Chapter 14: Onyx
It was several days after I caught Angel snooping in the basement that she walked past me and didn’t even make a point of ignoring me. I hadn’t known she was even in, because her SUV hadn’t been in the parking garage. As I poured a coffee, I thought about it. I hadn’t seen the car for a few days, but I had seen her. Today, she looked half-dead.
“Living up to the name vampire,” I told her as I sipped my coffee. Angel turned to look at me, and with no expression at all, she walked into her office and closed the door. Her PA passed, and I called out to her. “Sally?”
“Mr. Santo,” Sally greeted me with obvious displeasure.
“What’s up with your boss?”
“She’s fine.”
“That’s bullshit, she looks like death warmed up.”
“It’s not your concern,” Sally told me primly and turned on her heel and walked away.
Interesting. Strolling into Angel’s office, I left the door open. “The police haven’t called me.”
“And?”
“You rang me in the middle of the night to tell me to expect their call.”
Angel shrugged and looked at her laptop. “Maybe I wanted to hear your voice.”
That was almost funny. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Loaded question,” she answered quietly.
“Do I need to worry about you?” I asked her as I narrowed my eyes at her, taking in the dull hair, the ghastly whiteness of her skin, and the dark circles under her eyes.
“Good God, no,” she snorted. “Heaven forbid you felt an emotion.”
That was more like it. “Good, I haven’t got the time or the energy to spare you,” I told her bluntly.
“And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a predictable heartless bastard.”
“Sleep more,” I instructed her. “Your clients see you like this, and I may as well just take the entire client list.”
She had no reply for me, but she did flip me the finger. Satisfied she was as normal as she could be, I left her in her office, even though I still had a small kernel of doubt that all was well with my usually fiery rival.
Since I obviously tempted fate by mentioning them, the officers visited around eleven, and as I was on a call at the time, I made them wait in the boardroom. I even made sure they were offered refreshments. I wasn’t against law enforcement. I just didn’t feel kindly toward it when I was its person of interest. I also called my own attorney to let him know what was happening. I was a considerate client.
Walking into the boardroom, I closed the door and sat down without a word. Pouring a coffee, I took a drink of the lukewarm beverage and then addressed them both. “Officers.”
“Do you know why we’re here?” the male officer asked me after he introduced them both, and I didn’t bother listening to their names.
“Yes, Angel told me the other night,” I told them as I finished the coffee and held my finger up, stalling his next question when I picked up my phone. “Liz, more coffee please, and can you tell Angel she’s needed in the boardroom? Thanks.” Putting the phone down, I turned back to the officer. “Continue.”
He went to speak again, but this time he was halted when Liz came in and took the tray away. When he went to start for the third time, it was Angel who interrupted him.
She sat down, and when she was met with silence and the officer glaring at me, she spoke up. “Everything okay?”
“No,” I told her as I held his stare. “I’m being questioned by the police about your car.”
“We haven’t asked you anything yet,” he protested with a low growl. “You haven’t allowed us the opportunity.”
“Please, be my guest,” I told them graciously.
“Just so we’re clear, can you tell me—”
