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From the Mafia to the NYPD — that’s what distinguishes us from Harrison’s family.
We part ways, and I’m happy that I took the time to visit with Aunt Dianna. She gave me some useful info, so the first thing on my agenda is to contact Lisa McDonald and see if she can get me into Nuage. If she could get Sherri, why not one of Sherri’s besties?
I go back home and spend some time on my laptop, searching for Lisa’s social media. I send her a friend’s request on Facebook and when she accepts, I send her a private message.
NATALIA: Hi, Lisa. This is Natalia, one of Sherri’s friends. I wonder if we could meet and talk about Sherri. I understand you are — you were friends with her before the accident. I’m just trying to understand how she died.
I don’t expect a response right away, but to my surprise, she messages me right back.
LISA: Hi, Natalia. Sherri spoke about you to me. I was so shocked that she died. There are a lot of drugs used at the club as you can imagine, but I never saw Sherri do anything but drink. I never went to one of the private parties at Harrison’s place, so who knows what went on there.
NATALIA: She didn’t do drugs. Maybe smoked a bit of pot, so I was so surprised to hear that she had cocaine and Oxy in her system. It’s just not like her to do it. Did Harrison do drugs? I’m assuming it was him that gave them to her.
LISA: No, I don’t think Harrison did drugs. Not at all. He’s pretty intense and focused on business. Never saw him out of control or anything. It must have been someone else in their orbit who did the harder drugs.
That makes me frown. Harrison doesn’t do drugs? How then did Sherri get them? Did he give them to her, but doesn’t do them himself?
If so, what a fucking monster. He gave her these hard drugs, but didn’t indulge himself? Did he drug her so he could take advantage of her? Not that she would have resisted him, but maybe he was into drugging women and then raping them as some kind of sadistic kink…
My mind goes all over the place imagining it.
NATALIA: What can you tell me about Nuage?
LISA: Nuage is a really exclusive club. There’s a lot that goes on that people don’t know about. Kinky stuff. Gambling. Sex parties. Drugs. I’m not part of that. I just pour drinks, butI heard the rumors about what goes on in the basement and private rooms.
NATALIA: Could you get me into Nuage? I’d like to meet some of the people there.
LISA: Sure, if you want — I have an employee membership and can invite new guests, but you’ll have to sign an NDA.
NATALIA: You invited Sherri, right?
LISA: Yes. She came out with me one night and met Alexi at this bar he and his crew go to. It’s in the financial district where all the Wall Street types go to drink. The Watering Hole on Pine, not far from Wall Street. Alexi liked her, so he invited her to the club as well. It was Alexi that got her a permanent membership.
NATALIA: I’d love to go with you some night. Maybe I’ll get lucky and meet Alexi or one of his crew.
LISA: Have you seen Alexi? He’s pretty hunky. Ice blue eyes. Tats everywhere. Apparently, his father is a really wealthy Russian plutocrat or something.
NATALIA: I haven’t seen him but maybe I’ll get lucky when I come to Nuage with you. Thanks for helping me.
LISA: You’re welcome, I think. It’s not really my kind of thing. I prefer bikers to Mafia boys, but to each his own. It’s a living for me.
I put my cell away, determined to go to Nuage one weekend with Lisa. In the meantime, I think I might take the gang from the hospital to The Watering Hole and see if I can learn more about Harrison and his friends.
I have to do something because it’s apparent that Sherri’s death is just going to become one more meaningless statistic.
CHAPTER 9
Harrison
The Present…
On Sunday,I attend a weekly dinner at my father’s house. It’s the night of the handover from my father to Ethan, and I must attend. My father decided that he was too disabled from the recent stroke to continue on as head of the O’Connor family.
Ethan will be officially taking over.
The dining room table is filled with my father’s favorite dishes — all of them Irish. Irish Stew, Black and White Pudding, Champ, and fish pie. There was ample Guinness, Black and Black and of course, Jameson’s Irish Whiskey.
We make our way into the dining room. When Ethan tries to push the wheelchair to the head of the table where my father usually sits, my father makes a point of insisting that Ethan sits there instead of him.
