Page 481 of The Sinner: James

He studies my face.

I arch my eyebrows at him impatiently.

“I got word that someone was in his apartment yesterday morning.”

“Who told you that?”

He flicks his head, motioning to the hallway outside.

“Someone in the building?”

He nods.

“The landlord?”

“Yes.”

“Does he know the people you work for?”

He shakes his head.

“He thinks I’m his cousin. I may have interested him with some money. He kept his mouth shut and didn’t ask a lot of questions.”

“Uh-huh. Who else is looking for him?”

He ponders, his eyes dipping to the stash of money.

“There were other people interested in him. He’s made a name for himself...”

“I don’t have the whole fucking night.”

“He vanished after winning big the last time he had fought. He collected the money, went home, and nobody saw him after that.”

“Go on.”

“Several nights before it happened, a couple of Russians had come to see him fight. They run the same kind of business in St. Petersburg. The brothers suspected Rossi had cut a deal with them and left the country. They also think he’s left his money here.”

“What makes them believe that?”

“He’s stubborn but not stupid. He wouldn’t put his money at risk and made himself a living target.”

He looks down for a moment while I put the cigarette out.

“He’s already a target.”

He shifts his gaze back to me.

“The brothers will leave him alone if he comes back.”

“And pays his debt.”

He nods in agreement.

“Yes.”

“What happens if he doesn’t?”

“They’ll recoup it one way or another. They never let anyone get away with it.”

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