Fifth Avenue by Smith Christopher & Hunting Constance & Tenga-Gonzalez Kathlyn

Author:Smith, Christopher & Hunting, Constance & Tenga-Gonzalez, Kathlyn [Smith, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Trident Publishing
Published: 2010-10-12T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

At midnight that evening, Louis Ryan left the party on Anastassios Fondaras’ yacht, returned to his office at Manhattan Enterprises and locked in a wall safe the DVD Fondaras gave him upon leaving the ship.

He fixed himself a drink, finished it and fixed himself another.

He walked the few steps to his desk and sat. He stared at the glittering facade of the Redman International Building and sipped.

He waited.

The knock came at twelve-thirty. Ryan glanced at his watch. It was about time Spocatti showed. Louis hadn’t seen or heard from him all day.

“Come in,” he called.

The door swung open and Spocatti stepped inside. He approached Louis’ desk.

During the weeks they had come to know each other, a deep respect had grown between the two men. While Louis admired Spocatti’s mind and intellect, Spocatti felt a strong sense of camaraderie toward Louis. As far as he was concerned, anyone who could make his own son believe that a person by the name of Stephano Santiago actually existed deserved respect.

“I assume everything went well,” Louis said.

Spocatti stopped fifteen feet before reaching Louis’ desk. Instinct made him move left while he stared at the floor-to-ceiling windows behind Ryan.

“There were a few problems,” he said. “And I’ll tell you about them when you either move away from the windows, or close the drapes.”

Louis wrinkled his brow. “You think I’m at risk?’

“Anyone who has wealth and power is at risk, Louis. Especially those as hated as you. Why open yourself to a potential sniper when you can prevent it?”

“Because I happen to like the view,” Louis said, but he opened a desk drawer and flipped a switch, anyway. The curtains whispered shut. “Now that I’m safe from predators, tell me what happened.”

“Cain and his men are dead.”

Louis sat motionless. Vincent told him everything--about the chase, the cab driver, Michael’s manuscript, the fire.

“Michael had a gun?”

“Hidden beneath his bed.”

“And he shot Cain?”

“He killed Cain--at the same moment I killed the man who was blocking the doorway to his apartment. I told you we couldn’t trust Cain, Louis. I warned you not to use him. The man made his own rules, would kill for the hell of it. If I hadn’t gone on a hunch to Michael’s apartment, your son would be dead. I saved his life after Cain burned the manuscript Michael was working on. By the time I reached him, the apartment was in flames and Michael had passed out from the smoke in the room. I had to carry him out of the building.”

Things were moving too quickly. Louis only hired Cain to frighten Michael, to strengthen his belief in a man called Stephano Santiago. None of this was supposed to have happened.

“Did anyone see you carry him out of the building?”

“Lot’s of people saw me. Some wanted to help.”

“Did anyone recognize Michael?”

“I can’t be sure of that. There was too much confusion.”

“Where did you bring him?”

“To my apartment. I tried to reach you but you were out. Where were you tonight?”

“Doesn’t matter. How long did Michael stay with you?”

“Until his lungs cleared.

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