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“This is Luca’s fault,” I said. “He’s manipulating you. And me. To get revenge, to get control—I don’t know.”
“I don’t know about any of that,” said O’Rourke. “All I can tell you is that the law is the law. And the evidence in this case, is damning.”
“I’m not going down without a fight,” I growled.
“I can see that,” said the detective. He smiled again, and did I detect a grudging respect in his voice?
“This is impossible,” I said.
“And how,” said the detective, “can you prove that?”
“Because I know my father,” I said. “Or knew him. He left when I was seven years old.”
Chapter 13
Lola
Thefollowingweek,wereopenedThe Blue Orchid. But no matter how hard we tried, it was pitiful. Lunch was a disaster, and I watched forlornly from behind the bar. We’d had to take the bottles off the shelf, and it looked bare and empty from the front door.
Dinner was no better.
“I’m sorry,” said Cherise, “but we’re not serving alcohol tonight.”
“Oh,” said the guy at the door. “It’s my wife’s birthday. We were kind of hoping to drink. Maybe another time, though.”
The next people who came by were a family.
“Hi there!” said Cherise cheerfully.
But when she explained to them, the wife and the husband looked at one another.
“You know,” they said, “on second thoughts, we’ll go somewhere else. But thanks.”
Cherise turned and looked at me.
“It’s hopeless,” she said.
We sat fifteen out of two hundred seats for dinner that day. And more than a few people told us they were going to complain.
“To who?” said Andy, as he stood forlornly in the beautiful wine cellar while I told him the bad news. “Oh well. Let’s just do a big stock take tomorrow.”
“It’s 9.30,” I said. “And the restaurant’s empty.”
I went upstairs and polished glasses that didn’t need polishing. Alex was there, and I couldn’t watch as he looked solemnly around the empty dining room. It wasn’t like his expression changed. He was just as serious and dour as he’d ever been. But seeing him like this, I could tell a change had come over him. His shoulders were slouching a little, and he looked tired.
“How are you holding up?” I said, concerned for him as he walked past.
“Fine, thank you, Lola,” he said, as he pushed through the door and began to make his way up the stairs.
I watched him go for a second, and remembered what Andy had told me about Alex, how he had no family, no one to rely on. He needed someone to talk to. And for a moment, I wondered if it could be me. Everyone needs someone, after all. And I knew that I wanted to be with him, wanted to know what Alex was thinking behind his blank expression.
I took a deep breath, and followed him through the door. “You know, you won’t get anything done by being sad about it,” I said, standing at the foot of the stairs.
He turned around and looked down at me, sighing.
“Don’t you have something better to do?” said Alex before he turned and went up the stairs.
I followed him, my little quick steps echoing after his big slow ones. He was brushing me off, but I knew why. It was because he couldn’t think of any reason to disagree with me.
