Today's Reading
It's a winding, circuitous route, and they do it on their hands and knees. Thirty feet in, they find a metal ladder, leading upward. Cat takes the lead. She's quick and sure-footed. The non-professor goes next.
Jamison pauses to slide Dez's gun into his belt, freeing his hand, then he climbs as well. Dez on his six. Jamison's jacket catches on a rung at one point, costing them about five seconds.
By the time Jamison and Dez get to the roof, the two thieves are long gone.
Jamison checks his phone. "I've a signal." He starts dialing. "We're assuming the welcoming committee represents an organization making its piles pushing opioids in Europe?"
"Seems likely, aye," Dez says. He walks to the edge of the building near the metal ladder and peers over. No sign of the thieves. "Appears organized crime bought the cock-an'-bull story about the professor's ingenious discovery."
Jamison presses a series of buttons on his phone. "SOS. We'll have backup here within minutes." He looks up, smiling ruefully. "His majesty's government bought the cock-and-bull story, too, Dez. We're as gullible as the bad guys."
Dez glances down behind an air-conditioning unit and spots Cat. She's seated, legs drawn up against her chest, arms wrapped around her knees. She looks up into his eyes.
Jamison sighs. "Our thieves will be far away before the cavalry arrives, I assume."
"Oh, aye," Dez says, and winks at Cat. She blinks in surprise. Dez puts a vertical finger to his lips, turns, and saunters back toward Jamison. "They got away with naught, though. Not much point in pursuin' them."
"Agreed. Besides which, there are still two gentlemen in the lobby with HKs."
"I'm betting a few survived in the corridor, too. Best to stay up here. Wait for the cavalry."
Jamison finds a cigarette pack and a lighter. "You saved my life, Mr. Limerick."
"Which means you're buyin' the first round, squire."
"Quite. You were very calm back there. Methodical. Do you do this a lot? Tangle with armed gangs?"
"Me?" Dez laughs. "'Course not! I'm the peaceable type. I never go lookin' for trouble."
EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER.
TODAY. NEW YORK CITY.
Catalina Valdivia has made herself a scalding hot café con leche and is carefully poring over every bit of information she can garner about the new Liberty Convention Center. Every exhibitor, performer, contractor, staffer, and all of the administrative crew. She examines the upcoming schedule the way a forensic surgeon studies a CT scan. She keeps notes and cross-references them.
Three cups of coffee on, she spots a band that will be performing that weekend at The Liberty, as an opening act for a much more famous performer. She gasps, her mahogany eyes go wide.
Mouth agape, she reaches for her phone.
"Hey. It's Cat....You will never guess who I found....
Remember me telling you about a Dez Limerick?"
CHAPTER ONE
YESTERDAY
Dez is breaking fast at a little diner in Portland, Oregon, when a text lights up his phone.
Disaster! Big big big show Tuesday! In Newark. Bassist has covid. BEGGING for your help. KJack
Dez grins around a mouthful of bangers and scrambled eggs. It's Monday, and he's a continent away from New Jersey.
He's only been retired and living in the States since the start of the year and spent some of that time in Los Angeles, picking up musical gigs where he could as a bass player and pianist. He did a couple three shows backing up vocalist Jack O'Herlihy and his band, Kansas Jack and the Blacktop. The band—bigger than most, with keyboards, strings, percussion, and a horn section—covers a lot of classic rock 'n' roll from the fifties and sixties, focusing on rockabilly standards. The band is fun and the sound is a bit outside
Dez's wheelhouse, especially when he's asked to provide background vocals. It makes for a decent challenge. He quite enjoyed those gigs.
He also has nothing else on his schedule. He gulps down some coffee and responds.
Set me up with place to stay, I'm in.
By the time Dez is paying the bill, his phone chirps again.
Could kiss you!
Dez types back:
Please don't.
This excerpt ends on page 14 of the hardcover edition.
Monday, May 12th, we begin the book The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha.
...
