Halloran looked at Lorenzo, his eyes pleading.

Lorenzo did not blink.

“Tell him to wait,” Lorenzo whispered.

“Wait there, Evan,” Halloran said, his voice cracking. “Just… give me a minute.”

“Is everything clear?” Evan asked. “Did you get the files from the study?”

Lorenzo stepped closer, the gravel crunching under his leather shoes.

He took the phone from Halloran’s hand.

He did not hang up. He simply pressed the mute button and slid the phone into his own pocket.

The headlights of the idling sedan cut through the iron bars of the gate, casting long, thin shadows across the driveway.

“Your assistant is very punctual,” Lorenzo said.

“He doesn’t know anything,” Halloran stammered, pulling his coat tighter around himself. “He just does what I tell him to do.”

“We will deal with him in a moment,” Lorenzo said.

The wind swept in from the sound, carrying the smell of salt and wet earth.

My fingers were numb inside my pockets, but I hardly felt the cold.

I kept my eyes on Halloran, waiting for him to look at me, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.