Page 106 of The Picasso Heist
“Holy shit,” he says. “When?”
“This morning.”
“How?”
Nikolov hates Lugieri. Or, rather, he hates the stranglehold Lugieri has over some New York unions.
“How is a story for another time,” I say. “But it’s like I told you—you’re not getting screwed, you’re getting a gift. Two gifts, actually. This is the first: Lugieri out of your way.”
“How do you propose to pull off the second?” he asks.
“It starts with you calling Bergamo,” I say. “You give him an Oscar-worthy performance. You’re shocked—shocked!—to learn the Picasso is a fake, and you vow to kill me.”
“Then what?”
“You kill me.”
“You mean so Elise Joyce can swoop in and save the day?”
“Exactly.”
“But you’re telling me this all in advance,” he says. “So are you working with her or against her?”
“What do you think?”
CHAPTER89
“HI, DAD.”
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too.”
“I’ve been worried about you.”
“And I’ve been worried about you. How do you feel?”
“I’m fine. All good.”
“You just looked away when you said that.”
“So?”
“So that’s the biggest tell in poker. Every time you do that, you’re trying to bluff me.”
“Nonsense. And that’s enough talk about me. Your turn. What’s new with you? How goes it in the outside world?”
“Honestly? Sometimes I think you might actually be safer in here than out there. It’s a complicated world.”
“I try not to look at the news much in here. The cinder block is depressing enough.”
“What about movies? Are you still watching a lot of those?”
“There’ll never be a better way to pass the time. Any new recommendations?”
“Well, I finally got around to watching thatYellowstoneseries. Better late than never, I figured. It got me thinking about some of Kevin Costner’s other stuff, movies he did when he was younger. I came across one I somehow missed. It’s calledRevenge.Ever see it?”
“No, I don’t think so. I must have missed it too. Who else is in it?”
