Page 84 of Nobody's Fool

I take another bite of the pastrami. It’s too much food for now. Iwrap it up and bring it to the refrigerator and as I do, my phone buzzes indicating an incoming call. A name doesn’t pop up from my contacts, but I recognize the number. I debate stepping in the other room to take the call, but I don’t think that’s the right play here.

I hit the green answer button and say, “Hello?”

“I can’t believe you have the same number.”

“Hey, Ella,” I say. Then: “So do you.”

Ella is the older sister of my murdered fiancée, Nicole. It’s been a long time, probably because we both remind the other of Nicole and neither of us needs that. The only connection between us was our love for Nicole. When she died, there was no reason for us to communicate anymore.

“So they freed him,” she says.

“For now.”

“And it’s your fault.”

I don’t bother replying.

Ella says, “No one called to tell me.”

“Someone should have.”

“Would have been nice to get a heads-up,” Ella says. “I found out when a reporter came to the salon for a quote.”

Ella owns a hair salon in Queens called Bangs for the Memories.

“I’m sorry,” I say.

“That’s not why I called.”

“Okay.”

“He was creeping by the salon.”

“Tad Grayson?”

“Yes.”

I grip the phone tighter. “What do you mean, creeping?”

“What do you think I mean?” she snaps. “Like he was standing out front and watching. I’m inside, giving Delia a hair coloring and wax treatment, and I look out the store window and there he is.”

“What did you do?”

“I went outside to confront him.”

“And?”

“And he ran away. I called the cops. They told me I could try to get a restraining order, but I’d have to prove imminent danger or something.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying that,” Ella says. Then: “I heard you’re married now, got a kid.”

“A son,” I say. “His name is Henry.”

“Nice. She would have smartened up. Nicole, I mean. Left your ugly ass before you tied the knot.”

I again choose silence. Ella always thought I wasn’t good enough for Nicole. I wasn’t, but then again, I’m not good enough for Molly either.

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