Page 142 of Embracing the Change

“He’s skilled at upsetting people, as you’ve personally experienced, but welcome to my world where you’re powerless against anything but damage control when it comes to that guy.” He took my martini glass out of my hand, threw back a sip, then handed it to me while murmuring, “Now I need to sic Kateri on that clown’s ass, see if she can find out what he’s up to.”

“I think we need to talk about Dru some more,” I suggested.

“I think I’m going to have a chat with Arnold. I want him to escort you to and from your cars. I’ll also chat with your hire company. I want your drivers escorting you in and out of wherever you’re going.”

“Although he didn’t approach to invite me to breakfast at the Plaza, maybe we can brainstorm why he might suddenly have returned.”

“The police are coming,” Alyona announced.

Jamie peered over my head at her. “Thank you, Alyona.”

“Would you like a drink?” she asked Jamie.

“I can get it,” he told her.

I felt her leave us, and Jamie turned back to me.

“That’s what Kateri is going to find out,” he said.

“Jamie, he seemed very angry.”

Jamie studied me.

“If we’re going through with reporting this, I think you might want to call Dru now, to warn her, in case he goes to her,” I suggested.

“Fuck,” Jamie clipped, then he pulled out his phone.

He got up and went to the bar cart, putting his cell to his ear.

I then listened to his side of the conversation, which was fraught, mostly around Dru’s concern for me.

I took in a deep breath, and let it go.

He ended it by assuring her that Kateri would be on it by morning, I would be looked after, and she needed to be vigilant, and if she was concerned, he’d get her security. It was clear she declined this, which didn’t make me happy.

He then completed the call and brought his bourbon back to sit next to me.

When he was settled, Heiress had come up to get a belated greeting from her daddy, and he was scratching her ears, I remarked, “I’m not sure Dru should make the call about security.”

“I’m sure. She shouldn’t. Once I stop saying hello to Heiress, I’m contacting my team. She’ll never know she’s being followed.”

That made me feel better.

“Do you know what’s become of him? Lynch?” I asked.

In hindsight, I realized, Chet looked rough. Not downtrodden and, say, homeless or anything. Just like he’d done quite a bit of hard living in his years on Earth, and it showed on his face.

Jamie stopped scratching Heiress, which earned him a nasty look and her walking over Jamie’s lap to get to me, so I took over as he alternately sipped, texted, and answered me.

“He’s rattled around. Pennsylvania. Connecticut. New Hampshire. New Jersey.” Sip. Type. “He tried to be a rambling man with Lindy. Once she had a baby, she wanted roots.” More sipping. More typing. “It was one of the things they argued about.” Still more typing, but no sipping. “He remarried. Twice. Divorced. Twice. No other children.” I heard the whoosh and he looked to me. “How did you get him to leave Lindy’s memorial reception?”

“I asked him to leave, and when he refused, I called security, and they made him leave.”

“That’s it?”

I nodded.

He seemed bemused. “We haven’t heard from him since then.”

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