Scavenger Hunt by Dani Lamia

Author:Dani Lamia [Lamia, Dani]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Level 4 Press, Inc.
Published: 2020-03-26T18:30:00+00:00

20

“I have news about Henley in China,” Pez says, finishing his phone call. “It comes too late, I am aware. But it might explain what we are dealing with. I’m not sure. I don’t know much about Playqueen yet, but it may come as no surprise to you that Playqueen is only accidentally successful. It was created as a laundromat for some New Orleans Sicilians, as a present to the daughter of someone quite family oriented. She turned out to be unexpectedly good at designing games. Some say that Playqueen has been intentionally tanking itself for years, despite quality product.”

“That does come as a bit of a surprise,” I say, glancing up, where on the floor above the acquisition is being finalized. Perhaps it will be possible to get this young Southern-Sicilian games girl genius to work for me after I take over her company.

“Anyway, the big news is about Henley and China,” says Pez.

He stops, tentative.

“How are you doing, by the way? You don’t look so good. I don’t expect you to look good, but you look terrible. Are you eating?”

“No less than usual,” I say.

“I want to see you eat something,” says Pez. “It will do my heart good.”

I call Peter and ask him to go upstairs to get us salmon, bagels, and cream cheese.

“So listen, I was able to get in touch with Henley’s latest ex-girlfriend, Sheila,” he says. “I was correct that he has been seeing her while he has been back in town. She was devastated when I told her that he was dead and she wouldn’t even believe me until she saw the Post online. I promised her that she would be compensated for her trouble if she told me what she knows. She needs some cash. Henley has been paying her rent and now she doesn’t know where she will go and what she will do.”

“I’ll make sure that she is taken care of,” I say. Just then my phone rings. “Excuse me for a moment.”

I take an emergency call about Playqueen. Our bagels and cream cheese arrive while I’m handling a decision about assets. After it’s settled, I hang up and stare at my bagel, while Pez stares at me staring at my bagel. Dutifully, I take a big bite, squirting some cream cheese down my chin. I wipe it off, lick my finger, and chew, actually enjoying it. My stomach grumbles and I realize that Pez is right: I do need to eat. Also, my hangover is fading, which means it’s probably time to get drunk again. I walk over to the sideboard and pour myself a bourbon on ice.

“None for me, thanks,” says Pez.

“So what did she tell you?” I ask. “Is the Chinese government murdering my family because of something Henley did?”

“Henley definitely got in trouble in China, but it wasn’t with the Chinese,” says Pez. “It was with plain old, boring, basic Americans. Midwesterners, actually, the most brutal and resentful people. He fell in with a bunch of small-time importer/exporters from Michigan who became his drinking and carousing buddies.

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