Read In the Drink for Free Online

smells trigger specific sounds for me, but this ink doesn’t sound like any I’ve encountered before.”
    â€œI need to see it.” After a pause, he added, “And I need to see you. I’ve missed you, Mack.”
    I squeezed my eyes closed and pivoted in my chair, turning my back on the others, hoping to hide my smile and relief. It seemed callous and cold, under the circumstances, but I couldn’t help myself.
    After a few seconds I said, “You can’t be seen here. The letter is pretty explicit about what will happen if the writer thinks you’re involved or helping me in any way.”
    â€œJust because I come by the bar, it doesn’t mean I’m helping you with this. I’m entitled to drop by for a drink or a meal like anyone else.”
    â€œNo!” I said, emphasizing my adamancy with a firm shake of my head even though Duncan couldn’t see it. “I won’t risk anyone else’s life that way. There’s no way to know how closely I’m being watched. For all I know, the writer of this letter could be sitting out in the bar right now, drinking my booze and eating my food. We can’t risk anyone seeing you come here, or seeing the two of us together. But I have an idea on how we might be able to get around that.”
    I then told him my thoughts about him entering through the alley door in the original section of the bar, which is located at the end of a hallway right next to both the basement access and the door leading to my apartment. Unfortunately, that hallway also provides access to the bar restrooms, so it tends to get a lot of traffic. The alley door is locked on the outside but opens from the inside with a simple push. It’s alarmed and there are signs on it warning people of that fact and instructing them not to use it as an exit unless it’s an emergency. “I can disable the alarm long enough to let you in and then reset it,” I told Duncan. “If we time it carefully and have the door to my apartment open, you should be able to slip inside without anyone seeing, even if someone happens to come down that hallway to use the restrooms. You’ll just have to be careful to make sure no one sees you entering the alley and coming in through the door.”
    â€œI can make that work. I’m going to set up a bit of a decoy before I come over there, so give me an hour or so. Six sound okay?”
    â€œIt does.”
    â€œSee you then.”
    â€œDuncan?”
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œCan you do me one more favor before you come by?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œCan you bring me something from the police file on Lori Gruber, Tiny’s sister? Anything that might help?”
    There was a long silence on the other end, and I knew Duncan was debating the risks involved with doing that.
    â€œIt’s not an active case,” I urged, hoping to sway him. “It’s been cold for years.”
    â€œI’ll see what I can do.”
    â€œThanks.” I quickly disconnected the call so he couldn’t renege, then I updated Cora and the brothers on the plan.
    â€œWe need to be extremely careful,” Cora said. “The writer of that letter could be anyone.”
    â€œI know, which is why I think it would be best if you guys return to the group right away and stay there while I meet with Duncan. I don’t want to rouse suspicion by keeping the three of you separate from the others for too long. Cora, I’d appreciate it if you’d stick by your cell phone in case I need to call you and have you look something up. Just pretend it’s someone from your office calling so no one knows it’s me you’re talking to.”
    The three of them nodded and then, as a group, they left the office and headed back upstairs to the Capone Club room. I stayed behind, once again imprisoned in my office. I stared at the letter, breathing in deep. I wanted to pick it up and touch it some more, run my