What if he kept the house in Greenway Park and suggested she stay permanently?
But those were questions for tomorrow.
Today, the barista looked faintly horrified.“Decaf?No.We have a Colombian roast or an excellent blend from Guatemala.”
“Surprise me.”Depending on how the conversation went, there was a good chance Justin wouldn’t be drinking the coffee anyway.
“I’ll have a double espresso,” Brax said, then turned sideways to lean on the counter.“Hello, Linus.”
Sykes looked up sharply from his book.“Do I know you?”
“Braxton Dupré.”He used his old last name, the one he’d changed to distance himself from both the murder investigation and the father he hated.“It’s been a while.”
“Braxton Dupré.”Sykes turned the name over in his mouth.“You’re one of the reprobates who used to share a house with Levi.”
Somehow, Sykes managed to sound more disgusted by the thought of his son than the barista had about the decaf.
“That’s right.”
“My sympathies.What brings you to Florida?”Linus Sykes waved a hand at the marina.“Thinking of buying a boat?”
“We came to talk to you, actually.”
The man looked beyond Brax and focused on Justin, no doubt trying to work out where they’d crossed paths before.
“Justin Norquist.I also used to live in Blackstone House.”
“As I said, I’m sorry to hear that.Why would you come here to speak with me?”
Sykes hadn’t told them to go to hell, which Justin took as a good sign.
“We want to know what’s going on with Levi.”
“How should I know?I haven’t seen him since the trial.”
“He’s your son,” Brax said simply.
“Sometimes, we’re dealt bad hands in life.Look, as far as I’m aware, Levi’s locked up in Redding’s Gap prison, and that’s where he’ll be until he breathes his last.”
“Redding’s Hill.He got downgraded from the supermax to its sister facility.”
Sykes merely shrugged.“I have a new life here in Florida.”
“Did you know Levi’s planning to file an appeal?”
Justin didn’t think Linus was faking his confusion.
“An appeal?On what grounds could he possibly appeal?”
“We were hoping you’d be able to tell us.”
“Just because he shares half of my DNA—and believe me, I checked that—doesn’t mean we have anything to do with each other.If he’s filing an appeal, presumably he has a lawyer.Try talking to him.”
“Her.She’s a woman.And we were actually hoping to talk to the private investigator you’ve had on retainer for the past decade.We’ve been unable to find his phone number.”
“What are you talking about?”
Justin decided to cut to the chase.“My executive assistant has disappeared.She’s been missing for almost a week now, and her roommate told us you’ve been paying her a hundred bucks a month to spy on me.”
