Page 52 of Lion & Lamb

LION: (To server) Miss? I’d like a Hendrick’s martini up with three blue-cheese-stuffed olives.

ARIEL: You were saying, Father?

LAMB: I was saying—ahem—you are one hundred percent wrong about the cannoli. Nobody turns down a Termini Brothers cannoli. The lawyer is clearly hiding something, and that’s why I’m here in this church basement discussing my most recent case with Ms. Lion.

LION: Wow. The ease with which you lie to your poor children.

ARIEL: Uh-huh. Just make sure you take a cab home from the church basement. You shouldn’t be driving.

LAMB: I will take all appropriate measures, children. Don’t you worry about your old man.

COOPER JR.: See you tomorrow morning, Dad!

“I have something very important to show you.”

Veena smiled and beckoned with her fingers. “Oh yeah. Gimme.”

“Hang on now,” Cooper said, smiling. “This stays between us. I mean, like, inthe vault,okay?”

“Of course.The vault. Why would this be any different?”

The vaultwas their mutually agreed-upon term for a discussion that would remain completely off the record, no matter what. A free zone for private eyes. Even if those private eyes were threatened with prison by a federal judge.

“This lies deep, deep, deep in the vault.”

“Fine. I’ll keep it in the deepest, darkest chamber of the vault.”

Cooper nodded, then slid a manila folder across the table, which was beaded with moisture from their drinks. Veena placed her fingertips on top of the folder and began to pull, but Cooper kept an iron grip on it.

“What is it?” Veena asked.

“This is ugly stuff.”

“I’ve probably seen worse.”

“Sure, but not from a national hero.”

Cooper meant it. Hell, it had been painful forhimto read. He almost wished he could bleach the memory of this file out of his brain cells. What was that old saying, about how you should never meet your heroes? It was too late for Cooper to meet Archie Hughes but not too late for him to learn what kind of man he’d been.

“It’s fine,” she replied. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’m not much of a sports fan.”

Cooper nodded and released his grip on the folder. Veena removed her sunglasses and flipped open the file.

Usually, Veena Lion gave very little away. Her frustrated opponents called her “the Sphinx.” But as Veena read the series of printouts in the file, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped just a little. She might have been a stone-cold professional, but she was also a human being.

The file contained a series of screenshots of texts, each on its own page.

Where are you

Your appointment can’t be taking that long

Hey, baby, let me know where you are, I’m worried about you, that’s all

Come on, text me back

Baby, where are you

You there?

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