Sterling eyed him intensely. “I know you’ll tell me when you’re ready,” she said, “but I need you to be ready soon.”
When he spoke, his tone was soft, if not desperate. “I need a little more time, a few days, and I need you to trust me. I must deal with something first.”
They buckled their helmets, and Fernando zipped towards the city. Sterling looked back at the cemetery as streaks of silver sun sliced through the clouds. She blew Hedy a final kiss, then trained her eyes on Vienna’s city center, marked by the spire of St. Stephen’s. Somewhere in its shadows lay the answers she needed.
— 27 —Siebenundzwanzig
Sterling’s hunt continued with the next guest on her list, the Professor. She arrived at the University of Vienna just before lunch. After using her wiles on an unsuspecting undergrad to get inside the philosophy department, she settled into a plastic chair in the dilapidated break room. While awaiting her target, she sipped stale coffee from a stained mug bearing a faded photo of someone’s tabby cats.
The Professor entered, carrying an empty cup and a stack of papers that smelled fresh from the printer. Given his shakiness, he didn’t need more caffeine. Nevertheless, he beelined for the coffee machine and filled his mug, not noticing her.
She cleared her throat, and he turned back, balancing his overly full cup.
“I wasn’t sure when you held office hours, Professor,” she said, winking.
Coffee splashed out of his mug, splattering his shoes. Sterling grabbed a tea towel, then dropped to her knees at his feet.
“Oh, Professor, let me help you,” she said, staring up at him while she dabbed his shoes. Technically, he was only a senior lecturer,but she knew he’d luxuriate in the sound of the title. Sterling had sworn off academics years ago, but she held an honorary doctorate in seducing them. It was easy when the ivory tower had already spanked them into submission. They wanted someone to soothe the burn of their impostor syndrome by listening to them drop names and agreeing with 87% (± 4.6%) of their opinions. The man had the energy of a young academic, a faint ember of hope still alive in his eyes. While the Ear wanted to listen, the Professor longed to be heard.
As she rose to her feet, a certain part of his anatomy also stood at attention. She met his gaze. The poor guy looked like he might faint. He eyed the break-room door, likely nervous his colleagues would arrive any minute for lunch. He wanted an escape. Good, since she had the perfect place in mind.
He agreed to return to the Orient with her on the condition that he could bring students’ essays with him to grade.
On the way, Sterling stopped by a pay phone. Living without a cell, she’d memorized locations of the last functioning ones. Surviving the past eight days with little time to see her roster of lovers, she’d spent long enough toying with Andreas’s business card to memorize his number too. She dialed. While it rang, she kept an eye on the suspect, who sat on a nearby bench running a red pen across a paper.
“Detective Wolke speaking.”
“Good morning, Andreas. I dreamed about you last night.”
He sighed. Without seeing him, she knew he was shaking his head.
“Goodafternoon, Sterling. Unless the dream was pertinent to the case, I have to go.”
She wrapped her hand around the metal phone cord and tugged it. “Oh, it wasmostpertinent. I’ll trade you the juicy details in exchange for the victims’ tox-screen results. If you’re a good boy, I’ll show you.”
She heard his keyboard clicking gently as he typed. “I look forward to submitting a recording of this as evidence when I arrest you for attempting to bribe an officer.”
“Wouldn’t a bribe require you to consider the offer valuable? I’ve yet to tell you about the dream, get your mind out of the gutter.”
“Mymind isn’t the concern,” he said.
She scoffed. “I’m a woman of impeccable reputation, sir. Howdareyou.”
“Right. I’m sure you dreamed about us planning a church fundraiser.”
Sterling gasped. “Wow. On the nose. Youaregood. Guess that’s why you wear the badge.”
“A fact you should remember,” he said. He paused. “If that’s all, I’ll be going.”
“Not so fast. I’ve found you a suspect. Can you come to the Hotel?”
“Well, only a fool turns down a woman’s invitation to the Orient. In that case, we’ll be there in half an hour.”
“Detective, youscoundrel. Quit flirting, we have work to do.”
“I’ve got no idea what you mean. So. See you in half an hour,baby.”
He hung up.
