The 6:20 Man

Chapter 32

As they walked along, he breathed in her scent. Equal parts vanilla, coconut suntan spray, lavender, and part something else he couldn’t readily identify. It was all heady stuff, and he fought against it because he needed to keep his head straight tonight.

“Nice place,” he said.

“Brad had it built a few years ago, before we met. He’s into things like this. He has homes everywhere. Two jets, a yacht he uses like one month out of the year, his own chopper. It’s too much for me. I like things simple.”

“Doesn’t sound like you’re going to get simple with the guy.”

She led him to the bar and he got another beer and she had a Cosmo. She held up the glass.

“I was only four when Sex and the City ended its run, but I later binged all the seasons. What a fun fantasy. But really, no one can live like that in New York on their salaries. Same with Friends.”

“Like you said, a fun fantasy. So how did you and Cowl meet?”

“He was in Italy and I was in Italy and we hit it off. I know he’s a lot older than me, but he doesn’t seem it. Some days I feel like the older one. He’s still very much a little boy in many ways, with all his toys.”

“He’s made a ton of money in business.”

“He never talks business with me. I’m not into that.”

“So, do you live here?”

“Not all the time. Brad and I are just, I don’t know, boyfriend and girlfriend, to use an old-fashioned term.”

“And what are you into when you’re not hanging out with him?”

“Travel. I went to college for a year, didn’t like it, and decided to see some of the world. That’s how I met Brad. I was staying at a student hostel in Tuscany, and he had rented like three villas on a hillside. We met at a restaurant, bonded over some really great Brunello di Montalcino wine, and suddenly I was in one of the villas.”

“Hey, good for you. How long ago was this?”

“Nearly a year now. Time goes by. How do you know Brad?”

“I work for his firm. Just a low-level newbie. I got a late start.”

“What were you doing before that?”

“Did some time in the Army.”

“Why?”

He had expected her to thank him for his service like everyone else, so this threw Devine a little. He answered more truthfully than he probably intended. “To piss off my old man.”

She laughed and it was a nice, throaty laugh. She sipped her Cosmo and gave him a look that he couldn’t quite decipher.

“Do you like working for Brad?”

“Just chasing the money, like everybody else.”

She wrinkled up her nose and looked around. “I watched you when you came in. You looked very uncomfortable. You got a beer instead of something expensive and hip. You don’t really want to be here.”

“And yet here I am, summoned by the man.”

She looked disappointed in this response. “Like a dog on a leash, you mean?”

He took a mouthful of his beer and worked this around in his head. He decided to take control of the conversation.

“A woman at my firm was found dead. Suicide, they thought. Now it looks like murder.”

“I heard about that. What was her name again?”

“Sara Ewes.”

“Is that why you’re here to talk to Brad?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did you know her?”

“I did,” he replied.

“Why would anyone want to kill her?”

“That’s what the cops are trying to find out.”

She shivered. “There are so many creeps in this world.”

He looked past her, out to the pool area.

“My train comes through here early every morning. It stops right behind this place, for reasons unknown to anyone other than some systems engineer.”

She glanced where he was looking. “I’m in the pool sometimes in the morning.”

“I know you are.”

He let that hang out there.

She looked back at him, her manner unapologetic and her eyes wide and seeing... everything. “So you’re trying to tell me, in a painfully roundabout way, that you’ve checked me out?”

“Me and every other guy on board. I think the popularity of the six twenty is spiking. Word gets around.”

Now her face flushed, and not in a good way.

“I didn’t say that to embarrass you,” he said hastily. “I’m just amazed you’re up that early.”

She composed herself. “I like to have time to myself. Meditate, swim.”

“That’s a good thing.”

She sharpened her look at him. “Don’t patronize me.”

He said, “Not my intent. Before I catch the train, I do a full workout starting at four a.m. I guess that’s a form of meditation for me. Endorphins, fresh start to the day.”

“You look very fit,” she said, running her gaze over him so slowly and provocatively that he felt like he was naked.

“Army sort of required it. And I’ve kept it up because I like to be able to take care of myself.” Like I did in that alley.

“I wasn’t aware that people on the train could see the pool area. There’re trees back there.”

“Right, but there’s also a gap.”

She gave him an enigmatic look. “I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

“Okay.”

“Six twenty? Why do you go in to work so early?” she asked.

“In my world, if you want to make it to the next round, you have to work your ass off and beat the other guys.”

“Sounds like a fast track to a heart attack.”

“Maybe. I guess you know pretty much everybody here?”

“No, not everybody. There are always new faces. Brad knows lots of people.”

“So, when you’re not here, where do you go?”

“I have a little walk-up apartment in SoHo,” she said.

He didn’t ask if Cowl had arranged it for her. He didn’t have to. She hadn’t mentioned having a job, and it didn’t sound like she came from money since she had been staying in a hostel in Italy. And even little walk-ups in New York were not cheap, particularly in SoHo.

“Do you work around there?”

She ignored the query and said, “Maybe I’ll see you sometime. Or you could come by here and go for a swim with me, maybe late at night when Brad’s not here. He stays at his penthouse a lot.”

This one caught him like a left hook. “I’m not sure how my boss would feel about my swimming with you alone at night. No, I am sure how he’d feel about it. He’d fire me.”

“Why? I’m his girlfriend, not his wife.”

“Who knows, you might end up being his wife.”

“Not in the cards. I don’t want that, and neither does he. He’ll trade me in for a younger model at some point.”

“And how do you feel about that?”

“I don’t feel anything about it.”

“So what’s in it for you?” he asked.

“Just something... different. So, how about that swim? You game?”

Devine was having a hard time keeping up with her. “I imagine a place like this is loaded with help, servants, whatever you want to call them. Lots of wandering eyes to tell on us.”

“Like they would care. Brad treats them like crap.”

“If he’s that kind of a guy, why do you stay with him?”

“You assume I have a choice.”

“Don’t you?”

“Give me your phone number. I can text you my address if coming here makes you nervous.”

For some reason that was not entirely clear to him, Devine told her his number and Montgomery put it in her phone.

“Now I see Brad coming. So I’ll say goodbye.” She added, “I’ll be at my place tomorrow night. I’ll text you the address. Just in case you’re interested.”

She walked off as Devine turned to see Cowl bearing down on him like an Abrams tank.