The Assistant Who Took the Board After the King Discarded Her
“Julian,” I said.
A low, dry chuckle came through the small speaker.
“You always did have an ear for voices,” Julian Maroni said.
I walked back to the kitchen window, watching the gray waves crash against the black rocks of the cove.
“How did you get this number?” I asked.
“I paid a boy in Gregory’s crew,” Julian said. “The same boy who watched Gregory panic when he realized the safe deposit keys were gone.”
“Gregory was never meant for logistics,” I said.
“Arthur is throwing glasses at the walls,” Julian said. “He broke a mahogany sideboard this morning.”
I pictured the study in the Costello estate, the expensive wood splintering under Arthur’s temper.
“That sideboard was an antique,” I said.
“He doesn’t care about antiques right now,” Julian said. “He cares about the port authority. The shipping manifests are locked in that box.”
“I know,” I said.
“The customs agents are asking questions, Clara. Arthur tried to pay them off, but he sent Gregory with a suitcase of cash to the wrong dock.”
I rubbed my temple, feeling the familiar headache starting at the base of my skull.