Page 98 of Taste of Blood
“That’s not–” he starts to snap, then takes a deep breath and composes himself. “That’s not why I needed to talk to you. The addresses really don’t do us much good. One is a house in the Hamptons and the other an apartment on Park Avenue. I doubt either are being used as a headquarters.”
No, he’s right about that. “I’m sensing there’s more?”
He sits forward, his eyes holding mine. “There’s a black tie event coming up next week, something for the Arts Council. Every mover and shaker in town will be there, which means someone like Thalium will likely make an appearance.”
“And how does that help me? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not part of the one percent club.”
“No, but I am, and I was hoping you’d come as my plus one.”
I stare at him for a minute, trying to determine if he’s serious. Me, at a black tie event? “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“No, I’m not. Come on, Cord, this could be the only chance you’ll get to see the Python up close.”
I hold up my hands. “Slow down. First of all, how do you even know he’s going to be there?”
“Elaine is working on getting the guest list as we speak.”
I consider that. So, what if Thalium is there and what if he is, in fact, the Python? I can’t exactly capture him in a room full of people.
And let’s face it, what good does it do to find him if I can’t capture him? Otherwise he’ll just slip back into whatever privileged hole he crawled out of.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Asher says.
“I doubt it.”
“You want to grab him.”
“Okay, so you do know.”
“What if, for right now, you just get a good look at him? Maybe talk to him, feel him out?”
“And how would that go? ‘Nice to meet you, Mr. Thalium, and hey, by the way, are you the asshole creating Outliers who are trying to take over the city?’ Yeah, that should go well.”
“I was actually hoping you’d be a little more tactful.”
“This is me, Asher. I’m not tactful. And I’m sure as hell not black tie material. Something I thought you would know.”
“God damn it, Cord!” He stands up and starts pacing the room. “Can’t you just, for one night, pretend to be something you’re not? For the good of all of us?”
His outburst surprises me. I’d almost forgotten what Asher’s anger looks like, though I guess I shouldn’t have. I’ve seen it enough in the past.
He stops and takes a deep breath, reining it in before rounding the couch and kneeling in front of me, his voice once again the calm Asher I’ve seen since we reconnected.
“I know this isn’t your kind of event. And I swear I would never put you in a position to feel uncomfortable or out of place, but this may be our only chance to get up close and personal with this guy. Maybe he’s not the Python. Maybe his company name and the fact that he owns O’Hara’s is just a really big coincidence. But we won’t know that unless we stand in front of him and look him in the eye. You’re a great judge of character. Surely you would be able to see through whatever bullshit he’s handing out.”
Leave it to Asher to make me feel like a child. He always seems to have a knack for being the adult in the room.
What pisses me off, though, is he’s right. We may not have another chance to confront Thalium. And his guard will be down at an event like this, since he’s not expecting anyone to know his true identity.
“You really think I could pull this off?”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.”
Me, at a black tie event? I can’t even remember the last time I dressed up. “I don’t own a suit.”
“I’ll get you one. Does that mean you’ll do it?”
I blow out a sigh. “If Elaine finds out he’s going to be there, I’ll go. But don’t expect me to schmooze these assholes.”
