Page 71 of Devil's Thirst

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened.” I dab at my forehead, finding it sticky with sweat.

“Nightmare had you in its hooks. You have those often?”

“No, not at all. Probably opening night jitters—I don’t even remember what it was about.” I slink away from him and head for the bathroom. I need a moment to regroup.

When I return, Sante is still awake.

“You were awfully upset for it to be about dancing.” His voice has gone quiet. Calculating.

I get under the covers, grateful for the darkness. “Who knows? The brain is a strange place.”

“Mel, you were cryingdon’t touch me,” he argues, not wanting to let the subject go.

He’s in for disappointment.

“Maybe it was about my parents. I told you, I don’t remember,” I say more forcefully. He may want an explanation, but some things are better forgotten. He can push all he’d like. This is one hill I’ll die on.

He drops the questions, but he hasn’t let it go. I know because an hour later, when I’m finally drifting back to sleep, he’s still wide-awake.

CHAPTER 33

SANTE

I’mup half the night thinking about Amelie’s nightmare. My gut tells me she knows what the dream was about, but why hide it? If it was about Talbot, why not say so? And if it was about her mother, what other horrors could the woman have forced on her?

I don’t like not knowing, and Ihatefeeling powerless. I can’t help her if she won’t tell me what’s bothering her. All of it pisses me off. Between that and a lack of sleep, I start my Friday in a shit mood. The one silver lining is that we will make significant progress on our plans for Talbot. Today is Amelie’s last rehearsal before opening night on Sunday. She’ll be at the theater all day. I considered staying with her, but she should be safe surrounded by the entire cast, and the timing ended up perfect.

We’ve been monitoring Talbot’s work and cell phones, along with his admin’s. He’ll be in Philly all weekend. His wife primarily stays at their home in Albany, so she won’t be an issue. His Manhattan apartment will be empty. We’ve gathered everything we can via electronic means. It’s time for a hands-on search.

Once Amelie is squared away at the theater, I pick up Tommy and head to Oran’s place.

“Gentlemen,” he greets us each with a handshake once we arrive, then leads us back to his home office. “Have a seat. Let’s make sure we’re all on the same page before we do this.”

“Tommy’s assured me he can handle the security system,” I offer.

“You have quite an impressive skill set,” Oran tells my cousin. “My guys tell me your hacking abilities are top-notch.”

Tommy nods stoically. “I’m glad I can help, though I wish we’d been able to come up with more.”

Oran’s lips thin. “We’ve traced his web of contacts and collected a stash of evidence against him, not to mention all the shit he’s got on other people. Your efforts haven’t been wasted.”

No, but we haven’t found anything on Lina, or Amelie for that matter. It could be that there’s nothing to find. His threats could be complete bullshit. But we’d all hate to have overlooked something, so we’re trying to leave no stone unturned.

“I think we’ll all feel better once we’ve gone through his place,” I say what we’re all thinking.

Oran nods. “And if need be, we’ll hit the Albany house, too. Though, I suspect he keeps the family home clean.”

“Agreed.” I look at Tommy. “Before we get moving, do you mind if I have a private word with Oran?” I don’t keep secrets from Tommy, but I want to ask Oran about his wife, and he might prefer more discretion.

Tommy’s chin dips. “I’ll take one more look through the duffel and make sure we haven’t forgotten anything.”

“Thanks, man.”

Oran studies me curiously while Tommy exits. “What’s up?”

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but does Lina ever have nightmares?”

“Not that I’m aware of, but I take it Amelie does?”

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