Page 35 of Double Edged Hearts
Chapter Nine
Cora
“How’ve you been?” Richard asks with a wide smile on his face.
“I’m okay,” I answer.
Returning the smile I lower to sit across from him resting my hands on the dinner table.
His eyes twinkle and he looks pleased that I’m okay, but I know he’s been holding off on asking me the real question he wants to ask about Alex.
There’s a feast before us of honey roasted chicken and an assortment of roast vegetables. In the kitchen is a cinnamon infused apple pie. Unlike last week, he invited me to the apartment he’s been staying at and cooked a meal like he did in the past.
It feels nice to sit here with him, just the two of us. Even if I know he has questions for me on a very sensitive subject.
“You have that look about you,” Richard states. “What your mother would call a dull aura.” He waves his hand over me and I chuckle.
I know what he means. He’s probably right. I remember Mom saying things like that. She talked about auras and positivity. I agree that mine is probably dull today. It’s been that way for the last few days. Since I last saw Alex. I just can’t shake that last meeting out of my head. It was the way he looked, what he said, and what he didn’t say.
“I’m just tired,” I reply, which isn’t far from the truth. “We’re still no closer than we were days ago in the investigation.”
“Let’s not worry about that tonight.”
“No work at the dinner table,” I fill in and he nods.
“Exactly,” he answers, serving me a good helping of mashed potatoes.
“Thank you.”
He serves himself next and sets the bowl down to cut the chicken.
“Tonight is about us. We catch up over a homemade dinner and forget about the stress and worries. That said if you have anything pressing on your mind, I’m all ears as usual.” He nods and starts setting down slices of chicken on my plate.
The gesture reminds me of that time after my parents deaths and I could barely eat. I lost so much weight and got so weak at one point I was hospitalized. I collapsed at school and had to stay in the hospital for a week. When I got back Richard took it upon himself to nurse me back to health feeding me when he had to.
“Thank you, and thanks for being there too. I appreciate you, and… all you’ve done for me,” I tell him.
He straightens and rolls the sleeves up on his jumper. “You know you don’t have to thank me for being there, Cora. I was always going to be there for you. Your mother was very dear to me and you are too.”
“Thank you. I have to say it. It’s all I can say. God knows what would have happened to me if not for you.”
His hands still by his fork and he stares at me. “I’m just glad I could help. Sorry I had to be harsher in some respects. Cora… I have to ask you something that’s bothering me, worrying me even.”
Although I have a pretty good idea what he wants to ask me I feign innocence. “What’s worrying you?”
“You being here in Chicago. I’m not talking about Matvey and the danger the investigation presents. I mean just Chicago in general. To my knowledge you haven’t been back here since… um that day I told you what happened to your parents,” he explains and steeples his fingers.
“I haven’t been back since then.”
“I’m aware that when you left, you just left. You never really spoke to your…friend.” He says the word friend tentatively and raises a brow. He’s talking about Alex. Richard always referred to him asmy friend.
“I didn’t. But I’m sure my absence spoke for itself.”
He looks me over, contemplating. “Have you seen him at all? I mean since coming back?”
My pulse quickens and I try to steady my breath. If it’s one thing I loathe it’s lies, but sometimes there’s no choice but to lie. This is one of those times.
“I haven’t seen him.”
