Page 15 of Destroyer

"Thank you." I need to find a way to work with this guy. How long can I hate him for the conversation I overheard?

"I did it for Nico, not you. But I won't be back before Knox, so I'm going to need you to cover for me."

"Of course," I agree.

I hang up and turn to leave the room, finding Nico in the doorway, looking like an axe murderer, except his weapon of choice is a dirty wooden spoon. He holds out a picture book to me.

"The cat is in the hat," he mutters, his eyes wide and vacant. "The hat is on the mat. There is a rat by the mat."

Nico offers me the book.

"Gregory made an outgoing call at sixteen forty-two on the 28th, to Edward Fayer." He declares, his tone very matter of fact.

Gregory’s mystery conversation was with Edward Thayer. The man who had only just given away his seat at the top of the table. No one saw that coming, Knox certainly wasn’t expecting to take charge until Edward was in the ground. Something happened between Edward and Gregory, between Nico finding out who his dad was and that phone call.

"I need a new book."

He sticks the rounded end of the spoon in his mouth and sucks off the cake batter. Then he spins on his heels and walks away.

Chapter eleven

Nico

Ihaveofficiallyprogressedfrom picture books with the words underneath. Now I am reading Gladys' book.

"What next, sweetie?"

"Fl…oor."

"Floor?" She chuckles. To help me out, she waves a packet at me with the Same word on it.

"Fl…?"

"Yes."

"Our."

"Which is?"

"Flower?"

"Flour." Gladys starts pouring the white powder into a bowl.

"You need two hundred grams."

"You have no problem reading numbers, do you Sweetie."

"Maths is a poker thing." I ignore the scowl she gives me.

"What is next?"

"G…"

"J," she corrects.

"No. This is the squirly circle with the butt curl."

"That may be so, what you see is a G, but what you say is a J. Like giraffe."

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