Three and a Half Weeks(158)
When I return my full attention to Natasha, I see she’s fully blubbering now. Everything’s running on her face: eyes, nose, mascara… Nodding her head in agreement, as if Ian could see her, she appears amenable to all he says. I’m suspicious, though: if these people really are connected with the Russian mob, no way are they just going to slink off into the night… nor would they be leery of killing. So I watch our nemesis closely but I can’t detect any artifice: she really seems afraid and contrite. Finally, she moves the gun away from me and stands. I hear her say thank you to Ian and then without a word to any of us in the room, she tosses the phone onto the sofa and takes herself right out the door. I grab for the phone at the same time as Mason but I get there first.
“She just walked out, Ian. Now, tell me: did you really do what she accused you of doing?”
“Of course not, Ella. But I still used it to my advantage and pretended to call off a hit so she’d leave you alone. I’m flying back home late tonight or early a.m., so I’ll be home soon. I’ll see you sometime tomorrow, definitely.” He pauses. “I’m really sorry about what just happened. Please relay my apologies to Mariah for what she endured. I had no idea Natasha was back on the West Coast.”
“It’s not your fault, Ian… and I’ll make your apologies to Mariah. Is it okay if I leave the apartment if I take Mason along?”
“I’d rather you didn’t. I understand you must have cabin fever but it’s only a few more days until I have the situation under control, Ella. Can you wait?”
“I don’t think so, Ian. Can’t I just go out for lunch?”
He sighs. “Let me speak to Mason, please.”
Wordlessly I hand Mason the phone and wait, trying to make sense of only one side of the conversation. I can’t, but soon enough, Mason puts the phone back into his breast pocket and looks directly at me.
“Mr. Blackmon said you and Mariah may have lunch out, provided I stay close to you at all times. That means I’ll be joining you for lunch.”
“Only if you lighten up a bit, old man,” Mariah says, winking at him.
Mason’s face remains stoic but his lips twitch ever so slightly as if he really wants to let loose, go completely crazy and… smile. Instead he responds to her simply: “I’ll do my best.”
“Mariah,” I grasp her hand and gaze directly into her eyes, “I hope you don’t believe that Ian would actually have someone killed. He’s not a murderer.”
Mariah holds up her free hand. “Don’t give it another second’s thought, Ella; I do not think poorly of your man. Frankly, I wouldn’t blame him if he did order a hit on her. For God’s sake, did you see her shoes? Anyone who wears shoes like that is just asking to be killed. Talk about tawdry.” She shudders in mock horror.
I laugh at her comment and finally Mason breaks down and grins. Oh, he has pretty teeth, I think, since I’ve never seen them before today. What’s more, I suspect that if he hangs around Mariah, he’ll be smiling more often. Hmmm.
“Mason, can you entertain Mariah while I go take a quick shower and get dressed? Maybe she’d like some coffee or tea?”
“Go ahead, Ella. We’ll figure it out. Just get ready before he changes his mind.”
While I shower I wonder what Ian is doing right this minute: having an early dinner? Chatting with Daniel? Calling off a hit? What? I’d really like is to be there, to see him, be with him, interrogate him, and, later on, do other things to him. This whole episode has me also wondering about Daniel Butler. It seems as if anything and everything Ian’s thrown at him since they met has been received with support, regardless of how dark and ugly it might be. What kind of man is Daniel? Ian mentioned we’d be going to Daniel’s wedding next month and I am truly looking forward to that affair.
Life is somewhat anticlimactic after the drama of Natasha’s visit. Mariah and I have a lot of fun and laughs over lunch, seemingly tormenting Mason with our gossipy conversation. It was quite hilarious to watch him trying to keep up, especially after Mariah told him to pay attention, that he’d be quizzed about who was dating whom on the way back to the condo. And she did quiz him, too, and Mason, with no small degree of pride, managed to answer all but one of Mariah’s ten questions on what was discussed at lunch. It went something like this:
“Okay, Mason, who is Hannah Cravitch dating now?”
Mason looks smug so he must know this one. “Hannah,” he says, yanking up his starched collar, “is currently dating Tomás, but started only recently. Before that she was with Rick in a long-term relationship.”