Page 37 of The Woman with the Handcuffs

“You wanna know what happened to Daniel Hall.”

“Yeah.”

“But not because of the business,” Leo went on, following me back to the dining table. “But because of his daughter.”

I shrugged at that.

“You’ve got some interesting priorities, Gav.”

“I prioritize the Family,” I objected. They were, after all, the only thing in my life outside of my solitude.

“I didn’t mean it like that. Just that… you didn’t give a fuck that a man who’s worked for you for years was missing. But you give a fuck now that his daughter is distraught enough to come cuff you to a chair.”

“It’s more interesting now.”

“And I’m sure that has nothing to do with the fact that she’s a knockout.”

“Never factored in.”

“Oh, bull-fucking-shit. You want me to believe you didn’t notice how beautiful she was?”

“Didn’t say I didn’t notice. Said it wasn’t a factor.”

“Right. So if his daughter looked like Mrs. Oliver from sixth grade math, you’d still be hunting down her missing father?”

“If Mrs. Oliver was looking for her father, she’d need a psychic and an Ouija board, not a mafia boss. That woman was a hundred and seven when I had her. And Lore got her a few years later.”

“You’re deliberately avoiding the point I was making.”

“Because it was a shitty one. She could look like that deformed fucking dog Brio just adopted, and I’d still find this series of events intriguing.” I reached for his phone, plugging in the passcode, then shooting a text off to Zeno to find Caitlin’s address.

“Intrigued enough to make you consider leaving this hermitage? Doubt that.”

I wanted to keep insisting he was wrong. But I had noticed how gorgeous she was. And who was to say that didn’t factor in?

“You haven’t figured out anything since I last checked in, right?”

“Right. Zeno said no hits on his credit cards or anything like that. No sightings. Though I doubt anyone is actually looking. Not many people are going out to walk the woods for an older man like they do for kids.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re heading out of town, aren’t you?”

“Want some answers.”

“Let me guess. You’re going to take your captor with you?”

“I dunno. Haven’t decided.”

That was a lie. I’d absolutely decided.

“And you’re going to make me make your excuses for missing family dinner again.”

Shit.

I’d forgotten all about that.

“Don’t worry. I think everyone would be glad to know you are missing it because you’re actually out of your apartment and in the world.”