Page 10 of Tell Me Why
“What’s the message?” Tell asked. Andrew shook his head.
“When you find her. Not before.”
“I’m not much for messenger boy,” Tell said. “I’m not hunting down a woman who is arguably as powerful as I am so that Keon can jerk on her chain and call her home. Not interested.”
“You owe him,” Andrew said.
“You authorized to call that in?” Tell answered, and Andrew shook his head.
“Old debts die harder than old habits,” he said. “Youowehim. He wants to know she’s alive.”
“Why do you think she wouldn’t be?” Tell asked.
Andrew looked at Hunter like he wished the man wasn’t there. Hunter looked quite pleased that he was, if only because it made Andrew uncomfortable.
“Because she’s chasing something,” Andrew said. “She’s bored, and she’s looking to get in over her head. And whatever you think of Keon, he still cares about her and hewantsto know she’s alive and to get a chance to tell her something he didn’t say before she left.”
“If she doesn’t want to speak to him, I walk,” Tell said. “And Keon doesn’t come breathing down my neck the next time he needs an errand boy on the wrong side of the Atlantic.”
“They were good times,” Andrew said, and Tell nodded.
“Some of them. I don’t like people calling debts withoutcallingthem. I don’t show up at the bell.”
He looked at Tina, and then so did Andrew.
“She’ll go?” Andrew asked.
“She’ll go,” Tell said.
“No one else is going to find her,” Andrew said. Tell laughed.
“Oh, I’m well aware.”
“She wouldn’t let anyone else close,” Andrew said, and Tell nodded.
“I know her well enough,” he said.
Andrew looked from Tell to Hunter, only just glancing at Tina on the way by.
“No one knows she’s here,” he said.
“I understand,” Tell said.
Andrew stood and Hunter let him out, sitting back down as a woman came by, unloading three drinks from a tray and going on.
Human.
Tina wondered what it would be like, to work in a place like this as a human, but let the thought go as Hunter leaned out on his elbows to talk to Tell.
“I count six,” he said, and Tell nodded.
“I was at five, but I see the one you edged in,” he answered, picking up his drink and sipping it.
Hunter sucked his lips and looked around the room again, his head low.
“I’ve got half a mind to just go wait out back for them to think they’ve found their window on you,” he said.
“Amusing,” Tell said, “but I have work to do. Thank you for being here.”
