Chapter 44

Bay grinned when Dirk came into the kitchen. “I knew that would be big on you, but damn.”

“So I’m a slender guy and you’re a big burly one. Shoot me,” Dirk replied, gravitating to the coffeemaker.

* * * *

While Bay and Dirk were eating breakfast, Felan was standing in the entryway to Nina’s apartment building. His finger hovered over the button for her buzzer. Don’t chicken out now. He pushed it, hoping he wasn’t waking her.

A sleepy voice said, after a brief wait, “Who?”

Felan resisted asking if she’d turned into an owl, just telling her it was him.

“Damn, Felan. Do you know what time it is?”

“Yep. Eleven, give or take. Never mind. I’ll come back later.”

“I’m awake now, so come on up.” The door clicked and he went into the lobby. Ahead of him was a desk with a security guard. When he told the man he was visiting Ms. Paladini, he was directed to one of the elevators. It whisked him up to the nineteenth floor.