Page 64 of Chandelier Sin
And it revealed so much about the man watching me.
I turned to face him. “I heard that many of Bouguereau’s paintings are lost to history.”
“True.”
I had a sneaking suspicion that Roper had several more Bouguereau paintings stashed away in his collection. The ones that had mysteriously disappeared.
He turned and leaned against the desk. “To business.”
“Right.”
“How long have you been friends with my wife?” he asked, his gaze focusing on Schicchi biting into Capocchio’s throat.
Maybe the room would be scrubbed after my corpse was dragged off and melted down in a barrel.
What a waste of this Bulova wristwatch; a gift I’d come to cherish. My instinct had been not to tell anyone about coming here.
Fucking mistake.
I could imagine the worst with the best of them.
Casually, I tucked my hands into my pockets. “Your wife and I crossed paths at Pendulum,” I said. “I don’t know how Eve found out I’m a doctor.”
He pointed to a file on his desk. “Because of that, I assume.”
I smiled. “Ah.”
“How’s the patient?”
“He’ll live,” I said, unsure if he’d appreciate that.
“You’ve come a long way.”
“A pleasant drive.” I reached for a glass paperweight and then set it down, desperate to look inside the file.
“I hear you’re not only a talented surgeon but also talented in chambers.”
“I have tastes that can only be satisfied at Pendulum. Sophisticated needs. Chrysalis no longer serves me in that regard.”
I needed a way into the heart of Pendulum.
This man was the key.
I’d have to go all in. What else did I have to do with my spare time, other than try not to die.
His eye twitched. “What are you hoping to achieve?”
“We want the club to evolve.”
“Atticus—if I may call you that—we’ve attracted the best clientele, surpassed Chrysalis in our caliber.”
A dig at our Bel Air manor. We were more concerned about the integrity of members than their net worth.
I wanted to ask about what had happened to Ben, but I was smart enough to leave that subject alone.
“We’ll honor your VIPs’ unique requirements.” I shrugged like it was already decided.
“You were misinformed.”
