Page 40 of The Kingpin's Call Girl

“You gonna text him back anytime soon?”

“Oh. He texted?”

“He texted? Yeah, he texted. He wants to see you tonight.”

“I had my earbuds in.”

“He texted twice.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“Hold on.” I put my phone down and pull the burner phone out of the zipper pouch, and sure enough, new texts.

One text is from an hour ago. It’s a Bronx address and a string of commands.

11PM tonight. Dress nice. Wait outside.

The other text is from five minutes ago, and it’s a repeat of the first message with the words “confirm receipt.”

“I see it,” I say, gripping my phone, lost in a whirlwind of emotions.

“Are you planning on texting back? You want him to come looking for you?”

I set the phone down even as Bender’s tinny voice goes on. I need to concentrate on what to say to Luka.I decide on short and sweet.

Got it. CU then.

I pick up Bender again, pulse racing. “Done.”

“That’s an Albanian restaurant. How are you getting there?”

“Uber, I guess.”

“Hail a cab and pay cash. Have the cabbie drop you at the Concourse station. Wait for him to leave and walk a few blocks to get another cab to drop you two blocks from the restaurant. And pay with cash. Got something nice to wear?”

“I’ll have to see...”

“If you don’t have anything, reuse the dress we set you up with.”

“Okay.” I don’t tell him it’s ruined.

“I don’t have to tell you how important this is—for both of us. And your sister.”

Was that a warning?

I swallow back the dryness in my mouth. “I got it.”

“Keep your ears open like you did last time,” Bender says. “You did real well, and he has no idea, or he wouldn’t be calling you, okay?”

“But... wouldn’t he be just as likely to summon me if he got suspicious? To see who I’m working for?”

Bender laughs. “You’ve been watching too many movies. That’s not how it works. Now, in addition to keeping your ears open for any and all names, dates, and places, what is the specific critical information you’re goingto try to get?”

“I’m supposed to figure out where he’s been all these years and find out why he killed his brother.”

“Not justwhyhe killed him, but why he killed him the way he killed him. Get any of that intel, and you’ll have a lot of goodwill from me. Alot.”

“What if he wants me to turn on geolocation?”

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