The Fallen of Foulweather Bluff (A Thomas Austin Crime Thriller Book 3) by D.D. Black

Author:D.D. Black [Black, D.D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Darkness and Light Publishing
Published: 2022-12-09T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Austin’s phone vibrated on the table and he picked it up, surprised and intrigued. “Sy, to what do I owe this unexpected call?”

“Will you have dinner with me tonight?”

Austin surveyed the landscape of Chinese takeout food spread over the conference table. In the corner, Jimmy was using a fork to pick the beef out of a noodle dish, careful to avoid too many carbs, while Lucy and Samantha passed containers back and forth. Run stared up at them, waiting for scraps.

“Dinner tonight doesn’t work,” he said. “What’s this about?”

“Can’t a girl ask a guy to dinner anymore without getting the third degree?”

Austin walked into the hallway to avoid the prying eyes of the others. “You’re asking me out on a date, or to talk business? I mean, the way you shut down Ridley made me think I’d never hear from you again.” He’d almost said “see you again,” but that made him think about his shenanigans in the woods, which he was still embarrassed about.

“It’s not a date,” she said. “And it’s not business. It’s a little of both.”

Austin considered this. But before he could respond, she said, “C’mon, there’s an Italian place near my house that’ll put your best culinary efforts to shame.”

“That sounds like a challenge. But really, I’m about to eat, and I’m working.”

“Working on the case you’re not supposed to be working on?”

Austin paced the hallway. “I’m not at liberty to say.”

He found himself skeptical of her every word, but if she was working some angle, for the life of him he couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Fine,” she said. “Make me a counter offer.”

“Breakfast, my café. Tomorrow at eight.” The words came out before he knew what he was saying.

“I’ll be there.”

She ended the call and Austin made his way back into the conference room. He could tell the three of them had been discussing him by the way they all went silent as soon as he walked in.

Samantha laughed. “You know how thin these walls are, New York?”

“Was that Sy?” Lucy demanded.

“Please tell me that was Sy,” Jimmy said, a wide grin across her face. “I’ve never met her, but I Googled her and—”

Lucy tossed a balled up napkin at his head. “You really don’t want to finish that sentence.”

Jimmy raised his palms defensively. “I was going to say she strikes me as an intelligent, caring, professional woman.”

“That was Sy,” Austin admitted. “I’m having breakfast with her tomorrow. I can’t figure out what’s going on, but I’m fairly sure she’s not coming just to try our new breakfast sandwich.”

Austin’s phone vibrated again, but this time it was a number he didn’t recognize. “Hello?”

“Uhh, is this, um… Thomas something… Thomas, uhh, Austin?” The voice was a man’s, and it was shaky, uncertain. But it was also familiar.

“It is.”

“This is Jack Hammeron, Junior. I met you the other day at Maria Del Guado’s house.”

Austin waved a hand to quiet down the others, who still seemed to be having a laugh at his expense.

“Hammer Junior,” Austin said.

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