Page 32 of Absolution

She seems familiar, but I can’t place her.

She shakes her head. “We haven’t, but I’d love to get to know you, Max.” As she says my name, she curls her hand over mine, balled into a fist on the sticky counter.

I pull my hand back. “How do you know my name?”

“I know a lot about you, Max Collins. We have a common friend.” Before I can ask who, she adds, “How about you buy me a drink, and I’ll tell you why I’m here.”

“What would you like?” I ask, too curious about what she has to say to object further.

“A dirty martini, extra olive.”

After waving over a server, I order her drink and another beer for me. We silently wait for our drinks. It is very much awkward.

The instant the bartender sets them in front of us, I shift all my focus to the mystery woman. “How about you tell me your name?”

“Are you always so suspicious?” She takes a sip of her drink, hoping to hide her smile.

“I’m not in the mood for games. It’s been a long day.”

The annoyance weighing heavily on my shoulders seems like a thing of the past. “What if I told you I could help you get Ava Manarch?”

That grabs my attention.

“How do you know Ava?”

My heart thuds wildly when she answers, “I’m her mother.”

“Her mother abandoned her,” I snap out, immediately protective of Ava.

“You shouldn’t always believe what people tell you.” She nudges her head to the door. “Let’s get out of here so I can tell you the truth.”

“How do I know you’re not lying?”

Ava’s name is well-known. For all I know, she could be a crazy woman trying to hurt Ava.

After digging something out of her purse, she hands it to me. It is a picture of someone who looks a lot like Ava would have looked when she was younger.

“This doesn’t prove anything.”

“Let’s go somewhere quieter.” She drains her drink in one gulp. “Don’t be such a Boy Scout. If you want to win Ava, you’ll need to play dirty.”

Although I’m still suspicious, I close my tab. What do I have to lose? Maybe this is the Hail Mary I’ve been waiting for.

A few minutes later, we leave the bar.

“Where do you live?”

I peer up at her. “Excuse me?”

“We can’t talk in the street. The Manarchs are an extremely powerful family. They have eyes and ears everywhere.”

What she says is true, but I still can’t trust her. Ava told me her mother left when she was little, so how can this woman be her mother? But more importantly, what’s her issue with the Manarchs. I hate them for a reason, but why would the woman claiming to be Ava’s mother detest them too?

“We can go to a bistro down the street. If anything you say is worth my time, we will go from there.”

“Lead the way.” She wraps her arm around mine for me to guide us. When I do, she acts like we’re old friends. “How long have you known my daughter?”

“About a year.”

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