Page 102 of I Am Sin

It will cost more money.

Alotmore money.

I gather my notes, rise, and walk to Rod’s office, knocking on the door. When there’s no answer, I open the door. His lights are out. I look across to his assistant’s desk. She’s gone as well.

What time is it, anyway?

I look down at my watch. Seven p.m. I’ve put in a full day, but I hate leaving without talking to Rod about my findings.

A few offices are still occupied, but I don’t know any of my colleagues well enough yet to bring this to their attention.

I sigh.

I’ll go home. Run a hot bath.

And deal with this tomorrow.

ChapterThirty

Dragon

I don’t hear from Alayna all day, and Diana doesn’t come home in the evening. Worry grabs the back of my neck.

But why worry? It’s a new job, and she already told me she’d be working late and would hardly be home.

I make myself a sandwich and decide to settle in for the night. Not like I have anything better to do anyway.

Until my phone rings. I don’t know the number, and my heart starts to hammer. Maybe it’s the person who called about Griffin.

“Yeah?” I say into the phone.

“Is this Dragon Locke?” It’s a different voice from before.

“It is.”

“Hey, Dragon, I don’t know if you remember me, but we met… Never mind.”

My heart is still pounding. I will it to slow.

“I’m sorry, who are you?”

“I’m Antonio Carbone.”

“Ah…” I take a deep breath. “We met the night I…got arrested.”

“We did.” He laughs—sort of. “Sorry. Didn’t want to bring that up.”

“Not a problem. What can I help you with?”

“I don’t know if Diana mentioned it to you, but I run the music store on the edge of town. I’m the owner.”

“Oh.”

“You made quite an impression on my cashier, and we do need percussion instructors. I was wondering when you could start.”

“Now?”

He chuckles into the phone. “I have about ten students on a waiting list for percussion instruction. The pay is forty dollars an hour.”

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