“Then you should be able to see Lothair.”
“What? Where?”
“Go where you can see the tower and look up.”
Several seconds later, Callum gasped. “Holy father of…”
“I’ll be there in ten.”
I ended the call and shrugged into a shirt.
Lothair was un-fucking-believable. I left him alone for twelve hours…
Taking a cab would only delay me. Instead, I jogged the fifteen blocks to the Perrault Tower. I kept checking my phone, and the news was spreading like wildfire. Lothair’s free climb was now plastered on every news platform and all over social media, with people counting the floors and betting on how fast he could scale the entire building. He was more than halfway up there.
By the time I reached the tower, the cavalry had arrived. A few annoyed police officers were trying to manage the crowd around two parked fire trucks and an ambulance. That would be one costly fine.
I overheard the police talking to the fire chief.
“At least with where he’s climbing, he won’t fall on anyone’s head.”
But Lothair, even with his reckless stupidity, never put anyone in danger aside from himself. Thank fuck.
There was nothing I could do but wait.
A mere twenty minutes later, Lothair made it all the way to the antenna tower at the top of the roof. The local cable news showed footage of him waving at a passing helicopter and slithering down to the nearest balcony.
He exited the elevator downstairs with a shit-eating grin on his face. A few reporters had managed to get behind the half-assed barrier the police had been setting up. I saw the interview on my phone.
“Mr. Courtemanche, how are you feeling?”
“Excellent. The air is fresh up there.”
“Why did you do it?”
“Seemed like a good day to get on top of the biggest dick in town.”
A wave of laughter rippled through the small crowd.
Two officers flanked Lothair, leading him to their car, while he blew kisses to the onlookers, his mood unspoiled by the fact that he was being arrested.
I called Devon.
“My client is going to jail.”
“It’s under control. I’ve spoken to his lawyers. Apparently, they were informed beforehand.”
“But we weren’t.”
“No. The police are taking him to the station onThirteenth, but they shouldn’t hold him for more than a few hours. He’ll get a fat fine, and that should be it. Could you and Callum pick him up there? We can expect some fans gathering outside.”
A throng of people blocked the road when the police car began inching away. I gazed at Lothair’s silhouette in the backseat. The fucker had ruined my lazy Sunday evening plans, but seeing him in handcuffs was almost worth it.
“Do you seriously think that I’m still working for him after this?” I asked Devon.
“Don’t tell me you’re not having fun. The climb was impressive. He scaled the building in forty minutes.”
“On my day off.”
