with concerned intensity. “Jenny, speak to me.”
“There is nothing to tell. Phillip gave me a case this morning and I’m working on it.” I huffed. “I can’t believe he called you in to help me.”
“Tell me about the case.”
“Give me a moment.” I didn’t have an office phone in my viewing room. Phillip was the only one in this company who talked to me. If ever something had to be said, he came to my viewing room. Short business communication was usually done via email. I opened my inbox. There was a two-sentence email from Phillip explaining that both he and Manny had agreed to bring Colin in on the burglary case. I read it twice. “Do you know that Manny also agreed to you being in this case?”
“Millard?” Colin lost some of the colour in his face. I had gotten to know him quite well during the Piros case and the weeks after that. Granted, four months had passed since, but it didn’t explain the flash of fear, immediately followed by rage I saw written all over his face. “Is he also involved in this?”
“He’s the one who brought the case from Interpol to us.”
“Of course. I should’ve known.”
The micro-expressions flitting across his face surprised me. I was not easily surprised. I pointed at his face and twirled my index finger around. “There is so much rage there. Before you left me I only ever saw contempt, annoyance and disgust when you talked about Manny. But never rage. What happened, Colin?”
“I can’t talk about it.”
“Can’t or don’t want to?”
“Both, actually.” He looked at my finger until I realised I was still twirling it. I dropped my hand in my lap. He leaned forward. “Jenny, remember when I said in the hospital that there are certain things that I won’t be able to tell you?”
“Because of the high level of security and your work at Interpol. Of course, I remember.”
“This is one of those things I am not able to tell you.”
“Why?” I stopped speaking when Colin shook his head. His lifted eyebrows and pointed look indicated that I was to stop this line of questioning. The slight annoyance I felt brought back the complete outrage I had experienced at the hospital.
“Uh-oh. Are you thinking again about yesterday?” Colin had his hands up, his expression pleading. “Just give me ten minutes to explain.”
“What are you going to explain when you can’t or won’t tell me most of what happened in the last four months? Or what Manny has done to you? And how are you going to explain being my next-door neighbour?”
“I told you yesterday that I bought the apartment next to yours to make sure that you are safe.”
“Safe from what? Or who?”
“I can’t tell you.”
On the inside I let out a frustrated scream. On the outside I simply stared at Colin. This was the control I had worked so hard at maintaining. It felt good to have it back. I didn’t speak. I just stared.
“Oh, come on, Jenny.” His brow had deep furrows from his exasperation with me. He sighed and rubbed his hand hard over his face. “Okay, I will tell you this: the guys who captured me have looked into my life. I won’t be surprised if they found out that there is a connection between us. I didn’t want to be the one who led these monsters to your door.”
“So you planned to keep them from my door by moving in next to me?”
“It sounded like a good plan at the time.” He smiled ruefully. “Vinnie warned me that you would be very angry with us for keeping this from you.”
“He was right. You should’ve known better.” Something he had said distracted me from my irritation with him. When it reached my cerebrum, the thinking part of my brain, I forgot about Colin’s four-month absence and his new apartment. “This is it!”
I turned to the monitors and lost myself in the data on the screens for a few minutes. Colin’s insistence that I speak to him pulled at my concentration and I absently waved my hand in his direction. It grew quiet next to
“There is nothing to tell. Phillip gave me a case this morning and I’m working on it.” I huffed. “I can’t believe he called you in to help me.”
“Tell me about the case.”
“Give me a moment.” I didn’t have an office phone in my viewing room. Phillip was the only one in this company who talked to me. If ever something had to be said, he came to my viewing room. Short business communication was usually done via email. I opened my inbox. There was a two-sentence email from Phillip explaining that both he and Manny had agreed to bring Colin in on the burglary case. I read it twice. “Do you know that Manny also agreed to you being in this case?”
“Millard?” Colin lost some of the colour in his face. I had gotten to know him quite well during the Piros case and the weeks after that. Granted, four months had passed since, but it didn’t explain the flash of fear, immediately followed by rage I saw written all over his face. “Is he also involved in this?”
“He’s the one who brought the case from Interpol to us.”
“Of course. I should’ve known.”
The micro-expressions flitting across his face surprised me. I was not easily surprised. I pointed at his face and twirled my index finger around. “There is so much rage there. Before you left me I only ever saw contempt, annoyance and disgust when you talked about Manny. But never rage. What happened, Colin?”
“I can’t talk about it.”
“Can’t or don’t want to?”
“Both, actually.” He looked at my finger until I realised I was still twirling it. I dropped my hand in my lap. He leaned forward. “Jenny, remember when I said in the hospital that there are certain things that I won’t be able to tell you?”
“Because of the high level of security and your work at Interpol. Of course, I remember.”
“This is one of those things I am not able to tell you.”
“Why?” I stopped speaking when Colin shook his head. His lifted eyebrows and pointed look indicated that I was to stop this line of questioning. The slight annoyance I felt brought back the complete outrage I had experienced at the hospital.
“Uh-oh. Are you thinking again about yesterday?” Colin had his hands up, his expression pleading. “Just give me ten minutes to explain.”
“What are you going to explain when you can’t or won’t tell me most of what happened in the last four months? Or what Manny has done to you? And how are you going to explain being my next-door neighbour?”
“I told you yesterday that I bought the apartment next to yours to make sure that you are safe.”
“Safe from what? Or who?”
“I can’t tell you.”
On the inside I let out a frustrated scream. On the outside I simply stared at Colin. This was the control I had worked so hard at maintaining. It felt good to have it back. I didn’t speak. I just stared.
“Oh, come on, Jenny.” His brow had deep furrows from his exasperation with me. He sighed and rubbed his hand hard over his face. “Okay, I will tell you this: the guys who captured me have looked into my life. I won’t be surprised if they found out that there is a connection between us. I didn’t want to be the one who led these monsters to your door.”
“So you planned to keep them from my door by moving in next to me?”
“It sounded like a good plan at the time.” He smiled ruefully. “Vinnie warned me that you would be very angry with us for keeping this from you.”
“He was right. You should’ve known better.” Something he had said distracted me from my irritation with him. When it reached my cerebrum, the thinking part of my brain, I forgot about Colin’s four-month absence and his new apartment. “This is it!”
I turned to the monitors and lost myself in the data on the screens for a few minutes. Colin’s insistence that I speak to him pulled at my concentration and I absently waved my hand in his direction. It grew quiet next to
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