Chapter 4 - Dinner With Roman Gallagher
Norah turned.
Paul stood against the closed door.
For one terrible second, she thought the lieutenant was threatening her.
Then she saw his hands.
Empty.
His expression was not angry.
It was worried.
“What did you see?” he asked.
Norah folded the note.
“Nothing.”
“Bad answer.”
“You want a better one?”
“Yes.”
“You first.”
Paul stared.
Norah slipped the note back into the red pouch.
“How long were you standing there?”
“Long enough.”
“Do you know what this is?”
“No.”
“You expect me to believe Roman Gallagher’s right-hand man doesn’t know every locked door in this house?”
“Most.”
“And the green room?”
Paul’s eyes changed.
Small reaction.
Norah saw it.
“You know it.”
Paul walked toward her.
Norah did not retreat.
“It isn’t in this wing,” Paul said.
“Where?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“It mattered to Evelyn.”
His face tightened.
“Lower your voice.”
“The children are asleep.”
“There are microphones in half this building.”
Norah stared at him.
“You’re kidding.”
“No.”
“Roman records his children?”
“Security records common areas.”
“That’s disturbing.”
“Welcome to the Gallagher estate.”
Paul held out his hand.
“Give me the pouch.”
“No.”
“Norah.”
“No.”
“If Roman learns you’re hiding something connected to Evelyn—”
“He’ll what?”
Paul looked at her.
Norah understood.
The joke disappeared from her face.
Paul said quietly, “Roman loved his wife more than anything on earth. Since she died, he has destroyed friendships, businesses, and people trying to find who was responsible.”
Norah’s stomach tightened.
“Then why shouldn’t I give it to him?”
“Because the note contains Victor Sloane’s name.”
“You heard me?”
“I saw it.”
“Who is he?”
“Roman’s business partner.”
“Trusted?”
“Very.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
“No.”
Norah studied him.
“You think Victor had something to do with Evelyn’s death?”
“I think Evelyn hid this from Roman.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Paul looked away.
That was answer enough.
Norah slipped the pouch into her apron pocket.
Paul’s eyes narrowed.
“I told you to give it to me.”
“And I said no.”
“You have a remarkable instinct for self-preservation.”
“I grew up in foster care. You learn not to hand mysterious objects to intimidating men just because they ask nicely.”
“I am trying to protect you.”
“From Roman?”
“From everybody.”
Norah stepped closer.
“Then help me understand.”
Paul rubbed his jaw.
“The green room is downstairs.”
“In the basement?”
“There are several secured rooms under the east side of the estate.”
“Of course there are.”
“One used to be a wine room. Evelyn converted it into an office.”
“Why call it green?”
“The walls.”
“And the key?”
“I don’t know.”
Norah headed toward the door.
Paul blocked her.
“No.”
“You just said downstairs.”
“I also said secured.”
“Move.”
“You are not exploring Roman Gallagher’s private basement at midnight.”
“Why?”
“Because I would prefer to avoid explaining your body to him tomorrow.”
Norah stared.
Paul sighed.
“That sounded worse than intended.”
“A little.”
“Go to bed.”
“Paul.”
“Tomorrow.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“You’ll show me?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“That means no.”
“It means I’d like one night to consider whether helping the nanny investigate the dead wife of my employer is the dumbest decision I’ve made this decade.”
Norah stepped around him.
“You work for Roman. I assume competition is strong.”
Paul almost smiled.
“Go sleep.”
Norah did.
Poorly.
At seven the next morning, she woke to Ruby bouncing on the edge of her bed.
Norah shot upright.
“How did you get in?”
“Door.”
“I locked it.”
Ruby smiled.
“Theo knows a trick.”
Norah stared.
“Of course he does.”
Breakfast was peaceful.
Roman did not appear.
Norah found herself annoyed.
She told herself it was because he should spend time with his children.
Not because she had become curious about the man.
At ten, Theo asked if they could build a fortress.
Norah agreed.
By noon, every couch cushion in the East Wing had been transformed into walls.
Ruby declared herself queen.
Theo declared himself commander.
Norah was apparently a prisoner.
They were negotiating her release when Roman entered.
He wore a pale green suit, white shirt open at the collar, expensive watch, and the expression of a man who had been dealing with idiots all morning.
Ruby pointed.
“Enemy!”
Roman stopped.
Theo grabbed a foam sword.
Norah covered a smile.
“Careful.”
Roman looked at her.
“You’re encouraging this?”
“I’m a prisoner. I have limited authority.”
Ruby ran toward her father.
Roman’s body tensed instinctively.
Then Ruby struck his leg with a foam sword.
“You can’t enter.”
Roman stared down at her.
Six months earlier, he would have lifted her and carried her around the room while she screamed with laughter.
Now he seemed uncertain whether he was allowed to touch her.
Norah saw it.
Ruby saw it too.
Her excitement faded.
Norah intervened.
“He needs a password.”
Ruby brightened.
“Right!”
Roman looked at Norah.
“What password?”
She shrugged.
“Not my fortress.”
Theo whispered dramatically into Ruby’s ear.
Ruby nodded.
“Mommy’s pancakes.”
Everything stopped.
Roman’s face emptied.
Theo realized what he had said.
Ruby lowered the sword.
