Page 56 of Look for Me

“Martin.”

“Martin?” His fellow prisoner cursed and started to yell. “That twisted Nikos puts two exes in the same cell.”

“What? What exes?”

“Gail.” The answer was almost a whisper, but Martin heard it.

Gail, also known as Dinah, also known as Corinne?

“You’re Dahlia’s dad.” Martin still couldn’t piece the whole puzzle together, but that much, he could guess.

“Yes. And you’re the old boyfriend from back east, the reason Gail wouldn’t marry me.” There was no bitterness in Flavian’s voice, as if he had resigned to his place.

“What?” Martin didn’t want to presume anything beyond his own thoughts.

“She said she can’t commit. Then she ghosted me.” Flavian laughed.

“She ghosted me too,” Martin said before he realized he might have spoken too much.

“But we both found her.”

“Presumably.”

“Ah, a philosopher in our midst.”

“She might run again,” Martin explained.

“Not from this island, she can’t. Nikos will make sure of it.”

“We have to get out of here.” Martin touched the floor around him to see if he could find a wall. There was gunk on the floor. He wiped his palm on his pants and decided to wait until morning toexplore. “What does Nikos want?”

“My diamonds. My business. My family. My daughter.”

“Diamonds?” This story was getting more bizarre day after day to Martin.

“You shouldn’t have gone to Key Largo. Why couldn’t you let her be?” Flavian’s voice tapered off. It seemed like he wanted to be angry with Martin, but he’d rather have the company.

“You said Key Largo. You knew where she is.” Martin assumed they were both talking about the same woman.

Flavian didn’t answer him.

“Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Your men?” Martin asked.

“Who?”

“Two big guys. Not quite sumo wrestlers.”

“Ah. Slam and Slime.”

“Did they sell you out?” Martin asked.

“That’s a lie.”

Martin told him about looking for Slam and Slime at the club and getting abducted. Martin didn’t mention Agent Tanaka. He decided to hold some cards for later use. “Somehow I woke up here.”

“Doesn’t mean my men turned. Maybe Nikos had his men follow you.” Flavian snickered. “Who are you? A PI or something?”

“Nope. I restore classic and muscle cars.”

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