Page 136 of No Greater Oblivion

He and Rian exchange looks before they dart across the suite and head to the attached bathroom. Lyss decides to help with the search and goes through all the guest bedrooms and hallway closets. She even checks her own room in case Dahlia hid it there but I doubt it. She wouldn’t want anything that dangerous in Lyss’s private space.

We’re running out of time. Li was very clear in his instructions. At midnight I’m supposed to meet him in Central Park where I’ll return the pistol in exchange for Dahlia. He chose a public place like the park because he knew the threat of civilian presence would keep the exchange under control and at a late enough hour that would guarantee some semblance of secrecy.

I’d considered going to look for her myself. Dahlia was smart; she kept me on the line and gave instructions every step of the way, down to the park entrance Li used. However, there’s no guaranteeing she’s anywhere near the vicinity now and trying to look for her at night, in January, when several feet of snow still covers the ground after back-to-back storms, would be a fool’s errand. My best bet was to enlist the help of the two idiots going through pad and tampon boxes in the bathroom and to be honest, I’m starting to question my own judgement.

I head downstairs and retrace my steps. The townhouse has five floors, not including the cellar under Doña Ana’s apartment. We searched the fourth and fifth floors where all the bedrooms are, the third floor where Dahlia has her private study and a living space, the parlor floor right below where the formal dining and reception rooms are. Then there’s just the first floor with the kitchen and breakfast room and the hallway leading to Doña Ana’s space. She already searched the cellar and it’s mostly empty. Dahlia wouldn’t have hid the gun where it could be exposed to the elements so the backyard patio, balcony, and terrace are out of the question.

After scouring all the closets a second time, I go back upstairs in case I missed a room. Even with five people searching it feels almost impossible. Where the fuck did she put that gun?

I notice the door to the study is open and realize I haven’t been in there yet. One of the others might’ve but something tells me Rian wouldn’t know what to look for in a room like that.

“She wouldn’t have hidden anything in there,” Lyss says from the staircase. She’s taking the steps two at a time. “The room is a mess because she just got new shelves installed. Check the laundry room though, I just realized no one’s been in there!”

She’s gone before I can say anything else but her comment doesn’t deter me. Instinct propels me over the threshold and into Dahlia’s study where the lights are off and moonlight casts silver shadows across the piles of books and scattered boxes across the room. Lyss was right—it’s a disaster in here but only the kind Dahlia would understand.

Whenever she’d take on a new project, she’d have to first create a mess in order to figure out what she wanted the space to look like. Furniture is pushed into different corners of the room, organized in a way I know she’d understand. There’s a pile of red throw pillows near the bay window, a corner flooded with chairs but none of them match, and a tufted sofa pushed up against the fireplace surrounded by ottomans, a love seat, and a rolled-up rug.

It looks like she hasn’t finished shelving all her books yet because the new units are half empty. Books cover the desk, side tables, and every surface insight. I trip over a few boxes in search of a light switch and find it near a hung painting.

Unsurprisingly, the desk drawers are empty as are the cabinets and credenza. I’m about to give up on searching the room when one of the shelves catches my attention. Or rather, the book on it.

Only some of the shelves have been filled with books and most of them are texts on architecture and engineering. All except one: the book about cathedrals.

Anyone else wouldn’t have cast a second glance in its direction but I’m the only one who knows Dahlia’s father gave her that book when she was in the fifth grade for show and tell. And how it’s absolutely impossible for this book to be here in New York when the original is nestled onto one of the shelves in my office back home for safe keeping. Dahlia put it there herself and when she left a year ago, it was one of many personal affects that got left behind.

Which means the one right here is a copy.

Hidden in plain sight…

I reach for it and already feel the difference in weight. And when the spine cracks and the pages fall open, I find the pistol resting in a small cut out, barely big enough to fit the weapon.

Why would Dahlia go through all this trouble to hide a gun she doesn’t need? She went so far as to give Li a duplicate knowing there was a chance he’d find out and come after her. What does she need it for and why was she willing to risk Li’s wrath to keep it safe?

Something’s not adding up here and before I hand over a weapon as powerful as this one, I need to know the truth first.

“Alejandro!” Lyss barrels inside and trips over a nearby box. “Li just called Rian, he⁠—”

I turn around and her breath catches. “You found it…but how⁠—”

“Change of plans. I need you to go get the revolver in Dahlia’s nightstand.”

She frowns. “I don’t understand. Li told us where to meet, we have to leave now. There isn’t any time.”

I shut the book and return it to its place on the shelf. “Trust me. We’re going to get Dahlia back. We’re just not going to play by Li’s rules.”

Dahlia

Ican’t feel my frostbitten toes or fingers I’ve been sitting in the snow for so long. My wrists and ankles are zip tied and about a half hour ago, henchman number two duck taped my mouth shut. At the very least, the cold has helped to numb my face which has taken more than one hit from Li and his loose hands this evening. I can’t wait until Alejandro finds me. Watching him pummel the shit out of Li Huang’s smug face is going to be the highlight of my year.

I’m unsure of what’s transpired in the hours since Li took me. The sedative he gave me was strong and by the time I finally came to, we were driving again. Somewhere on the west side and in a much bigger car with two additional henchman in the back seat. A little over a half hour has passed since I was brought to the park and as far as I can tell, there isn’t anyone around. Didn’t stop me from calling out for help though. Li tried to get me to keep quiet and I bit his earring off. I have dried blood on my lips and a developing black eye as a result but it was worth it.

He's been clutching his bleeding earlobe ever since. That’s when henchman number two shut me up.

I don’t recognize where we are. It’s dark and the snow conceals any familiar landmarks that could help me navigate. All I can make out is a bridge not far-off and a body of water. Judging by its size and the look of the bridge in the moonlight, we must be by one of the ponds. Snow has begun to fall again which diminishes what little visibility I have.

Li paces back and forth across the snow-covered boulder at his feet and I hold my breath, waiting for him to slip and fall and break his neck on the way down. Unfortunately, his phone rings and he hops down from his vantage point to answer.

“Is he here?” his eyes flicker with surprise as he turns to face me. “Rian came instead?”