CHAPTER 26
Monday mornings. Lucky hated Monday mornings. He leaned against the back of the elevator on his way up from the parking garage to the SNB offices. With any luck, he’d get through work and get out of here before anyone realized what today was. All the excitement from the weekend might provide a diversion.
“Mr. Harrison?” Receptionist Lisa called out to him the moment he stepped off the elevator. Lucky winced. No, no, no, no, no. Please let her not…
“Mr. Schollenberger would like to see you in Mr. Smith’s office. Um, I meant,hisoffice.”
Mr. Schollenberger. Would Lucky ever get used to hearing that? He exhaled a pent-up breath. Months might pass before he stopped thinking of the office as Walter’s though.
“Yes, ma’am.” He took two steps away from the reception area. One bullet dodged.
“Lucky?”
Then again, maybe not. He swiveled his head to the right to find Lisa staring at him.
“I wanted to say congratulations again. I’m happy for you and Bo… I mean, Mr. Schollenberger.” Her eyes went wide. “Oh, God! Did I just call you Lucky at work?”
Poor thing hadn’t looked so put out since Keith invaded her house when he wanted to arrange a meeting with Lucky. He took pity. “It’s okay. You can call me Lucky.” He darted his gaze right and left. Good. No one. “Just not around other people. Wouldn’t want the rookies to get ideas, ya know?”
She giggled and relaxed. “Thanks, Mr… Lucky.”
“That’s better.” Lisa had earned the right to call him that.
He sauntered down the hallway and dropped his laptop case onto his desk. The desk on the other side of the cube sat empty again. Waiting for its new owner.
“Bring it around! Careful!” someone barked from the conference room. A sheet of plate glass waited on a cart outside the door. The SNB wasted no time repairing the damage O’Donoghue caused.
O’Donoghue. Fucker.
Lucky didn’t have enough fucks to give to use one on the asshole.
A cleaning service specializing in special cases paid a visit yesterday, removing all traces of Landry’s death. Still, it would be a while before Lucky could be comfortable in the room again.
Enough dwelling on bad thoughts. He’d been summoned. Best not keep the boss waiting.
Oh wait. Surely Bo wasn’t calling him in there to wish him happy birthday. Sometimes, the entire department lured him in there for cake.
Lucky listened at the door. Nothing from within. Voices from a few nearby cubes meant not everyone could be gathered inside the office. He tapped on the same door he’d tapped on a million times before and went inside. After over a dozen years, no one really expected him to wait to be invited inside. Hell, half the time he didn’t even knock. The boss asked him here, right?
Bo. The boss.
“Wuzzup, boss man?”
Weird seeing Walter in a chair by the window instead of behind the desk. Not a single paper or file marred the desktop. Wow! Who knew the blasted thing was actually wood under the former layer of debris?
Now, Bo’s laptop sat on the desk, his tablet computer resting to the side, along with his cellphone. Electronics everywhere.
He’d moved in. Walter sat to the side. The new normal.
Lucky planted his ass in his favorite chair. “Lisa said you wanted to see me?”
Bo leaned forward, joining his hands on the desk in front of him. “Walter and I are attending Jameson O’Donoghue’s arraignment today. We know what he put you and the family through. You’re welcome to join us if you like.”
O’Donoghue’s arraignment. One step in the process of putting him behind bars for good. But go? Witness? Lucky’s mind went back to his own arraignment all those years ago. Bad memories flooded back. No wonder Bo gave him the option of saying no.
Did he want to go? See the man get what he deserved? Well, no. Not for the arraignment. For the trial itself if it went before a jury, which it likely wouldn’t. Just try keeping him away. How would O’Donoghue plead? Not guilty would go to trial. What if he plea bargained? What if he was given bail? A flight risk if ever Lucky knew one.
So not how Lucky planned to spend his birthday.