Page 35

Oh, the fuck buddy!

I feel my cheeks heat up. “Yes, now I know who you are. If you’re calling to find out about Bia?—”

“No, I’ve already managed to see her. I’m with the Miami Police, but when I heard what happened, I flew to Boston.”

“And they let you in?”

“I used persuasive methods,” he says cryptically.

“I’m so worried about her, Mr. Irving.”

“The worst is over, Miss . . .”

“You can call me .”

“Okay. You can call me Nick. The doctors told me she’s in an induced coma now, .” I sit up in bed, thanking God in my thoughts. “There was no serious trauma. Her brain isn’t even swollen anymore.”

“Oh God!” I groan but regret it two seconds later. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I’m very touchy about hospitalizations, especially when they involve loved ones. Bia is my best friend.”

“She also speaks very highly of you.”

“Thank you so much for calling me, Nick. I was in agony without news about her.”

“It’s good to know you feel calmer, but that’s not why I called you. ”

“No?”

“Nope. Bia asked me to look into a financial settlement for an accident. Apparently, the indemnified party claimed that they didn’t get enough for the victim’s treatment, in this case, a little girl named Pauline Lambert. Does that make sense?”

“Yes.”

“The deal was for a million dollars.”

“What? That’s not possible. They were always so poor. Ernestine . . . Pauline’s mother still lives that way.”

“Yes, I know. I’m a detective, —almost like a sniffer dog. The moment I feel something is not right, I don’t stop until I know everything. I know how she and her daughter lived, and there’s a reason for that. Your friend’s mother handed all the money she got to a boyfriend so he could invest it, but the guy disappeared, leaving them with nothing.”

“Jesus Christ! Why would she do something like that?”

“If you want my honest opinion, she never intended to use that money for her daughter’s treatment. She thought the indemnity was a kind of lottery ticket. And there’s more: the Lykaios family wasn’t even obligated to provide any money. The accident wasn’t their fault. It was Ernestine’s boyfriend who was high and driving the vehicle with your friend in it. That was the cause of the accident. He died instantly. Even the person Bia asked me to investigate, Christos, was injured as well. He broke a leg and was hospitalized when they thought he had a concussion.”

I feel my stomach turn. After I met him again, I already suspected that Christos wasn’t the kind of person Ernestine had painted him to be. The story didn’t happen as she had said, but I didn’t imagine it to be something so sordid.

“I don’t even know what to say. If her boyfriend died, who got away with the money, then?”

“Another one. Apparently, the woman has bad taste in men. I don’t know what this man, Christos, means to you, dear, but if you have any doubts about his character, you can go and live your happiness in peace. He did much more for your friend than he needed to. Some say he had no obligation at all. ”

“If he wasn’t to blame, why did he offer the deal?”

“My guess is, first of all, because both he and his parents are honorable people and have enough money saved to provide for several generations to come. Besides, even though they weren’t at fault, it wouldn’t be good for the Lykaioses to have their name linked with an accident. In any case, they did much more than they should have. If your friend spent her life after the accident in need of anything, the only person to blame for that was her mother.”

“Thanks again, Nick. You have no idea how much you helped.”

“You can return the favor by keeping me informed of Bia’s condition. It’s not often I can up and leave everything here in Florida, so I don’t know when I’ll be able to see her again.”

“Don’t worry about that. As soon as I know something, I will call you. Is this your number?”

“Yes. Well, I have to go. Take care, .”

“You too.”

“Just one more thing. When the cops find your . . . your ex-husband, eh?”

“Yes.”

“When the cops find him, I intend to keep a close eye on everything and make sure he never sees the sunlight again.”

After he hangs up, I can’t get out of bed. There is so much information to process, especially regarding Pauline’s suffering.

A million dollars!

More than enough money for my friend to enjoy her life comfortably.

There is something far more serious that I need to correct, however.

Christos.

I judged and condemned him without even giving him a chance to explain.

When I asked him if the money he left for me in Barcelona was a payment for our night together, he told me not to offend both of us by saying something like that. And now, with Nick’s call, I realize that I wasted two years of our lives sad and blaming him for something he didn’t do .

There is no guarantee we would still be together now, of course, but we would at least have enjoyed that summer.

I leave the bedroom, determined to clear up our story once and for all.

I want a second chance for both of us, and I’ll do whatever I can to get it.

The office door is closed, as usual, but I can hear music inside.

A saxophone.

He mentioned once, at our only date in Spain, that he played the instrument—usually when he was stressed.

The soft melody takes over the house, calming the anxious beat of my heart. In a sort of trance, I walk towards the sound. It’s almost like a calling.

The music gets louder as I approach. I don’t know if he wants to see me, but we’ve spent too much time apart. I feel hungry for him after what I found out today, guilt-free.

I look down at my feet, working up the courage to touch the doorknob. I take a deep breath and slowly open the door.

I lift my head, and he’s playing with his back to me, apparently lost in his own world. I feel like an intruder and turn to leave.

“Don’t go.”

In my head, it’s like a replay of when we first met, as if life is allowing us a fresh start.

“I’m sorry for interrupting you,” I say, watching him place the saxophone on top of an armchair. “No, it’s a lie. I don’t regret coming in. I’ve been away too long, Christos. I want you.”