Page 73 of Ricochet

The color drained from Silvio’s face. “Come on, Lenora.”

“I’m curious how it works.”

“You know I’mthe middle man.”

“I know,” she said coolly.

“And you are our attorney.”

“Again, I know. This means I need to understand all the moving pieces of this clusterfuck of a puzzle you’ve looped me into.”

Lenora planted like stones on the fake, peeling wood. “I’m not giving you an option to say no.”

“I can’t.”

Adelia stepped forward. “Neither am I.”

“And who are you again?”

“Someone with nothingto lose.” She grinned. “A woman who’s in a much worse position than you.”

“You look in those containers, your head gets screwed up.”

Lenora had been correct. They were moving people in the same shipping containers as Mayhem’s guns from overseas.The bastards!She just needed to know if it was true. The need to unravel how this had happened without anyone knowing nearly overpowered her. “My head’salready screwed up.”

Silvio sheepishly turned to Lenora. “I just sell the space. I don’t ask.”

“But you knew, didn’t you?”

“I don’t ask. I don’t know. I don’t do anything but book—”

“Let’s go,” Adelia snapped. That was the weakest response from a criminal she’d ever heard.

“You’re going to get me killed.”

Lenora shrugged. “Every decision has a consequence.”

“Oh, yeah?” He trembled. “Andwhat’s yours? And yours?”

“She’s already a dead lady walking, and me? My time will come eventually. But not before I get a name.”

The man shook his head. “I’ll open it up, but I have nothing to say.”

Sickened shivers rolled over her skin as he tugged on a long overcoat, leather gloves, and a scarf then stormed out his office. The dirty front door slapped behind him, all chivalrous gesturesgone.

They followed without much talk, and Silvio waited until Adelia walked out so he could lock the door.

“Other than this headache,” Lenora said as they turned to cross the pocked street, “how’s freight booking lately?”

“Peachy,” he grumbled.

“Oh, come on now. You can’t hate me for doing my job.”

He mumbled and glared.

“I have it on good authority the Niners are moving a great deal ofproduct with you.”

Silvio waggled his shoulders, clearly softened by their mutual business contacts, and Adelia was lost to the rusted-out scenery and harsh clanking sounds as they slipped into small talk.

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