Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Liesel
That wasn’t the question I expected next.
I narrow my eyes at him but squinting shoots a burst of pain between my eyes and up through my forehead to my scalp. I’m too exhausted to deal with that on top of everything. I’m completely drained suddenly, and I still have to brace myself for my mother and sister’s arrival.
I exhale before looking at Jorge. “There’s not much for me to tell you. It just said ‘we’re watching you.’”
“What does that mean?”
Anger flashes in Jorge’s eyes despite how the rest of his demeanor remains the same as it was. Reassuringly calm. I think he wants me to know he’s not okay with any of this, but he won’t lose his shit to keep from scaring me. He softens his tone before he speaks again.
“Liesel, I don’t like any of this, but I don’t blame you, and I still respect you.”
I can’t help the shudder that escapes. I didn’t expect that reassurance, and I didn’t expect how much it would mean to me.
“Thank you. I’ve been trying to make the best of a bad situation, but everything has just gone from horrible to catastrophic.”
“Do you believe whoever was responsible for the note is behind this?”
I’m not prepared to tell what’s been happening, but I may not have a choice if the people who’ve been watching me are behind my father’s disappearance. I do my best to skirt explaining its meaning.
“I believe it’s entirely possible, but I truly don’t know.”
I watch Jorge to see if I can get any hint about whether he thinks I’m right, but his expression now is entirely inscrutable.
I don’t know what he’s thinking. The glimpse into his thoughts a moment ago evaporated.
I suddenly feel cold and alone despite how he still has his arm around my shoulders.
I feel goosebumps form on my arms from his remoteness.
“Is there anything else you can tell me to give me any hints where to look?”
I twist to look at Jorge better before I continue. He pulls his arm back, and I regret shifting. Now I really feel untethered. All I can do is shake my head. If I knew who was behind everything that’s gone wrong in the last couple years, I would tell him.
“Chiquita, what’s going through your mind right now?”
“It’s just that I never imagined I’d wake up one morning to find my father’s hand on my desk after lunch. Or that I’d be dealing with some secretive phantom who seems to know far more about me than I know about him. It’s all terrifying, and I don’t know what to make of any of it.”
As I watch Jorge, I consider my other clients and business contacts.
I’m not withholding anything about the mystery messenger or who could have my father, but there’s so much more that I’m not prepared to share yet.
I nearly jump out of my skin when my phone rings.
I show Jorge the screen before I swipe to answer in German.
“Hi, Mutti. Are you almost here?”
“Yes, we just parked. Can we come straight up to the room?”
I glance over at Jorge, and he nods.
“Yeah, it’s actually the penthouse suite.”
“That’s exciting.” I hear my sister chime in with her voice slightly muffled.
“We’ll be up in a few minutes.”
I end the call and drop my phone in my lap. “My mom and sister will freak out when they see your guards at the door, or they’ll believe they wound up in the wrong place.”
“Chiquita, my men will let me know when your family steps off the elevator. We can wait for them.”
“Should I answer the door, or will they let my mom and Heidi in?”
“You can answer the door.”
“Where will you be?”
“I can stand over by the table, or I can stand behind you.”
“Um—”
I sweep my gaze around the living room, trying to decide what’s best. I feel like the moment I stand, my knees will knock together, so I want Jorge close.
But that won’t set the right tone for their arrival.
I look at the box on the entryway table.
I’ve studiously ignored it ever since we arrived, but its presence has lurked in the back of my mind throughout my conversations.
“We can’t leave the box by the door when they arrive because eventually we’ll have to show them. I don’t want them to think I just put it there as a convenience when I came into the suite of a man who isn’t my boyfriend.”
“We’ll move it over here to the desk, and we’ll see how things go before we decide whether to show them.”
“I can’t keep this from them.”
“Chiquita, I’m not saying keep what happened from them, but do you really want your mother and sister to see what you did?”
I shake my head, but my shoulders sink.
“Jorge, my mom will demand to see it. And my father’s wedding ring is still on his finger. She deserves to have that back. And what do we do with it? I mean, it’s flesh and everything.”
My stomach cramps.
“We have a little while longer before we have to do anything with it to avoid it being even more unpleasant.”
I cock an eyebrow. Unpleasant? That’s how he would describe what’s going on? He certainly has a stronger stomach than I do.
