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“You don’t—”
She held up a hand.
“I’ll call him, but I’ll make sure the FBI is listening in. Maybe they can trace the call or something.”
“He’s probably prepared for that. He’s bouncing the signal off an answering service.”
She shrugged.
“I’m sorry he broke into the apartment.”
She looked like she wanted to reach over and pat his hand but held back. He appreciated the restraint.
“It’s not your fault your dad’s a dick.”
“We have that in common,” she said.
Adam nodded.
At least his father was dead and couldn’t cause any more trouble. It wasn’t a kind thought, but that was how he felt.
He passed Annie the note with Wilcox’s number and said his goodbyes.
So he’d told her. He’d managed that.
He was almost home when his phone rang with an unknown number.
“Good job, Binder,” Wilcox said by way of greeting.
“I don’t work for you. I just presented your case to Annie. It was her decision to call you.”
“Your attitude aside, well done. You can find your book at the Erythraean. I’ll let you guess which room.”
Wilcox hung up.
Of course he was still messing with Adam, and of course he’d leave the book at the Erythraean, the hotel where it had all gone down.
Adam recounted the call to Vic when he picked him up from work.
“I don’t like it,” Vic said.
“Me either, but I’ll ask Dautre to get me in. He’s been there so he should be able to take us straight inside.”
Adam couldn’t risk the doors at RCC again, not while he was on probation, and not while he was being watched.
“Good idea, and maybe he’ll know what you need to find out about the elven religion.”
“Maybe, but I doubt it. The last time we spoke, it sounded like he was raised atheist, or whatever the elven equivalent is.”
“Still, it’s worth asking,” Vic argued. “You should explore every angle you can before you put yourself through going back to that place.”
Vic’s frustration was palpable, and Adam shrank.
He’d screwed up. Again.
He tended to go in a direction without fully thinking things through. Sometimes it worked out, like when he’d saved Vic’s life and brought them together. Then again, if Adam hadn’t been so cocky, Vic wouldn’t have gotten shot in the first place.
“You’re right, and I’m sorry.”
