if I had nothing better to do. ”

I was taken aback. Okay, I was the intern and probably didn’t have much say in these matters, but my weekend… It was hard for me to get excited about spending it in St. Moritz.

With Hector.

Alone.

Shit …

Does he even know where I live? He continued driving straight instead of turning right at the intersection.

“We’ll pick up the keys from Canonica, then I’ll take you home.”

Hector was quiet as he drove toward Zürichberg, the affluent area of Zurich where the wealthy reside, and I was grateful for Linda’s advice. I did as she said, stayed silent, and watched the villas become increasingly larger.

This area was unfamiliar to me, and I marveled at the estates. Canonica’s villa was also an impressive house with a majestic driveway lined with giant boxwoods.

While Hector went to the entrance to collect the keys from a housekeeper, I got out and admired the intricate ironwork on the ground floor windows, the vibrant red leaves of the Japanese maple in the middle of the driveway, and the large gravel courtyard I was standing on.

I lacked the imagination to picture what the inside of the house looked like, let alone the garden on the other side.

“Okay,” Hector said, holding a key.

The way he walked around the car made me feel like he was starting to calm down. I settled back into the passenger seat and fastened my seatbelt. But Hector didn’t drive off. Instead, he just sat there, staring at the steering wheel.

“I’m sorry that I… If you don’t want to come with me… I can’t force you…”

I frowned in surprise. I hadn’t expected that. And suddenly, I realized: Yes, I did want to go to St. Moritz with him. No matter if we spent the whole day sifting through files. Maybe this was the opportunity to break through the icy silence that had settled between us for the past two weeks.

As good as his suggestion sounded, the way he had distanced himself from me made it clear that he hadn’t managed to simply attribute our poker night to our alter egos, Corvo and Rossi. My silence even made him finally look at me.

“The fact is, I need your help,” he said, appearing contrite. “I can’t do this alone.”

He was so damned sweet. So genuine! And he didn’t look at all like he was forty-three.

How can I say no?

“I’d be happy to come,” I answered with a reassuring tone. “I’m the intern. What am I good for if not this?”

Hector laughed with relief and started the car. “Okay, then… I’ll take you home. Where do you live?”

The mood had noticeably relaxed, and as I entered my address into Google Maps on my cellphone—since I had no idea how we would get from here to there—Hector drove back across the gravel driveway onto the street.

On the way, he explained what we were looking for in St. Moritz, or rather what we hoped to find.

“Is this where you live?” he asked, stopping in front of my apartment building.

“Yes, on the third floor, with Dominic, my poker buddy.”

“Mick Jagger?”

“Exactly.” I was surprised that he remembered Dominic’s poker name. And even more surprised when Hector gave me a beautiful smile.

Shit, maybe I should just stay home.

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow at seven.”

“Sounds good. I’ll be ready.” I gathered my things and got out of the car.

“Have a good evening!”

“You too.”

I waved as Hector drove off. For a moment, I stood in front of the building, reflecting on my first two weeks as an intern.

Hector had introduced me to the cases on my first day, but after that, we hadn’t had much contact. Maybe he had been too busy, but I was convinced he was deliberately trying to avoid me.

And suddenly, we are heading to St. Moritz together.

Shit.

Secretly, I could barely wait to spend time with him, because every damn time I looked at him, I felt warmth building up in my core. On the other hand, I was fully aware of the fact that I was his intern. I was subordinate to him. He was my boss. My mentor. And our contract was for a year!

Oh God! This can’t end well .

In the apartment, I kicked off my shoes, hung up my coat, and grabbed a glass of water in the kitchen. Walking down the corridor, I went into my room and called my mother.

“Nicola! What a surprise!” my mother greeted me.

“Hi! How are you?”

“All good. And you? What’s up? It’s an unusual time for you to call. Are you already off for the weekend? A bit early, isn’t it?”

“Yeah… uh… Looks like I can’t come over on Sunday. Sorry.”

“Oh, what’s the matter?”

I hesitated for a moment, but I knew it was pointless to keep it a secret. She would find out sooner or later anyway. The biggest bombshell had already dropped.

“Hector wants me to go to St. Moritz with him tomorrow. For work.”

“Well, if it’s for work.”

I rolled my eyes at her ambiguous tone and sighed.

“Nicola,” my mother said suspiciously. “Do you have a thing for this man?”

