Page 114 of Tristano

“I love you.”

I can hear the smile in his voice. “Love you too. Be safe.”

After we hang up, I grab my wallet, shoving it into my jeans, before grabbing the house key and locking everything up. I go back to the garage, using the code he gave me when I moved in. The door opens, revealing a pretty red Chevy Camaro.

I’ve only ever seen him in his black, nondescript SUV, so seeing this makes me smile. It fits his personality much better. I can see why he doesn’t use it for work though.

Sliding inside, I inhale, loving that it smells slightly of the cologne that Tris uses. It makes me feel like he’s with me.

Setting off to Jersey City, I turn the radio on, smiling when it’s set to the Top Forty playlist station. It’s an hour drive, but when I finally pull up outside Goodie’s, I’m ready. The entire drive, I gave myself a pep talk about how this is going to go. I’ll give him some information, but not tell him how I know it. I’ll make sure to protect the family at all costs, but also try and get more eyes out there. I won’t let Uncle Ben talk down to me either. The second he does, I’m gone.

With this in mind, I get out and head inside. He’s already waiting at the back booth with a cup of coffee in his hands. When I approach, he stands, pulling me in for a hug.

“Missed you. Brooklyn life seems to be treating you well,” he says as he lets me go.

I give him a small smile. “I like it. It’s different.”

“What are you doing for work?”

I grit my teeth at that question. Of course he’d ask that. He knows damn well I’m not working as a cop.

“That’s not what we are here to talk about. So how can I help you?”

“You’re right. It’s none of my business. I felt bad after you left, so I started looking into those missing girls like you asked.”

I want to tell him I didn’t leave. He fired me, but it’s not important now. The girls are.

“What did you find?”

“You’re right. It seems like there is a pattern. Mostly working girls, but some are middle class as well. Never upper class. They aren’t being held for ransom. It’s like they are there one day and gone the next.”

Is this how slow police work has always been? I’ve been gone weeks, and he’s just now only figured out what I already knew when I left?

Maybe being a cop isn’t for me. Seeing how fast the Mafia world moves, I think I’d be better served there.

“That’s about what I found out too,” I admit.

“I know. I read the notes you left for me.”

That irks me even more. So he did read my notes, yet still hasn’t progressed? Why am I even here?

Shaking my head, I move to stand. “That’s all I know. I really don’t know why you called. I don’t think I can help you anymore.”

“You’re just going to leave?”

The indignation in his tone tells me I’m making the right decision. I should have never come out here.

“I can’t add anything valuable to this case for you. You’ve always said that your time is precious,” I spit out bitterly. “I’d hate to waste it.”

As I’m about to leave, his phone rings. He answers it, looking over at me.

“Yeah? Okay. I’ll be right there.” He hangs up as he stands.

“You’re right. I didn’t call about the case itself. I need your help talking to the working girls. They trust you. One of them in particular has some information, but she says she will only talk to you. Meredith?”

My heart pounds in my chest. Why wouldn’t she have called Tris? Maybe she called Ricky, and that’s who told Uncle Ben. Uncle Ben most likely told him he was meeting me, so that would make sense. Besides, I don’t think Ricky has my new number.

I feel like shit when I realize I haven’t even checked on him or Meredith once since I left Jersey City. It’s like they ceased to exist for me.

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