THE SECRET IN THE FRAME

al was

on't make eye contact with anyone w

or six

money more tha

ough the service entrance. Not because it was unfair - I was past feeling things

nk

his name made

thousan

li had borrowed it from the wrong people eight months ago. Borrowed is the generous word. It was more

ow it wa

Eli wa

y had f

ner and put a photograph on the table. My addr

d," he said. "You

00 in my

y

ed thi

the crowd with my tray and thought abo

-

when the earp

idian Suite. Second floor, east

we

carpeted and so quiet after the n

the la

d it

pped br

-

e was on

oman

- from the front pages, from the news, from the

of man who bought companies the way other people bought g

y suite with his back against the wall

e was d

and wet, one hand pressed flat against his chest

graph. Old. Creased. Held s

heard me

t this was real, that this was not a man performing grief

hit th

ooke

nge was

ming shut inside his face. His jaw set. His eyes locked onto mine. And

d at eac

h an earpiece in and a tray I

f a room nobody wa

" I said. "

pped

to

vo

o

ce was the kind that

top

he door,

osed

the i

ght of whatever I had just seen, and the smart thing, the safe thi

ned a

stand

just - up. Jacket still off. Tie

than the photo

you up her

" I held his gaze. "I'

his face. "You don'

lone in a room." I sai

at me for

. More like - reading me. Like I was something he was

ame," h

on't n

harpened.

from where he'd set it on t

to him without

too

didn't touch

said. "Ch

d the door a

-

Collected my envelope at midni

my face and I stood in it

thousan

ty d

alking to t

-

ck SUV pulled awa

n't s

't go to th

wed my b

he wa