“Fuck! I don’t know anything anymore! No idea! He’s my boss!”

“And he’s sixteen years older than you.”

“No, that’s nonsense,” I said, rubbing my face. “I’m not into him. He’s just…”

“He’s married,” she reminded me with a warning tone. “And he has two children. Not to mention that he’s Leo’s protégé.”

Leo.

I had managed to successfully suppress the fact that my father was his mentor.

“Was,” I corrected her. “He hasn’t been his protégé for a long time.”

“Relationships like that last forever,” she said casually. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gotten you the internship.”

“Mom, please. I thought you were on my side.”

“I’m always on your side, Nicola, and you know that.”

“And what happened to ’Look on the bright side. At least you have the luck to work with a handsome man’?”

My mother laughed, apparently finding it quite amusing. “You two should have a proper conversation.”

“What’s there to talk about?” I asked, feeling disheartened as I sat on the windowsill. “You’re right. He has a wife and kids, and I just haven’t had the chance to find a new guy to have some fun with.”

“You’re both adults,” my mother said in a tone as if she no longer cared about the matter. “So behave accordingly.”

“Thanks for the advice,” I said, slightly irritated.

“Anytime, dear. How long will you be gone? Will we see each other next week?”

“I’ll call you as soon as I’m back home.”

“Okay, and anytime if anything comes up.”

“Thanks.”

After I hung up, I grabbed my bag from the closet just as Dominic came in.

“Hey! Hi! Are you going somewhere?”

“Not really,” I answered, tossing a few pairs of boxers into the bag and turning to him.

He was standing in the doorway, wearing black baggy pants and a dark green long-sleeve shirt, stifling a yawn.

His unshaven face was highlighted by dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was tucked behind his ears.

“How’s it going?” I asked. “Haven’t seen you in a while. ”

“Yeah,” he replied, leaning against the doorframe. “Been really busy. And you? How’s the internship going?”

My muscles stiffened as I realized Dominic had no idea. “Yeah,” I answered, trying to stay as cool as possible.

“And how’s your new boss?”

Oh fuck …

So much for staying cool. “He’s…” Ah, screw it. I forced a smile. “You won’t believe it. You’ve already met him.”

“Your boss?” he asked, puzzled and becoming more alert. Intrigued, he sat on the sofa beside the wardrobe, crossing one leg over the other.

“Do you remember Corvo from the poker game?”

“Was that the young guy who sat next to you? He was cute.”

Young , I thought, feeling slightly embarrassed. “Yeah.He’s Hector Lando.”

Dominic stared at me for a moment, and I could practically see his brain working. His gaze shifted to my bag, then back to me, before his face broke into a broad grin. “You hooked up with him, didn’t you? That night.”

“Wh…?”

“I can tell. And now you’re going on vacation together. Am I right?”

“No!”

Dominic burst out laughing as he clutched his stomach. “You’re something else! I knew it! Sooner or later, some fling was bound to come back to bite you. Haha! But finding out that it’s your new boss? That’s just too priceless!”

What was I surprised about? Dominic observed people around him like a hawk. I’d always envied this skill he developed in acting school.

“So? Where are you going?”

“St. Moritz,” I mumbled. Seeing his suggestive grin, I snapped back. “It’s business! For goodness’ sake!”

Dominic was still laughing. “Was he any good? Was it worth it? Because I have to admit, he was hot.”

I shook my head in disbelief.

“Don’t forget the condoms,” he said with a singsong voice as he got up from the couch.

I growled in frustration, although I was more annoyed with myself.

The fact was, Hector Lando still had the same pull on me as he did that first night at the poker game.

It wasn’t even that I hadn’t had the chance to look around and have some fun over the past two weeks.

I had gone out with acquaintances, and there were one or two hot guys at the gym.

But since I saw Hector every day, it felt like I was walking through the world with magical glasses.

All the other guys seemed pale and colorless, while Hector practically shone with a divine light.

It didn’t matter how often I tried to convince myself that he was forty-three.

Or that he was married. Or that he had kids.

Urgh …

“I was actually going to ask if you wanted to go out for a drink,” Dominic said, turning back to me in the doorway.

“I have to get up at six,” I said, feeling frustrated.

“Then we’ll have dinner together. I want to hear all about Corvo.”

I mentally slapped my forehead and wanted to come up with some excuse, but Dominic had already disappeared into the kitchen.