LITMIR.BIZ

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had settled into her brain like cotton batting. Her cell vibrated inside her pocket just as she pressed the elevator button in the lobby. She got the phone to her ear before the caller hung up. She hadn’t recognized the number.

      “Hello?”

      “Is this Kala Stonechild?”

      “Yes. Who’s calling?”

      “It’s Maya from the mission. How are you doing, child?”

      Kala smiled. “Good. I’m good.” The tiredness lifted for the moment. “You have news?”

      “I saw that young girl, Dawn, last night. She came in with another woman, not your cousin, but the homeless woman the police are looking for. Anyhow, I called the other officer who asked me to keep an eye out for her but the girls had both gone before the police arrived. I would have called you sooner, but I’d misplaced your card.”

      “What’s the name of the homeless woman?”

      “Annie Littlewolf. She’s five foot nothing, about forty years old. An Ojibway from out west. I hadn’t seen her around since her friend was found dead in that alley. Poor soul.”

      “Did the little girl, Dawn, did she look okay? She wasn’t with this woman against her will?”

      “As far as I could tell, they were friendly with each other. They got some food and disappeared before I could get to them.”

      “And they haven’t been back?”

      “No, but now that I’ve found your card, I’ll call you right away the next time I see either of them.”

      “I’d appreciate that, Maya.”

      “No problem, child. You take care.”

      “You too … and thanks.”

      Kala rode the elevator to her floor. She unlocked the door to her room and stepped inside. The air was stale and dry. She crossed to the window before she remembered that it was sealed shut. She was going to have to hope that the heat shut off soon since she also didn’t have a thermostat control in her room. She dropped her clothes on the floor and climbed naked under the sheets. The throbbing in her shoulder reminded her that she needed to take another painkiller. She sighed and got up again to rummage through her bag. It was an effort to walk back to her bed and lower herself onto the mattress. She had a voicemail message from Shannon that she’d meant to return before going to sleep, but it wasn’t going to happen. Whatever Shannon wanted to tell her would keep until morning. Kala stretched her aching legs and rolled onto her side, careful to protect her bandaged shoulder. Ten seconds later, she was sound asleep. She didn’t stir until dawn.

      Benny sat on Max’s desk, one leg crossed over the other at the knee, a burning cigarette in his hand. Max leaned back in his desk chair, his head at crotch level but his eyes on Benny’s face. Benny’s blue eyes reminded him of sparkling aquamarine stones. They were his best feature by far. Max absentmindedly reached over and rubbed his fingers lightly along the crease in Benny’s pant leg.

      “It’s getting harder to put up with this domestic crap, Benny. I never thought it would be this exhausting. At least the kid should keep her occupied.”

      “You’re a trooper. Just keep your eye on the money.”

      “I don’t know anymore. When you cooked up this scheme, it felt like a sure thing, but the longer it goes on, the less good I feel about deceiving Geraldine. She’s going to cotton on if she hasn’t already.”

      “That’s why you have to start investing more time in keeping her happy. You have to make it look like you really want to be married to her.” Bennie took one last puff and dabbed the cigarette in the ashtray next to him on the desk. “We knew going in this was going to take time.”

      “Why was I the one who had to get married again?”

      “Because you’re better looking and you have way more charm.”

      “I’ll bet you say that to all the guys.” Max’s fingers moved lightly up Benny’s leg. “It’s just not as easy to keep up the pretence as time goes by. Believe it or not, I feel sorry for Geraldine.”

      “Well, use your empathy to start treating her better. We’re too close to the jackpot for you to grow a conscience now.”

      “You always could talk me into … stuff.”

      “We’re going to have to be careful about meeting for a while. With the cops poking around, it could get dicey. After this evening, you need to spend more time at home. Act like you and the missus and your kid are one happy family.”

      “Great. For how long?”

      “After they stop investigating Tom’s death, we’ll start moving money again. If all goes well, you can extricate yourself by summer. We’ll winter somewhere warm. What do you think about next Christmas in Cuba?”

      Max nodded slowly and looked at this man who’d had a hold on him since high school. Benny was too short and slender and his black hair too bristly to be called handsome, but it was the blue eyes that won him over — that and Benny’s wild side. Benny took chances that maybe bordered on reckless. When they first met, Benny had needed someone to dominate and Max had been happy to oblige. A Bonnie to his Clyde. What had he let this obsession lead him into?

      “I’ll hold you to that,” Max said. His fingers had reached Benny’s zipper. “So this could be it for a while?”

      “Sadly, we have to be careful,” Benny said. His face changed and he held up a hand. “Did you hear that noise?”

      “What noise?”

      “I thought we were the only two in the building.” Benny jumped off the desk and crossed to the partially open door. He pushed it all the way open and looked both ways down the hall. He shut and locked it, then walked slowly back to Max. “I guess I’m just getting jumpy.” He leaned against the desk and cupped Max’s chin in his hand. “You really are a delicious-looking man, you know that Maxy? And if we stick together, you’ll soon be a rich and single delicious-looking man.”

      “Don’t worry. I won’t blow it.” Max looked up at Bennie and batted his eyes. “Although you are another matter.” He growled deep in his throat and they both laughed.

      Max placed his hand on Benny’s thigh. “If this is going to be it for a while, let’s stop wasting time.”

      29

      Saturday, December 31, 5:10 a.m.

      Carla Rodriguez woke up earlier than usual when her husband Phil grunted like a bull moose and rolled over to toss a beefy arm across her back. His mouth came to rest next to her ear. The ripple of snores coming from deep in his chest sounded like a small plane engine preparing for takeoff. Carla opened her eyes and tried to focus in the small bedroom’s dim light. Phil mumbled something in his sleep before a new snort broke the sound barrier. Well, that settled it. There would be no more sleep for her this morning.

      She slipped out from under his arm and stood looking down at this great hulk of a man she adored more than life itself. His black hair had turned grey above his ears and the deep lines in his forehead were no longer softened by sleep. Two children grown and gone — the last off to find himself six months ago — and they were acting like newlyweds. They couldn’t get enough of each other. It was funny how life went in circles. For years, they’d barely had breathing space to be alone together, let alone have sex. Phil was sure making up for lost time. It was as if he hadn’t realized they were sixty-two years old and should be past all the physical lust. For this, she lit a candle of thanks every Sunday before mass.

      She placed a kiss on his shoulder and grabbed her robe from the foot of their bed as she made her way to the downstairs shower. A quick rinse and she’d stop at Andy’s Diner for coffee and a muffin on her way to the office. If she got in an hour early, she’d have the floors washed before everyone started trooping into the building. Christmas holidays and

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