Page 36 of Doubts of the Egoist
His gaze caught a dirty smudge on his cuff as he lowered his hand. He scratched at it with his nail, but the stain didn’t budge. Rubbing harder only made it worse. “Why did you make the request? What made you think he left Europe?”
“It wasn’t me. Tobias did it.”
Yugo glanced up, momentarily forgetting both the dirty smudge and Kuon.
“Motherfucker… he surely knew more than he told me yesterday.” Yugo tossed the lighter on the desk. It rattled as it spun. “If Tobias finds the brat before you do, you are fired. Am I clear?”
Not a single muscle in Greg’s face tensed. “Crystal.”
“You said Mio left by car. Alone?”
Greg shrugged.
“He can’t be driving alone, can he? It’s a twenty-four-hour drive at best.” The cigarette smoke dampened his irritation, switching him into a working mood.
Greg broke from his stance to rub his bushy brow. “That’s not all of it, I’m afraid. He was driving a rented truck and filed a transit customs declaration.”
“What is he transporting and where to?”
Greg shrugged again. “Tobias requested a copy, but it hasn’t arrived yet.”
The usually sweet tobacco turned bitter. Yugo crushed the barely smoldering cigarette in the ashtray so violently that it crumbled under his fingers. “Is Tobias in Kabul?”
“He should be.”
“Put him on speakerphone…” After a second of hesitation, Greg placed his smartphone on the desk in front of Yugo. Two long rings preceded the click.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Tobias droned.
“Are you in Kabul?” Yugo asked, ignoring the mocking tone.
“Why are you calling me from Greg’s phone?”
“Obviously, so you wouldn’t ghost me,” Yugo replied.
“I would never… How could you even think that? I’m hurt.” He chuckled.
“Are you in Kabul?”
“No. I got sidetracked and am in Germany now. Why? Miss me already?”
“No, but I want to see Mio’s stuff, especially his laptop,” Yugo said before Tobias began distracting him with incessantquestions. “Be home in two hours, or I’ll break in.”
“Oi, Yugo, since when did you become this savage? It doesn’t suit you at all,” Tobias teased, though his voice held a chilling edge.
“Two hours,” Yugo repeated.
“Geez, I heard you, but I can’t make it.” Tobias’ voice lost all traces of amicability. “Don’t you dare vandalize my place. Greg has emergency access. He’ll let you in.”
The call ended.
Yugo arched a brow. “I didn’t know you two were so close.”
Greg shrugged, his face unreadable.
“Hmm…” A part of Yugo wanted to press the issue, but he suppressed his curiosity. “Whatever. Get the car ready.”
For the wholeday, Kuon couldn’t concentrate on anything but thinking about the lump of clay, wrapped in plastic, he left under the bed. Yugo seemed either busy or angry, as he hadn’t returned to the bedroom all day, which made Kuon hate every moment of his solitude. Apart from Greg, he didn’t know anyone else in the mansion and wasn’t even sure he wanted to. The cleaning staff knew too much about his private life for him to feel comfortable striking up a conversation. Even making eye contact was a challenge. Remembering how Yugo’s subordinates looked at him, he had no desire to get to know them better. In this big house, he was once again alone and lonely.
