Page 56 of Back Room Host

The landlord? Who lives with the landlord? I thought he was …

Shortly after, a man in a suit and tie entered the apartment. “Smells good in here,” he said, entering without looking up and carefully sifting through the mail.

It felt like the blood in my veins turned to ice.No, this can’t be.

“Hello, Hector,” Luca greeted, turning on the coffee machine.

Hector?

No!

I froze. And as the man lifted his head, he seemed to have a similar reaction. Without a doubt. It was him. Hector Lando. One of my regular clients. My heart skipped a beat and then raced away.

“Holy …” was all Hector managed to say. A few pieces of mail fell from the stack, but he didn’t seem to notice anymore. He stood like a statue, motionless and without breathing.

“This is the guy I told you about,” Luca said from the kitchen. “The one with the twisted ankle. Juri. This is Hector.”

If I could, I would have run away on the spot. This was so …fuck!And Hector was still standing there, now with his mouth open, staring straight through me.

“Uh, do you both know each other?” I heard Luca’s voice from afar.

Get it together!I screamed at myself.

I swallowed and lightly shook my head. “No,” I replied, knowing it was the right answer. Hector closed his mouth again, mustering a smile. “I don’t think so,” I added. The events of those frozen seconds were too obvious to ignore.

“I thought so,” Hector replied, coaxing a smile out of me. Obviously, he was a lousy actor. “But I must have been mistaken,” he continued dryly. “Hello, nice to meet you.”

He took two big steps toward the sofa and reached out his hand to me. I was just glad I was sitting with my back to Luca and he couldn’t see my face. My emotions and feelings wereoverwhelming, and I had no idea what impression that would have made on him. Hector knew me well enough and gave me a gentle smile to let me know it was okay. I shook his hand and acted like we hadn’t known each other for four years already. His body warmth was comforting to me. And as he nodded at me, it had a calming effect.

“You really took a hit,” he said with his deep voice, letting go of me.

I pressed my lips together and nodded. The moment we looked at each other lasted a bit too long, but I had no idea how to break it. Gradually, my pulse slowed down again. Understanding what this man was involved in, the secrets he held, and knowing he was a decent guy, brought me a sense of calm.

“I hope Luca’s taking good care of you.” Hector picked up the dropped mail from the ground and nodded toward the kitchen.

“Yeah,” I finally managed to say. “He’s making an effort.”

My voice was quiet, barely audible enough for Luca to hear me. I noticed how Hector scanned my body, specifically as his eyes lingered on my foot and sprained hand. Then he shook his head in disbelief.

“If you need anything, call me.”

I actually had his number, but he was quick-thinking. He pulled a business card from the inner pocket of his jacket and handed it to me.

“He’s not lacking anything,” Luca said, sitting down with a coffee on the couch. “Are you staying here tonight?”

Hector glanced around the living room, appearing distracted, which was unusual for him. “I won’t stay long. We’re going to the mountains for a few days tomorrow, so I wanted to grab a few files.” And with that, he rushed off toward the dim hallway.

“He’s quite nice,” Luca said, taking a sip of his coffee. “He has two kids and a wife. He lives outside of Zurich in the countrysidebut still has his own bedroom and office here. In my opinion, he works a bit too much, but as far as I know, he’s also very successful at what he does. He’s a lawyer.”

“Hm …” I just made a sound, trying not to let on how much this encounter had unsettled me.

Shit, man! Hector is Luca’s landlord! Fuck!

I was also puzzled by Luca. Was he really so oblivious? Or did he just not want to see it? The situation just now had been so damn obvious.Has he seriously not figured out yet how I make my money?

Luca finished his coffee, and after placing the cup in the kitchen, he disappeared into the bathroom. Just as Hector returned with a leather bag, Luca closed the door behind him. Hector approached the couch, set the bag on the armrest, and looked at me seriously.

“Does he know anything?” he asked, almost panicked.

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