A Key, an Egg, an Unfortunate Remark by Harry Connolly

Author:Harry Connolly
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9780989828482
Publisher: Radar Avenue Press
Published: 2015-03-02T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Chains Forged in Life

When they woke Wednesday morning, they found Weathers in the kitchen, brewing coffee. Marley asked him to prepare a hearty breakfast; she had a lot of people to see that day and her appetite was fierce.

She first placed a call to Elaine, discovered that the environmentalists she hosted would be arriving soon, and made arrangements to meet with them. Before the call was even finished, another came in from a number she didn’t recognize. It was George Salkin, and he wanted to meet with Marley immediately, wherever she was.

Unwilling to let him know where she was living now, Marley proposed alternate plans to meet him at a coffee shop beside the Fisherman’s Terminal.

An hour later, Albert opened the door of the cafe for his aunt, and a trim, sixty-ish man in a pale green polo shirt and cream-colored dockers hurried toward them. “Marley Jacobs! George Salkin. Of course I recognize you—we have an awful lot of friends in common—but isn’t it strange that we don’t know each other?” He was grinning a thousand-watt smile, but it couldn’t disguise the calculating look in his eyes. Albert disliked him immediately.

Marley was well-practiced at hiding her own dislike. “I suppose this is our chance to remedy that, don’t you think? I’m just sorry it has to be under such terrible circumstances.”

“Ah. Yes. Please accept my condolences.”

“Thank you.”

“There’s a private room back here that I reserved for us. Can I get you a coffee?”

“No need.” She went to the counter, ordered a single tall latte with a sprinkle of nutmeg, then paid. Albert ordered a regular coffee, and waited for the order to be ready while George led Marley to the little conference room at the back of the cafe.

Then he closed the door.

While Albert stood anxiously at the counter, waiting to rejoin his aunt, Marley graciously let George pull her chair back for her, then smiled when he sat beside her and made an excuse to touch her hand. He hoped they could be good friends, and he leaned forward as he spoke, holding her gaze in his. Marley noticed he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.

Albert pushed open the door and set Marley’s coffee beside her. “Thank you, dear. Shut the door, would you? The three of us have a lot to discuss.”

“Three?” George said, looking put out. “Well, okay. I mean, that will be fine. It’s just that I have to talk about something sensitive...”

“Business arrangements often are.”

“But not illegal, I swear.”

“Of course not. But Aloysius is gone and you want to continue to do business. Well, I called you because I want to help. So I’m going to ask you some questions, and if you want even a chance to continue your business arrangement, you’ll answer honestly.”

“Well, all right. I guess your first question is going to be what I paid him.”

“Not at all. I want to know what he was selling you.”

George put his hands on the arm of his chair, intending to stand and walk out of the room.

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