Let the Wrong Light In by Avon Gale

Author:Avon Gale [Gale, Avon]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2015-09-13T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

TWO DAYS after his conversation with Harlan, Avery stands in line for a coffee at Starbucks. In front of him are two men he recognizes as “I’ve seen you somewhere recently but nowhere fun,” which means he’s intently studying his phone while playing Candy Crush Saga and pretending not to notice them.

“I don’t know, but Benedict told me Lacroix’s on the warpath—again.”

“Oh, not again. The commission thing? Can’t he just stick to terrorizing architects?”

Avery’s ears perk up. He slides one of the candy pieces down the screen and watches as things react excitedly to his obvious genius. He moves closer to the two men as casually as he can.

“No. That one’s fine, but apparently there’s going to be some overhaul of the irrigation procedures again, because Lacroix found some theoretical reason why there should be.”

“Does he fucking dream up this shit, or what?”

Avery remembers who they are now. They’re on some architectural-design committee for the city, and he met with them briefly when they were finalizing contract issues for the Knight Performing Arts Center. They had some boring job that made Avery think about insurance and other things that incited immediate drowsiness, so he didn’t pay much attention to them.

But he has a good memory, especially for faces. And he remembers Justin that night he met him and Brandon at the bar, and what he said about Lacroix’s reputation and how he pissed off so many people by being hard to work with.

“He’d cooled it for, like, a month or two. Someone told me he was actually acting like a human being for a little while, but that must have stopped.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. Jason Robbs from Slaterly and Brown? He told me he saw Lacroix at some fancy event, and he didn’t even snap his head off like every other time Robbs tried to say hi to the guy. I mean, if I had to go to my ex-wife’s parties, I’d be pissed too. But geez.”

“Yeah, no kidding. Family holidays at that house must suck, huh?”

“Seriously. But Robbs said he about died of shock that Lacroix even remembered his name, and then he said something halfway complimentary about the Denmark Building. And that’s a contract Lacroix wanted and didn’t get.”

“And he’s back to being an ass?”

“Yup. Lacroix is on that planning and zoning committee. He called Robbs by the wrong name three times and then told him it didn’t matter what his name was, he wouldn’t be there that long anyway.”

Avery tries not to grin at that. Malin is an ass, but whatever else he is, he’s still Avery’s boss.

“Robbs said he thought maybe the guy was getting laid, but guess that was short-lived.”

Avery pokes at his phone some more and watches the candies dance in happy joy as they fall and disappear from the screen.

“Sir? Sir? Can I take your order? Sir?” There’s a giggle. “Are you playing Candy Crush Saga?”

Avery looks up and blushes hotly to see that he’s next in line, and the cute young barista is grinning at him.

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