Page 73 of Second Chance

“Call me Emilio.” He doesn’t sound even a little angry. Mostly, he sounds tired. “I didn’t, but I guess that’s what my wife’s murderer would say.”

Tony manages to find his voice. “You don’t seem surprised.”

“The police have been here four times in the last week. Doesn’t take a genius to know I’m the prime suspect.” Emilio rubs across his forehead. “Guess losing my temper the other day only put fuel on the fire, huh?”

The coffee machine beeps, and he turns to pour a cup. “Milk? Sugar?” he asks Tony over his shoulder.

“Milk, thanks.” Deciding there’s no way out but through, Tony adds, “I’m sorry.”

Emilio grabs the milk from the fridge and pours a splash into Tony’s mug before handing it over. “People have thought I was bad for Amy since the day I met her. What else is new?”

Colette clears her throat. “I don’t know if Amelia told you about Professor Lombardi, last year?”

“The other dead professor.” Emilio shrugs. “Sure.”

“I was arrested for his murder.” Colette says it plainly, openly, as though it’s something she talks about frequently. It isn’t. Much like the time Tony spent being forced around at gunpoint by Stacy Allan, they talk about it obliquely, if at all, in jokes and references, not in plain fact. “Wrongfully, of course.”

Emilio takes a long sip of his coffee, studying her.

“We’re here because we don’t trust the police to be fast enough for Daniel,” Colette continues. “It’s not personal.”

“Fair enough.” Emilio spreads his arms out wide. “Look around. I’m not hiding him in the closet or anything. If you have any other leads, let me know. My faith in law enforcement is reaching new lows.”

“All right.” Colette sets her purse down and walks down the hallway, opening doors as she goes.

“Seriously, feel free.” Emilio gestures at Tony to follow. “I’m past the point of being angry or insulted.”

“No kidding.” Tony rolls up the sleeves on Daniel’s UCLA sweatshirt he borrowed this morning. “You look exhausted.” He turns to the sink and starts running hot water. “Sit down, man.”

“What are you doing?” Despite the question, Emilio sits.

“Your damn dishes. It’s the least I can do for barging in here and accusing you of murder and kidnapping.”

It’s not until he turns off the tap that Tony hears Emilio’s quiet sobs.

“Your daughter’s with her grandparents?” Tony keeps his voice steady and his back turned as he starts with the cups.

“Yeah,” Emilio says, hoarse and choked, trying not to cry audibly. “For the week. Until the…until the funeral. Got a week to get my shit together and be a good dad.”

Tony hums in assent. “Sounds like you’re being a good dad to me. Might be good for her and good for you.”

“She just…won’t get it. I keep trying to tell her mom’s not coming home, but she won’t stop asking.” Emilio draws in a shuddering breath. “I lost it last night. Yelled at her that her mom is dead, and she’s not coming home, and she…she won’t look at me.”

The water is hot enough to burn on Tony’s hands. He welcomes it; he hasn’t been feeling much of anything recently.“She’s, what, five? She’ll forgive you. She’s going to need you so much.”

“Christ.” Emilio’s chair creaks. Tony chances a look over his shoulder. Emilio, head tipped up to the ceiling, takes deep breaths. “She will, won’t she.”

Tony gets through all the cereal bowls in silence. There are too many cereal bowls. He has a suspicion Fruit Loops have been easier than cooking a meal for Emilio these last few days.

“Tell me about Daniel,” Emilio demands eventually.

Tony swallows heavily. “He’s, uh… Well, he’s a literature professor at Lobell. Dean of the department since the last one turned out to be a murderess.” Tony almost leaves it there, but with Daniel gone, missing, he can’t not say what it means to him. What Daniel means to him. “He’s my…we’re partners.”

“You must be worried.”

“Yeah.”

Worried is an understatement. Tony goes out of his mind every time he manages the full thought: Daniel is missing, possibly kidnapped, possibly by the murderer. And now that he’s seen Emilio, Tony gets the feeling the police’s prime suspect is a dead end. Banking on his one and only experience meeting a murderer isn’t a solid foundation of evidence, but Tony trusts his gut, and his gut tells him Emilio had nothing to do with it. Which means he and Colette are back to square one: cold-calling a college student who won’t pick up the phone.

---