Norah looked between them.
Roman swallowed.
Then, instead of leaving, he crouched in front of Ruby.
“Your mother burned pancakes.”
Ruby blinked.
“No.”
“She did.”
Theo smiled slightly.
Roman continued.
“The first time she cooked breakfast for me, she burned six.”
“She said you burned them.”
Roman gave a faint laugh.
“She lied.”
Ruby stared.
Then she giggled.
Theo came closer.
Roman sat on the carpet.
In the pale green suit.
Inside a fortress made from couch cushions.
Norah watched from the imaginary prison.
For twenty minutes, Roman Gallagher did nothing connected to money, threats, revenge, or power.
He let his children attack him with foam swords.
He surrendered dramatically.
He even allowed Ruby to place a plastic crown on his head.
When Paul entered, he stopped dead.
Roman pointed the foam sword at him.
“Say one word and you’re fired.”
Paul nodded solemnly.
“I’ve seen nothing.”
That evening, Roman surprised everyone.
“Dinner in the small dining room,” he told Mrs. Finch.
“With the children?”
“Yes.”
“And Miss Hayes?”
Roman hesitated.
“Yes.”
At seven, Norah sat across from Roman.
Theo and Ruby occupied the chairs between them.
Dinner was pasta.
Ruby spilled water.
Nobody died.
Theo put peas in his napkin.
Norah pretended not to notice until he tried to hide them beneath the table.
Roman watched the interaction.
“You really don’t scare easily.”
Norah looked up.
“Should I?”
“Most people around me do.”
“Maybe that’s your problem.”
Roman leaned back.
“Explain.”
“If everyone is scared of you, nobody tells you when you’re being ridiculous.”
Theo laughed.
Roman looked at him.
“Do you think I’m ridiculous?”
Theo froze.
Norah kicked Roman lightly beneath the table.
Roman’s eyes flashed toward her.
Then he understood.
He softened his tone.
“You can say yes.”
Theo looked suspicious.
“Sometimes.”
Ruby added, “A lot.”
Roman nodded gravely.
“I see.”
Norah hid a smile.
After dinner, the twins asked Roman to read bedtime stories.
Norah expected him to refuse.
Instead he followed them upstairs.
He sat between their beds.
His voice was awkward at first.
Then steadier.
Norah watched from the doorway.
When both children finally slept, Roman joined her in the hallway.
“They used to ask me every night,” he said.
Norah looked at him.
“Then start saying yes again.”
He leaned against the wall.
“I missed six months.”
“You can’t fix six months tonight.”
Roman’s gaze moved toward the bedroom.
“No.”
“Tomorrow helps.”
He looked at her.
Close enough now for Norah to notice how tired he truly was.
Not gangster tired.
Human tired.
“Why did you take this job?” he asked.
“I told you.”
“Money.”
“Yes.”
“That’s not the whole answer.”
Norah folded her arms.
“My brother was sick.”
Roman said nothing.
“Leukemia.”
His expression softened.
“Eli.”
Norah looked sharply at him.
“You investigated me.”
“I investigate everyone inside this house.”
“Comforting.”
“You borrowed money.”
“He needed treatment.”
“He died anyway.”
Norah’s jaw tightened.
Roman realized the cruelty of how it sounded.
“I’m sorry.”
“People say that because they don’t know what else to say.”
“Yes.”
Norah looked toward the twins.
“After he died, I kept thinking about everything I should’ve done differently.”
Roman understood immediately.
“That doesn’t stop.”
“No.”
They stood in silence.
Two people who knew what grief did when it had nowhere to go.
Then Roman’s phone vibrated.
His expression changed when he saw the screen.
“Stay upstairs tonight.”
“Why?”
“Security issue.”
Norah’s pulse quickened.
“What kind?”
“Nothing involving you.”
Roman walked away.
Norah watched him disappear toward the staircase.
A few minutes later, she found Paul in the service corridor.
He looked grim.
“What happened?”
“Victor Sloane is here.”
Norah froze.
Paul glanced around.
Then slipped something into her hand.
A keycard.
“The green room,” he whispered.
“You’re helping me?”
“I’ve decided this is only the second-dumbest decision I’ve made this decade.”
“What was the first?”
“Working for Roman.”
Norah almost smiled.
Paul’s expression remained serious.
“If you’re going down there, do it now.”
“Why?”
“Because Roman and Victor will be occupied.”
Norah looked toward the stairs.
“What if somebody catches me?”
Paul met her eyes.
“Then pray it’s me.”
Norah descended into the basement.
At the end of a secured corridor stood a green door.
The keycard opened it.
Inside was a room untouched for six months.
Evelyn Gallagher’s private office.
Norah entered.
On the desk sat a small locked metal box.
She removed the silver key from the velvet pouch.
It fit.
The box clicked open.
Inside was a flash drive.
Several photographs.
A ledger.
And an envelope.
Across the front, Evelyn had written:
ROMAN—IF YOU ARE READING THIS, I WAS RIGHT.
Norah’s hands began to shake.
Then she heard footsteps approaching the green room.
Slow.
Heavy.
A man’s voice came from the corridor.
“Someone’s inside.”
Another voice answered.
Roman’s.
“Open the door.”
May you like
And Norah realized there was nowhere to hide.
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