He wasted no time getting right to the point.
“Do you remember the rumor I mentioned to you? About Todd?”
A semi-frantic tone hung on every word coming out of his mouth. Still, I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t just drop this whole thing with Todd.
“Dad, let it go. I already told you we broke up. We aren’t together anymore. I don’t get why…”
He cut me off. For the first time since the call started his voice grew loud, the next words out of his mouth crystal-clear.
“You’re in trouble, Temp. And I mean big trouble.”
I didn’t know how much longer I could stand to listen to him talk like this. “You aren’t making any sense. Slow down.”
I must have gotten through to him. He took a breath, pausing for a couple of seconds. “I don’t know how much time I’ve got. I just need you to listen.”
“Okay, all right.”
My dad blew out a deep exhale. “Do you remember the gang banger I told you about? The one with a nephew that’s a hitman?”
“Yes. What about him?”
“Hang on…” he replied. A muffled scratchy sound echoed in my ear.
“Dad, Dad. What’s going on?”
He came back on the line. “Guard went by. Shit, we need to finish this conversation and do it now.”
“I’m listening.”
“Okay,” my dad began, whispering again. “It’s about the nephew. He’s gone missing, and his uncle thinks you and Todd are involved in what’s happened to him.”
What?
My stomach went crazy, a sharp pain tying it into knots. How could any of this be happening? What did any of this mean? I had no idea what this gang banger’s threats would amount to. Would they hurt my dad? There was no way I could tell him the truth about Todd. I had to play it cool… For his own sake.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Dad. That guy’s crazy. Why would I… How could I possibly be involved in something like that?”
My dad cleared his throat. “I don’t think you are, but I can’t say the same for Todd. The fucking guy is nowhere to be found. The only thing I’m concerned about here is you, and I don’t want you getting caught up in something that you’re not responsible for and…”
He went silent.
“Dad? What’s happening?”
The muffled sound returned for a few seconds before he returned. “Another guard.”
I had to say something to reassure him, convince him I was safe. Only, I didn’t get the chance. Once the threat of the guard passed him by, he continued.
“The gang banger’s sister… She’s the mother of the hitman, and the bitch is frantic. The last thing she heard from her son was that he was headed north to Reno to do a job. She hasn’t heard anything from him since.”
I swallowed hard before responding, careful to keep the hesitation in my voice quiet. “A lot of people go to Reno. Maybe he’s just drunk or getting laid.”
“Maybe, maybe… But that’s not what they think, and what they think is all that matters.”
“What do they think?”
“They’ve got proof, Temp. Or at least it looks like it.”
I tried to keep my breath under control. While I struggled, my dad kept talking.
“She went by her son’s house, looking for him. Apparently she searched for any clue she could find but didn’t come up with much, except one thing.”
I replied, putting all of the false confidence I had into the next sentence.
“Oh I see. So the mother of a gangster claims to have found proof I was somehow involved in the disappearance of her son. Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? What exactly would she have found anyway?”
“A cocktail napkin. It was from the Bellagio.”
“So, that doesn’t mean anything. People take those all the time.”
“Not one with your name written on it, Tempest.”
Holy shit!
And then, just like that, I remembered his face. The same guy who’d killed Todd was in the lounge only days before we drove north to Reno.
Holy fucking shit!
My dad went silent again, pausing for several seconds. “I need you to tell me the truth, Temp. Are you involved in what happened to that man?”
What the hell was I going to tell him? If I said I was, then he’d have to lie. I didn’t want to put him in harm’s way by telling him the truth. He would be safer if I stuck to the lie, which is exactly what I decided to do.
With the most confident tone I had, I answered him. “No, I’m not involved.”
For the first time, I heard relief in my dad’s voice. “You have no idea how good it makes me feel to hear that.”
“I’m glad.”
“Unfortunately, that still doesn’t mean that you are out of danger. I might believe you, but that doesn’t mean people on the outside do.”
Standing in front of one of the large bedroom windows overlooking Dorian’s estate, I nodded. “Dad, I promise you I am safe where I am. Absolutely nothing is going to happen to me here.”
“Where? Are you talking about your apartment? How hard is it going to be to find you there?”
“No, I… I’m staying with a friend right now.”
My father continued to drill me with questions. “Who?”
“What difference does it make who it is?”
For only the second time during the conversation, he raised his voice again. “Because I need to know you are safe from these psychos!”
“Look, Dad, I understand, okay? You just have to trust me when I tell you that I’m safe. All of this will blow over. I’m not involved. You need to stop worrying and give it time to work itself out. In fact, I’m so sure I have nothing to worry about, I’m planning on visiting you soon and…”
“No!” he barked, cutting me off. “I don’t want you coming here. Not until this is behind us.”
“Dad, I’m not gonna be bullied by anyone. You taught me that, remember? Now listen, I am coming, and that’s all there is to it. You can be sure I’ll be well protected.”
A long exhale from my father’s mouth followed. “I don’t guess there’s any point in trying to stop you. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”
“Of course, I will.”
“It will be good to see you again.”
I didn’t like the sound of his voice. It had a noticeable tone of sadness in it.
“What’s the matter?”
Once again his voice went soft.
“I never saw my life ending this way,” he muttered.
I frowned and shook my head. “Ending? What are you talking about? You aren’t going to die in there. Quit talking like that.”
He ignored me. “Temp, I need you to promise me something.”
“No, whatever it is, I don’t want to hear it. You’re overreacting right now.”
“Be quiet,” he snapped. “I only have a minute or so left. Let me get this off my chest.”
“Fine.”
“I want you to bring me something. I want your mother’s wedding ring.”
All the time he’d been locked away, my dad refused to have any mementos of my mom. He didn’t want to be reminded of her in any way and now this?