Cristiano knows the best chance he has to sideline me is not to point out the danger but to prick my conscience.Fucker.It’s why we’re friends.
“I’ll be racing today. I’d rather die than live as a coward. If I can be intimidated that easily, I’m useless to anyone. They might as well just take my balls.”
He doesn’t say another word. Although I’m sure I haven’t heard the last of it.
“After I get dressed, I’m going to the track,” I tell Cristiano as I turn on the water in the shower. “On my way over, I’ll contact the head of the racing commission. He needs to know about the breach. We don’t know how widespread it might be. That place needs to be swept carefully without alarming everyone. If I call him personally, he’ll be discreet.”
“Good idea.”
“I’ll see you there.”
* * *
“Bom dia,SenhorAntonio.”
“Bom dia, Roberto. Not a cloud in the sky. Beautiful day to take this girl out for a ride.” I slide my palm over the sleek hood of the car that’s served me well for years. “Talk to me.”
He nods. “When I went home yesterday, I left my tools on the bench, nice and straight, like I always do before a race. I came in early to go over everything one more time before the crew arrived.” He points to the rolling workbench. “The bench was moved back from the car, maybe six inches from where I left it, and the tools were not lined up straight. It’s almost like someone moved the thing without unlocking the wheels, and the tools shifted. Not a big shift, but it’s not how I left them.”
“Were you the last one to leave last night?”
“Always. I locked the door and took the key with me.” He pats his pocket. “Cristiano said you’re still set on racing today.”
“I am.”
He nods with a sober expression.
“Any signs of tampering?”
“Not yet. But it’s too early to tell. I have a checklist—more thorough than the one we would normally use on race day. The crew is on their way, and we’re going to go through the car methodically. We’ll drain the fuel, replace the lubricants, and do a visual. We’ll also run some analytics.”
“If you find any problems, let Cristiano know right away.”
Roberto has a nerve-racking job under the best of conditions, but the pressure is ramped up high now. It’ll earn him a nice bonus, whether I win or not.
“Am I going to die today?” I ask in jest.
“Not on my watch.”
I pat him on the back. “I have complete confidence in you, Roberto. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the best in the business.”
We both glance toward the door as Cristiano comes into the garage. His body is so tight I can see the tension from here.
“I’ll let you get back to work,” I tell Roberto, before turning my attention to Cristiano.
“Anything?”
“We’ve swept the place twice for recording devices, fingerprints, and explosives. Other than the bench, nothing seems amiss. Only fingerprints on the car are from the crew, and yours. We’re running some fibers we picked up in the sweep, but they’re likely to lead nowhere.” He pauses for a breath. “We do have one lead. A woman brought the guard dinner last night and gave him a blow job before she left.”
I hope he enjoyed it, because if he let someone into my garage, it’ll be the last time he gets his dick sucked. “Doesshehave a name?”
“We don’t know her real name. He met her a week ago at a bar where he hangs out after work, and she gave him an alias. We’re running facial recognition on her, but it was dark, and she stayed away from anything that would illuminate her face. She knew what she was doing.”
“Distracting that stupid fuck.”
Cristiano nods. “What do you want us to do with him?”
“Are we sure he wasn’t involved?”