“What will we do?”
“Not ‘we,’ chiquita. My men will make sure what needs doing gets done to keep it safe.”
“You won’t just throw it out, will you?”
I think I might vomit.
“No, Liesel, that isn’t what we’ll do.”
My brow furrows. “Do you need it for something? Is that why you’d preserve it?”
“For starters, that’s your father. I would never just throw him away. And I’m not sure what we may need going forward. I certainly won’t do away with anything.”
It’s only a few minutes before Jorge’s phone pings, and he looks toward the hotel room’s door.
I shove my phone in my pocket, and Jorge takes long strides to the entryway table.
He picks up the box and hurries to take it over to the suite’s workspace.
I watch him take a place standing beside the dining room table.
I run my hands up and down my thighs, fearing they must be sweaty. I open the door just as my mom raises her fist to knock. Heidi is just behind her left shoulder, peering at me before shifting her gaze to the bodyguards. But mom’s focus is unwavering on me.
“Anneliese, who are these men?”
I step aside, opening the door wider. “Come in, Mutti. I will explain everything.”
We may speak German, but her tone doesn’t need interpreting. I inhale as my mother and sister walk past me, and I close the door behind them. Jorge steps around the table but doesn’t approach. Instead, he greets them in German.
“Hello, Mrs. Schlossberg, Ms. Schlossberg. I’m Jorge Diaz.”
I watch my mother’s face to see whether Jorge’s name means anything to her.
I see no hint of recognition, but the confusion remains.
Heidi stands beside me, shifting slightly to bump our arms together.
It’s subtle, so our mom doesn’t notice. But Jorge’s gaze meets mine for a flash before he smiles at my sister, then looks back at my mother.
Heidi and I have been nudging each other like that since we were young children and wanted to communicate without our parents noticing. I glance over at her, and I know she wants to blurt out, “what the fuck is going on?” I don’t need her lips to move to hear her voice screaming in my head.
“Mutti, Heidi, Jorge is a potential client of mine. Mutti, you may recall Papa and I disagreed about their deal. Jorge is part of an influential international family. Something happened today, and I asked Jorge to help because I’m confident he has resources available to do that.”
I shift my gaze to Jorge, hoping he’ll pick up where I left off. I can feel a lump rising in my throat, and I’m not sure I can continue speaking without bursting into tears. He offers me a reassuring hint of a smile before he continues in German just like I did.
“When Anneliese returned from lunch today, there was an alarming package on her desk. She called me because she didn’t know what to do.
I believe being here together is the safest place for all three of you.
The package Anneliese received made us aware someone assaulted your husband, Mrs. Schlossberg.
I don’t know the extent of it, and I don’t know where he is right now.
That means we know he’s been gravely injured, but nothing beyond that.
I am using all my available resources to answer those questions. ”
Jorge tries his best to be gentle as he explains what happened earlier. I can tell he’s struggling not to make light of the situation while not causing my mom and Heidi to panic.
My mother turns toward me. “What does he mean by assaulted?”
I open my mouth, but I can’t form any sounds. I shake my head and look back at Jorge. He steps closer and is within arm’s reach. I want nothing more than to burrow against his chest, but there’s positively no way I can do that with my family around.
Heidi leans forward. In a man, it would be an aggressive posture, but she’s shorter than I am, so it certainly doesn’t appear threatening when it’s directed toward Jorge.
“What the hell does that mean?”
Each word is clipped. I practically feel the fear and anger vibrating off of her. I know I can’t be a coward right now. I have to speak up.
“Heidi, Mutti, like Jorge said, when I came back from lunch today, there was a box on my desk. I don’t know who delivered it or where it came from, but...”
I take a deep inhale and gather whatever resolve I can muster.
“It was Papa’s hand. I know it was his because of his wedding ring.”
A heartbeat of silence greets my announcement.
Then all hell breaks loose. I can barely distinguish my mom’s voice from my sister’s.
They’re demanding answers to questions neither Jorge nor I have.
I know we told them we didn’t know more than once, but it’s understandable that they want them now. I want them too.
“Anneliese, where is Papa’s hand? I want to see. I want his ring.”
I look at Jorge, and he gives a subtle shake of his head. I’m barely hanging on. I’m breathing so rapidly and deeply that my nostrils hurt.