ones. Only this one didn’t open.
Pam blinked back tears. It was a lovely gift. And unlike some of the other ones he had brought to her, this one would have a special place of honor. Going into her treatment room, she rearranged her shelf to line up the dolls in a row and put her candles on either side. They were regal, just like Nikolai had been. Speaking of, she owed it to him to go to his wake and say goodbye. But first, she had to see if she could find Ralphie. She was worried that the thugs would find him first and hurt him.
She took a quick walk around the hospital and a drive around the block, hoping to spot him, but he had disappeared. In fact, it had been almost a week since he’d hightailed it out of the hospital. Maybe he’d decided to hitchhike down to Florida to be with his family. Pam just hoped he was safe.
With great reluctance, she drove to Nikolai’s Tasting Room. Parking was a nightmare, but she managed to parallel park a few streets down. When she got out of her car, Detective Logan was waiting for her.
Men in uniform always looked impressive, but Drake oozed a weird combination of menace and safety. Even in heels, she felt short next to him. She couldn’t decide if he looked really sexy in the mirrored shades or a little bit like a caricature of an FBI agent.
“I thought you might have changed your mind,” he said.
“I went back to the hospital. I’m concerned about a friend of mine. I was wondering if I could ask you a favor?”
“I can’t do anything about parking tickets.”
“Somehow I doubt that, but it’s not what I was asking. Have you read the report of my attack?”
“Yes.” Drake took her arm and led her across the street into the noisy bar. “If we’re going to talk business, I’m going to need a drink first.”
The drinking had begun in earnest, and she was surrounded by people who were laughing, crying, and generally talking over one another. Drake grabbed a bottle of Stoli Cristall around the neck and pulled her into the kitchen.
“This is my favorite place,” he said. “I used to wash dishes and beg for scraps.”
“He still begs for scraps,” Marishka said, coming out of the walk-in freezer. Her eyes were bloodshot and red.
“I’ll watch the roasts,” Drake said. “Why don’t you go into the lounge and relax?”
“I will, Drago. You’re a good boy.” She kissed him on the cheek and left them alone.
Drake checked the temperature on the ovens.
“You cook, too?”
He shook his head. “I don’t screw up. That’s how Marishka puts it. He left her the bar, you know.”
“Is Andrej mad about that?”
Drake gave a short bark of laughter. “No, he’s relieved. He burns spaghetti.”
“How do you burn spaghetti?”
“Don’t ask. I’d rather eat dog food than what he cooks up. No, Marishka is like a mother to him. Me too. He’s probably relieved he doesn’t have to worry about what to do with the place. She should sell it and retire.”
“And then what?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Get the hell out of here. Go somewhere and bake in the sun.”
“Is that where you’re going to retire to?”
“I got a long way until retirement.” Drake poured them both large glasses of vodka.
Pam’s eyes grew wide at the amount of booze in the glass. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Don’t be such an American,” he said in a low Russian accent.
Yeah, the mirrored shades and the sexy fake accent were doing it for her. Against her better judgment, Pam was charmed, and her toes curled a bit when he pressed the glass in her hand. They toasted each other, and she took a deep swallow.
“Here, you’d better eat something.” He snagged a tray of crudities and fed her a carrot stick.
“Thanks,” she said after she was done chewing. “About my report…”
“The bald-headed man is named Vadim Fornim. He was in police custody at the time of Nikolai’s death.”
Pam sighed, and her knees wobbled a bit. “I thought the worst when I
Pam blinked back tears. It was a lovely gift. And unlike some of the other ones he had brought to her, this one would have a special place of honor. Going into her treatment room, she rearranged her shelf to line up the dolls in a row and put her candles on either side. They were regal, just like Nikolai had been. Speaking of, she owed it to him to go to his wake and say goodbye. But first, she had to see if she could find Ralphie. She was worried that the thugs would find him first and hurt him.
She took a quick walk around the hospital and a drive around the block, hoping to spot him, but he had disappeared. In fact, it had been almost a week since he’d hightailed it out of the hospital. Maybe he’d decided to hitchhike down to Florida to be with his family. Pam just hoped he was safe.
With great reluctance, she drove to Nikolai’s Tasting Room. Parking was a nightmare, but she managed to parallel park a few streets down. When she got out of her car, Detective Logan was waiting for her.
Men in uniform always looked impressive, but Drake oozed a weird combination of menace and safety. Even in heels, she felt short next to him. She couldn’t decide if he looked really sexy in the mirrored shades or a little bit like a caricature of an FBI agent.
“I thought you might have changed your mind,” he said.
“I went back to the hospital. I’m concerned about a friend of mine. I was wondering if I could ask you a favor?”
“I can’t do anything about parking tickets.”
“Somehow I doubt that, but it’s not what I was asking. Have you read the report of my attack?”
“Yes.” Drake took her arm and led her across the street into the noisy bar. “If we’re going to talk business, I’m going to need a drink first.”
The drinking had begun in earnest, and she was surrounded by people who were laughing, crying, and generally talking over one another. Drake grabbed a bottle of Stoli Cristall around the neck and pulled her into the kitchen.
“This is my favorite place,” he said. “I used to wash dishes and beg for scraps.”
“He still begs for scraps,” Marishka said, coming out of the walk-in freezer. Her eyes were bloodshot and red.
“I’ll watch the roasts,” Drake said. “Why don’t you go into the lounge and relax?”
“I will, Drago. You’re a good boy.” She kissed him on the cheek and left them alone.
Drake checked the temperature on the ovens.
“You cook, too?”
He shook his head. “I don’t screw up. That’s how Marishka puts it. He left her the bar, you know.”
“Is Andrej mad about that?”
Drake gave a short bark of laughter. “No, he’s relieved. He burns spaghetti.”
“How do you burn spaghetti?”
“Don’t ask. I’d rather eat dog food than what he cooks up. No, Marishka is like a mother to him. Me too. He’s probably relieved he doesn’t have to worry about what to do with the place. She should sell it and retire.”
“And then what?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Get the hell out of here. Go somewhere and bake in the sun.”
“Is that where you’re going to retire to?”
“I got a long way until retirement.” Drake poured them both large glasses of vodka.
Pam’s eyes grew wide at the amount of booze in the glass. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Don’t be such an American,” he said in a low Russian accent.
Yeah, the mirrored shades and the sexy fake accent were doing it for her. Against her better judgment, Pam was charmed, and her toes curled a bit when he pressed the glass in her hand. They toasted each other, and she took a deep swallow.
“Here, you’d better eat something.” He snagged a tray of crudities and fed her a carrot stick.
“Thanks,” she said after she was done chewing. “About my report…”
“The bald-headed man is named Vadim Fornim. He was in police custody at the time of Nikolai’s death.”
Pam sighed, and her knees wobbled a bit. “I thought the worst when I
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