Publish and Perish by Phillipa Bornikova

Author:Phillipa Bornikova
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

13

It was pushing ten p.m. before Yuri (I was getting to know so many taxi drivers) and I reached John’s apartment. I rang the bell. The door flew open.

“I’ve been calling and calling. Why didn’t you pick up?” he demanded.

“Long story,” I said wearily. “Right now I need you to pay the nice man and then give me a ride back to my friend’s apartment and make sure I’m not being followed.”

“Why? What’s happened?”

“First pay Yuri.”

“How much?” John asked. The taxi driver told him, and John, grumbling, pulled out his wallet and thumbed through a wad of cash.

Yuri made a big point of counting them. I supposed I couldn’t blame him. Neither John nor I were likely to inspire much confidence. After the door closed behind the Russian’s broad back John bent a frown on me.

“All right, talk. What happened?”

“First there was the train and then a vampire happened.” I sat down on the couch, and Gadzooks landed in my lap. The warm, furry, purring bundle pressed against my stomach eased the knot of tension as I told John everything. I concluded by saying, “I’m broke, I’m tired, and I’m starving. I don’t have the skills to make sure I don’t bring trouble back home to Ray and Gregory, so are you going to help me or not? Or do I call Detective Washington?”

“Of course I’ll take you.”

It was a short walk to the garage. I slid into the passenger seat, and then did a face palm. John reacted. “What? What’s wrong now?”

“I busted out a window at the office building to get to the fire escape, and the office is unlocked. Well, the fire escape ladder is broken too, so maybe nobody can get in and rob us, but maybe I should tell Syd. May I use your phone?” He handed it over. “I hate to call this late. Wish I knew the name of the building management company.”

“You can be rude or get robbed. Take your pick,” John said in that cold way that I was trying to wrap my head around and accept.

“Good point. And we have clients’ confidential information on file.” I gave a sigh and rang Syd at home. It went to voice mail. “You’ve reached the after-hours number for Syd Finkelstein, attorney at law. If you need a bail bondsman call Harvey Richard.” The number was provided. “If you’ve been in an accident and need to reach me right away press one.”

I pressed one and Syd answered on the first ring. “Syd Finkelstein.”

“It’s Linnet.”

“You okay?”

“Not really.” I gave him the Reader’s Digest version then said, “So we need to inform the management company and get that window and the fire escape fixed.” I paused and sighed. “And Syd, I’m really sorry. My brother calls me a chaos magnet and I guess that’s true. If you want me out of the office suite I’ll understand.”

“Don’t be an idiot. We’ve been in the trenches together. You just stay safe. I’ll take care of the building.”

“Okay, thanks.”

That’s when I noticed we weren’t heading toward the southern tip of Manhattan but rather driving north.

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