Leo. I need to find Leo. I need to know nothing bad has happened to him, that he hasn’t disappeared just like…
I stop as I catch a glimpse of him in the kitchen wearing the same apron I wore yesterday. He sings along to the tune drifting from the speakers of his laptop as he cracks an egg over a pan.
I hold my hand against my chest as I breathe out a sigh of relief.
Leo’s here. He’s in the kitchen just as I thought. Good.
I go back to the room more slowly and crawl back into bed. I lie still as I wait for my heartbeat to slow down.
What was up with that? One moment, I was in heaven and the next, I was in hell. Why did I panic? Why was I so scared to lose Leo?
As I turn on my side to hug a pillow, my gaze falls on the bedside table, particularly on the leather necklace. The same one Antonio had except for the pendant. I reach for it and hold the silver ‘L’ between my fingers.
Leo isn’t Antonio. I know that even more now. So why am I scared that he’ll end up vanishing without saying goodbye just like his brother?
The door, which I’ve left slightly open, creaks. I quickly put the necklace back on the nightstand and turn away.
“Jodie?” I hear Leo enter the room. “I thought you’d be awake by now.”
“I am,” I say without glancing over my shoulder. “I just don’t think I can get out of bed yet.”
“Are you okay?” I hear the concern in his voice.
“Yeah. Just tired.”
How is he not tired after all that?
“Eating breakfast might help you get some of your strength back,” Leo tells me. “I made bacon and eggs. I sliced some fruit, too. Do you want me to bring you a plate here?”
“No.” I finally meet his gaze. “I might just get the sheets dirty.”
He grins. “Isn’t it too late to worry about that?”
I blush and turn away.
“I’ll eat in the dining room,” I tell him. “But I want to get a shower first. You can eat ahead.”
“Sure?”
“Yeah.”
I hear his footsteps depart. Then they stop. Why? What’s he doing? Is he staring at me?
“You don’t want company in the shower?” Leo asks.
I snort. “No, thanks.”
That would just defeat the purpose of the shower. Besides, I’m exhausted enough.
Leo chuckles. “Okay then.”
He leaves. I hug my pillow tighter.
I told Leo I was going to take a shower, but the truth is I suddenly want to go back to sleep. Maybe then I could wake up all over again and this time, hold on to the good mood. Maybe I’d feel less sore all over, too.
I let out a sigh and close my eyes.
Just a little more.
~
I end up sleeping most of the day. By the time I finally meet that plate of bacon, eggs and fruit Leo prepared for breakfast, it’s way past noon. The strips of bacon have lost their crunch and gone greasy. The apple slices have started to turn brown. I decide to skip it entirely and go for the other plate on the table, which has a pair of paninis – chicken with cheese and cucumbers from the looks of it. I’m guessing Leo made them for lunch.
I caught a glimpse of him working in another room on my way to the kitchen. He seemed busy, so I decided not to bother him. I should get busy, too. I’ve already lost several hours.
After eating, I go to my room. I stare at the numbers my father left me and at the screen of my new laptop, trying to come up with a new lead in the case of my father’s murder. As much as I rack my brains, I come up blank. I’ve never handled a case like this before, after all.
I think of calling Gladys to ask for help. But I already asked her to help me get those court documents. I don’t want to drag her even more into this mess. What about another lawyer? What about a friend of my dad? Someone other than Victor, obviously.
The thought of him reminds me of my father’s casebook. How could I have forgotten about that?
I get it out of my purse and read it now, hoping that it might offer me a clue.
Surely, my dad wouldn’t leave me with just a number. There must be something else I’m missing, something he’s counting on me to figure out.
Just as I thought, the pages are mostly filled with notes about various court personalities and cases, not just his. Murder cases. Cases of extortion and sabotage. Insider trading. Defamation. Theft. Some of them are big cases I’ve heard of before. Then there are the ones I never knew existed, like this one about a murder in a warehouse owned by a big company that manufactures computer hardware. It was probably hushed up so the company wouldn’t have to deal with the bad publicity. Nothing new.