Page 35 of Brazilian Surrender
“You worked a lot when you dated too, and she knew what you did before she signed the marriage license. So for her to complain about your hours later in the game wasn’t fair.”
He shifted in his seat. Shouldn’t he defend his deceased wife? “Why are you saying that? This subject is dead.”
Aunt Gesa’s lips broke slowly into an apologetic smile. “No. In some ways it’s still very much alive. Listen, I know you don’t talk about these things, well, with anyone, but you already left the NYPD, and you haven’t met anyone meaningful in five years. You’ve punished yourself enough; it’s time to move on,” she said, the creases around her eyes tightening.
Her words left a sour aftertaste in his mouth. In the beginning, he’d thought of them as survival techniques to cope with losing his wife and son. His family. Was it wrong to use his new business and aloof sex life as distractions? He wasn’t hurting anyone and the rules didn’t make him unhappy. “I understand, but—”
“When your parents died, I swore on their graves I’d look out for you. Trust me, son, it’s almost an impossible task. But even if you never answer a phone call or text again, I can’t avoid saying what has been eating me up for years. Being alone won’t bring your son back,” she said, tears bordering her eyes.
She reached into her bag and grabbed a packet of tissues, then pressed it against the corner of her eye. All this time, his aunt cared for him and didn’t stop trying even if he had given her reasons to.
“Neither is having someone,” he said.
She sighed. “That’s true, but having someone might bring you back.”
Jaeger’s heart skipped a beat. Deep conversations like this were the reason he avoided being too close to his aunt. She could play the witty relative as she wanted, but if he gave her a chance, she’d poke him where it hurt. While her lifted chin challenged him to respond, the sad look in her eyes invited him to a world he no longer belonged in. Wasn’t it much easier to keep his status quo?
The dull beep of his intercom yanked him from his thoughts. “Mr. Bauer, Tony’s back. He’s asking to see you,” Therese said on the other end of the line.
Jaeger stood up. “I’m sorry, but I need to talk to him.”
“Of course, I understand.” She nodded, standing. If the disturbance annoyed her, she didn’t show it. She clasped her clutch and shrugged. “I just wanted to stop by and see how you are.”
Her quick understanding made his heart shrink. “Thank you, Aunt Gesa…for always checking in,” he said, his voice coming out more anxious than intended. “I appreciate you.” Even if I sound like an ungrateful bastard sometimes. He didn’t need to finish the explanation. She held her bag against her middle and flashed him a glance filled with love. Her high cheeks and blue eyes always reminded him of his dear mother.
“It’s good to hear that. All we have is each other, you know,” she said, with an edge in her voice like she was about to break down. He walked past her to open the door but couldn’t resist and turned around and gave her a quick hug.
She widened her eyes, disarmed. Before she could make any more comments that would have him question his way of life, he whispered, “Thank you,” planted a quick kiss on her forehead, and showed her out. If Tony wanted to see him, he had to prioritize him. What if his employee had important information about the case?
Jaeger walked up to Tony’s office and waved through the glass door. Tony nodded at him and stopped what he was doing to open the door. “Any news?” Jaeger asked, entering the space crowded with sleek computer screens, coffee mugs, and comic books. Though Jaeger paid handsomely for a cleaning company to take care of the entire floor, somehow Tony’s space managed to look like a better version of a nerd’s college dorm room.
“Zoe Callahan,” he said, pulling out a couple of black-and-white pictures showing an average-built, pretty woman in her twenties with long, dark hair. “She’s been in New York this entire time.”
Jaeger held one of the pictures, taken in front of the entrance of an exclusive building. “She told Camila she was going out of town to visit a sick aunt.”
Tony shook his head. “Not true. She’s having an affair with a married man, and his wife traveled to Europe so she took the time off to spend time with him at his place.”
Why would she lie to her roommate?“Maybe she’s embarrassed she’s going out with a married man?” He’d thought good friends would share this kind of information, unless there was more to the story.
“Not just any married man.” Tony pulled a picture of an athletic man in his late thirties. “He’s Duncan Williams, one of the benefactors of the hospital. Comes from old money.”
“But Camila told me her friend isn’t even in the internship program anymore.”
“She was asked to leave because of poor performance and constant tardiness,” Tony said, grabbing a gigantic cup of Coke and gulping some soda.
Jaeger tapped the picture against the desk. “Hm. Why would she hurt Lee, though? Or Camila?”
