Page 43 of His Passerotta

Would he…?

He wouldn’t put a fucking bomb in a restaurant full of civilians, would he?

No. Not to blow at least, not while people are there. But… I look at the circled word again, specifically marked at eight o’clock on Anthony’s schedule. Does he want it to blow while Anthony is there?

Does he want to kill Anthony?

Is he… Is he seriously capable of that?

No. No, he can’t be.

I look at the stove clock again. Seven fifteen.

I have forty-five minutes before Anthony is scheduled to be at the restaurant. I could just sneak into the office to take a peek, make sure I’m truly losing my mind. If Corey was going to plant a bomb, surely he’d do it in the office where there wouldn’t be civilians… And also where his target would most likely be.

I gather up the papers to stuff them on top of the fridge where I found them, then I hurry back to my apartment to change into my server uniform.

Guess I’m going back to work.

* * *

Pulling the straps to the biggest purse I have higher on my shoulder, I smile at the cook outside smoking a cigarette. He tips his chin in greeting before looking away from me, clearly wanting to be left alone. Which is fine by me because I can feel my pores collecting with sweat, and if I had to guess, my face is pale.

I’ve certainly learned to control my nerves when it comes to sneaking into a place, so that isn’t the problem. If I’m right, there’s a bomb in this building. If I’m lucky, I’ll be carrying it out without detonating the thing. That kind of nervousness, I’m not accustomed too.

I slink in through the back, lowering my head when I hear a couple of women chatting by the lockers. Their conversation pauses but starts back up again when I’m through the backroom door. The office is like ten feet ahead on my left, and I plan on hightailing it straight there, in and out as quickly as possible, but when I test the knob, I find it locked. It’ll only take a second to pick it, but it’s still unnerving.

As soon as I fit the pick into the lock, I startle at a voice.

“Bailey?”

My hand jerks from the door like the knob is blazing, and I hide the pick behind my back, not exactly smoothly. Rainey trudges down the hall with her hand digging in her pocket. She pulls out a sucker and pops it in her mouth before talking around it.

“What are you doing here? You missed your last two shifts.”

“Hey.” My lips stretch into a friendly smile. “Yeah, I know. Things didn’t really work out for me here, unfortunately, so I’m just getting my last check. Frank said to grab it off his desk.” I crook a thumb toward the office.

Rainey moves her sucker from one side of her mouth to the other, her cheek protruding as she eyes me blankly. There’s absolutely zero tell on whether or not she believes me.

I turn toward the door like I’m going to open it, but I can’t actually do it with her standing here. I’m hoping she’ll take the hint and leave. “Well, I’ll see you around.”

“Mmhmm.”

I glance over my shoulder with a nervous smile and still see her face blank.

“Whatever you’re doing, do it quick. I’ll watch the door.”

My mouth opens with the instant urge to bullshit, but I close it when she lifts her brows and gives me a knowing look.

I let out a sigh. “Thank you.”

“Yup.”

I quickly finesse the lock and disappear inside the office, gently clicking the door shut behind me and frantically looking around.

There isn’t much in here. Just a desk with a closed laptop and some loose papers on it, a fake plant in a corner, a mini fridge, file cabinet, and safe in the far corner.

I try the file cabinet first, tugging on the drawers only to find them locked, then searching behind in case it’s stashed there. I check the desk next, but again, the drawers are locked.

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