Page 39 of Take the Fall
“Why are you here,” I said.
"Ry."
"You drove across the city at half eight at night. You didn’t call. You’re sitting in my kitchen." I kept my voice level. “Why are you here.”
He didn’t flinch. He never did.
“Your father asked me to come,” he said.
There it was.
“Of course he did.”
“He couldn’t do it himself. He knew I would.” He folded his hands on the table. “I came to say three things. You can throw me out after any of them. I’d ask you to let me finish. I’m only doing this once.”
“Three things.” I sat back. “He gave you a list.”
“He wanted me to reach out. But I needed to tell you a few things, yes.”
“And you just followed the order,” I heard the edge come into it. “You drove over here with my father’s list in your pocket.”
“I did.”
“Say them, then.” I crossed my arms. “Let’s hear the list.”
“The Yorkville condo,” he said. “Your old place.”
“What about it.”
“Your father found out somebody’s living in it.” He watched my face. “Some young guy. A stranger, far as he can tell. He’s not happy, Ry. He says he’s putting the place on the market by the end of the month.”
I waited for that to do something to me. It didn’t.
“Fine,” I said.
David’s eyebrows went up. “Fine?”
“It’s his condo. He can sell it if he wants.”
I’d handed Daniel, my informant, the keys back in the winter, when he needed somewhere quiet and off the radar and I’d already moved out. I’d talked to him two days ago. He had a new place sorted. He was moving out any day now, on his own, before my father had any idea he’d been there at all.
So whatever Robert thought he’d caught, he’d caught nothing.
“That’s it?” David sat back. “I drove over here braced for a fight.”
“The guy’s already out the door. I talked to him this week.” I leaned back against the counter. “Tell my father to sell it. He’d be doing me a favor. It’s the last thing of his I was still standing in.”
“You loved that condo.”
“I liked the view.” I shrugged. “I like not owing him for it more.”
He watched me a beat longer than he needed to. “This guy. He a friend of yours?”
“He’s nobody. He’s leaving.”
“Mm.” He let it drop the way you set something down when you mean to pick it up later. “All right. That’s one.”
“Then let’s hear the rest.”
