Chapter 5 - THE MAN WHO SENT ME TO LONDON
Daniel Mercer called me at 10:07 a.m.
I watched his name light up my phone while Detective Ortiz watched my face.
Naomi quietly closed the laptop.
"Answer it normally," Ortiz said.
I did.
"Daniel."
"Austin, thank God."
His voice came fast and concerned.
"I just heard about your mother."
I looked at Ortiz.
"That was quick."
"Carla's husband called me."
Daniel lowered his voice.
"What the hell happened?"
I forced myself to sound tired instead of furious.
"My flight got canceled, so I came home."
There was a pause.
Only half a second.
But it was there.
"Canceled?"
"Yeah."
"You didn't rebook?"
"No."
Another pause.
"I wish you had called me."
The sentence was wrong in a way I could not explain.
Not, I wish I had known.
Not, I would have helped.
I wish you had called me.
As if the problem was that he had not been warned.
"I was dealing with my wife," I said.
"Of course."
Daniel exhaled.
"How is Irene?"
"Alive."
"Jesus."
He sounded convincing.
That frightened me more than if he had sounded guilty.
"Are you still in London?" I asked.
"I flew back last night."
Ortiz's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
"The investors postponed."
"When?"
"Late yesterday."
"You didn't tell me."
"I emailed your assistant."
I knew he had not.
My assistant, Maya, forwarded schedule changes within minutes, even on weekends.
"Maybe I missed it."
"Probably."
May you like
Daniel changed the subject immediately.
"Listen, I need you to stay away from the office for a couple of days."
