Black Rose

CHAPTER 52

Selena and Nick stood in the empty loft that was soon to be their home. They'd signed the contract and were waiting for the escrow to close. The agent had been ecstatic at the sale. She'd given them a key, even though ownership wasn't yet official.

The view across the Potomac to Virginia was better today than it had been the first time they'd seen it. Everything had turned green across the river. Nick walked over and opened a window. A fresh, spring breeze brought the scent of blossoms into the space. Selena joined him. He put his arm around her.

"This is great," he said. "I didn't realize how much I missed looking at something besides apartment buildings."

"I really like the river view. It's wonderful."

"I've got someone lined up to take over my lease as soon as I'm out of there," he said.

She turned and looked at the open space and saw a blank slate begging to be filled. The brick walls were clean, the wood floors glowing with rich, warm color. The room was filled with sunlight streaming through the windows facing the river. Four peaked skylights let more light in through the ceiling.

"That wall is perfect to hang the paintings I had shipped from San Francisco," she said. "I'd like to get the security installed before anything else. Then we can decide about movers and furniture and all that."

"I was thinking the same thing about the security."

"I wish it wasn't necessary," Selena said.

"It's the nature of things. It's always been that way."

"Did you talk with Elizabeth this morning?"

"Yes. Lamont's pretty messed up," Nick said. "The round shattered one of the bones. They put the pieces back together but it's uncertain how it's going to turn out."

"Will he be able to walk?"

"Oh yeah, that's not the problem. The question is how well."

"Let's go see him later."

"I thought we'd go this morning. Harker wants us to come in this afternoon. Someone assassinated the French Foreign Minister last night. He was one of the men named in Gutenberg's diary."

"Who killed him?"

"Nobody knows. It was a professional hit. Someone got into his house and took him out."

"I suppose I should be shocked," she said, "but I'm not. I'm just glad we didn't have to go after him."

"Things aren't going too well for AEON right now. It makes me nervous."

"Why?"

"AEON is like a wounded animal and that makes it unpredictable. What's Gutenberg going to do? What's happening with the rest of the leadership? How does de Guillame's death change things?"

"We've never known what they're going to do."

"Yes, but there was a kind of predictability in their thinking. Now we don't even have that."

"We know one thing," Selena said. "There's another player in the game. The Russians. Maybe they assassinated de Guillame. They're good at assassinating people."

There was a hard note in Selena's voice. Nick chose to overlook it. He looked at his watch.

"We ought to get going if we want to see Lamont before we meet with Harker."

As he locked the door behind him he wondered what would happen if Selena ever met her half sister. He hoped he never had to find out.