Michael“Five bedrooms isn’t that small you know.”It was small compared to my apartment and any other vacation homes I owned. I’d found the house in Bar Harbor a quaint getaway in the spirit of the closely-knit community.“How many bedrooms do you have in your house?” I asked.She wet her lips again. “Two bedrooms. But it's no summer home.”“I’ll take you up there sometime. It’s really quite peaceful.”“I thought you didn’t take guests up there,” she teased.“If all goes well with the Christmas charity, maybe I’ll consider you spearheading that one as well.”“I don’t know,” she said, clicking her tongue. “What could I possibly do with five bedrooms all to myself?”I thought of a hundred things—or positions— we could do in those bedrooms. I pushed that thought out of my mind, keeping myself treading on the line between professional and personal.“I’d come with you the first time,” I said. “To help settle you into the role.”“I’m not a fan of flying,” she said.“That’s one trip I like
RaineyEven though I’d only been in the workforce for over a week, the early mornings had started to take a toll on me. That’s why when I slept an hour past my alarm, I woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated for the busy morning.Tanner and I met Mom in the driveway around eight.“You’ve only been working there a little over a week and he gave you a day off? What a good boss,” Mom said as we got into her car.“I don’t have the day off, Mom,” I said, checking to make sure Tanner didn’t unbuckle his seatbelt before we got out of the driveway. It was a daily struggle to keep the belt on him. He didn’t understand that it could save his life. “I have to be in the office at noon.” Michael had a morning meeting with someone and said I wasn’t needed until later. It worked out perfectly for me to attend the Christmas program at Tanner’s school. He’d been disappointed when he realized I was going to miss it since normally I’d be at work, but when I told him the change in plans, he gave me th
RaineyOnce we arrived back in my apartment, I only had fifteen minutes before I had to leave for work. I checked the train times again to make sure I didn’t miss the right one. That would be my luck to be given the morning off and then come into work late. After the interview, I made a silent promise to myself to never be late for Michael again.Tanner tossed his coat onto the kitchen table and started for the kitchen. “Come on, Grandma! I’m starving and I want to try out a new recipe.” He kissed his fingers and gestured them in front of him. “Magnifique!”I stifled a laugh. It was the signature line from his favorite chef on The Food Channel.“I guess I better get in there before he burns himself,” Mom said, kissing my cheek. “See you later, dear.”“That or the house,” Tessa said.Mom pulled a face and rushed in after Tanner.Tanner’s last attempt at making a recipe from The Food Channel resulted in the kitchen smelling like burned hair for an entire day. I wasn’t sure what he put i
MichaelI replayed the phone call between me and Demetri over and over in my mind on my way to work Friday morning. It had been a short one, as these particular ones usually were.“Am I right about this?” he’d asked.“Yes.”A long pause then, “I’ll handle this.”We had no idea who was listening at any point which was why he preferred to meet in person for the more important and secretive meetings. Demetri had come up against authorities in the past involving a phone tap. He was back in Chicago, so there wasn’t a possibility of a face to face conversation.I’d come to the office early that morning, wanting to get out of my apartment. I had a nervous energy that I tried to get out by exercising. When that didn’t work, I had to occupy my mind. I thought by searching for some listings for Sal I could create a good alibi for myself. If anyone linked me to his death then I could claim I had no idea.See detective, I was searching for listings all morning. Why would I do that if I knew he wa
MichaelAs the thought crossed my mind, my cell phone rang. The vibration moved it across my desk and a similar vibration took hold of my body. Demetri’s name stared up at me from the screen.I grabbed the phone and shoved my chair away, it rolled in a wide arc away from my desk. “Excuse me, I have to take this.”I left the office, closing the door behind me as I swiped my finger across the screen.“Hello?” I said, not wanting to identify the caller for Sandra or Rainey to hear. I hustled down the hallway into one of the conference rooms, closing that door behind me.“Good morning, Michael,” Demetri’s said over the line. The calm in his voice was like the still waters of Bar Harbor. A longing to go back swelled inside of me.“It’s afternoon here now,” I said slowly, waiting for the ball to drop.“You know that issue with real estate we were discussing?” he asked. “Real estate” was code for Sal.I sighed. “Yes.”“I closed the deal,” he said. “I wanted you to be the first to know.”“I a
RaineyI couldn’t believe this! Michael wanted me to go to Colorado right this second? What sort of request was that?“These things happen sometimes,” he said and took out his phone. He was texting someone as if leaving on a moment’s notice was no big deal.“I don’t have my I.D. or tickets or anything,” I said.He glanced up at me from his phone. “We’re taking my private jet, so you don’t need identification.”“Well do I at least have time to go home?” I always traveled light to the City. I only had my purse and coat. I’d need warmer clothes if we were going to Colorado.“Unfortunately, no,” he said. “We have to go now. This property is a rare one and it might get scooped up quickly.”“Michael, this is crazy. I don’t have any clothes with me. Or a toothbrush. And where are we staying?” I supposed being a billionaire with a private jet allowed him to book travel quicker than a regular person. And I supposed throwing money at any hotel would get a room. But I needed to ask these questio
RaineyMichael was on his phone for most of the ride to the airfield. He was typing on his phone so quickly I thought he was going to sprain his fingertips. I stewed the whole time, upset with him for screwing with my personal life. I wanted to wait until I could be rational before having any conversation about future instances.I notice Constantine looking between Michael and me through the rearview mirror. This past week Michael and I have been on the best of terms and always chatted while we drove around the City. Even Constantine knew something was up.After almost thirty minutes, Michael finally put his phone down. “Rainey, I’m sorry things have to be done in a rush sometimes, but this is a part of the job.”“I understand,” I said.“I can tell you’re not happy.”I let out a breath and turned to him. “I’m not upset, just a little caught off guard. During the interview when you asked if I’d be available at a moment’s notice, I at least thought I’d have enough time to gather my own
MichaelI was glad Sandra had the forethought to rent an SUV upon our arrival. There was a threat of snow for Saturday and I knew how rough it could get there. In my mind, it was late when the plane landed, even though the time difference gave us an added two hours of daylight. We ate fast food for dinner—something I rarely did—and it was delicious. We were both exhausted by the time we made it to Natalia’s lodge and barely had time to unpack our meager belongings before we went off to our separate rooms to sleep.I stayed awake for a little while, my mind buzzing with what was about to happen. Natalia’s liquor cabinet was stocked and I sat down in the dark living room, staring at the unlit fireplace while sipping on a twenty-one-year-old scotch. Everything was going to work out perfectly. Demetri had given me enough time to get out before I had the chance at having someone point the finger at me for being involved with Sal Rossi before he died.I drank two more scotches before my min