Page 26 of Drag You Down
Yep. Gotta wrap up a case. Fucking paperwork. 8:30?
A case. That could be interesting, but if he’s wrapping it up, chances are it was actually solved. Never mind that that doesn’t mean a conviction is imminent, though.
Me
See you then.
I set my phone aside and turn back to my laptop, where my own work is waiting. The accounts I’m balancing are a mess, and no one bothered to escalate the issue to me until the tangle was beyond what standard back-office staff could handle.
Good thing I like puzzling things out.
I usually like the challenge, but tonight, my head isn’t in it.
All I can think about is Levi, my little lamb, who wanted me so desperately that it scared him away.
I glance at the box I’d given him, the watch still inside, and I scowl. I don’t understand why he didn’t take the gift. Was it too fancy? Tooworldlyfor someone obsessed with religion and a deity that’s long since abandoned him?
I know plenty of religious people who revel in luxuries.
Maybe I need to start off smaller. Would he like flowers? They wither and die so quickly, but they’re beautiful. Chocolate? He’s thin, too thin, and he could use the treats. New shoes? His had seemed battered and faded.
I doubt it would escapeFather Zachariah’snotice.
I grit my teeth, and instead of turning back to the accounts I’m meant to be sorting out, I open up a new tab on my laptop. I type in the name “Zachariah Carpenter,” but nothingimmediately stands out. That’s suspicious in and of itself, and I grab my phone to send another text to Dom.
Me
I need a favor.
Three dots immediately pop up, which tells me how involved in his paperwork he actually is.
Dom
Of course you do.
I snort.
Me
Can you run the name Zachariah Carpenter? Something related to religious activity? Probably an alias, but he receives mail under that name so there has to be something.
I add the address of the apartment complex.
If anyone can find out more about the motherfucker who took a whip to my little lamb, it would be Dominick.
Dom
Yeah. I’ll bring the file later.
Later. I don’t want it later. I want it now. I start typing again, but another message from Dom pops up.
Dom
This is related to an investment client, right?
I don’t even hesitate to lie.
Me
