Chapter 2 - “SHOW ME YOUR ARM”Norah wasn’t fired.
That almost made things worse.
Mrs. Gable moved her to pantry inventory.
Light duty.
Out of sight.
At midnight, Norah was still sitting inside the dark pantry with an ice pack against her forearm.
Her shift had ended hours earlier.
Going home meant returning to the basement apartment where Ray still had a stolen key.
So she stayed.
She was safer inside a house guarded by armed men than inside her own bedroom.
A kitchen light came on.
Gabriel entered.
No jacket.
No tie.
He took sparkling water from the refrigerator.
Without looking toward the pantry, he said:
“You can come out, Norah.”
She froze.
“The canned tomatoes are unlikely to escape.”
Slowly, she stepped out.
“I was finishing inventory.”
“It ended at eight.”
He placed a hundred-dollar bill on the island.
“Cab.”
“I take the bus.”
“Not at midnight.”
“I’d rather sleep in the staff room.”
Gabriel finally looked at her.
“Why?”
Norah said nothing.
He walked closer.
“Show me the arm.”
“It’s just a sprain.”
“I don’t repeat myself.”
She brought it forward.
Gabriel looked at the athletic tape.
“Remove it.”
Norah started peeling.
Pain tore through her.
A gasp escaped.
Gabriel’s expression changed.
“Stop.”
He opened a folding knife.
Norah stepped backward.
His eyes flicked toward her face.
“I’m cutting tape, not you.”
Carefully, he slid the flat side of the blade underneath and cut upward.
The tape separated.
Her wrist had swollen badly.
Deep bruising circled the bone.
Worse was the angle.
Gabriel became very still.
“This is fractured.”
“I’m fine.”
“No.”
His thumb hovered near the oval bruises but didn’t touch them.
“Someone grabbed you.”
Norah’s throat tightened.
“No.”
“Finger marks.”
“It was an accident.”
“A person twisted your arm until your bone broke.”
He looked into her eyes.
“Who?”
Norah shook her head.
“Please leave it alone.”
“Why?”
“He’ll come back.”
There.
The admission.
Gabriel’s voice lowered.
“Name.”
Norah closed her eyes.
“Raymond Miller.”
“What is he to you?”
“Ex-boyfriend.”
“Where?”
“O’Hare docks sometimes. Gambling rooms. Numbers.”
Gabriel stepped back.
“Vincent.”
A man appeared from the hallway.
Norah nearly screamed.
He had apparently been standing there the entire time.
“Take her to Dr. Aris.”
“No.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“Excuse me?”
“I can’t afford a private doctor.”
“You are not paying.”
“I don’t want charity.”
“You have a broken radius.”
“That doesn’t change—”
“Norah.”
His voice softened rather than hardened.
“You can argue with me after someone makes sure your hand keeps working.”
That stopped her.
Gabriel turned to Vincent.
“East guest room afterward.”
“I’m staff,” Norah protested.
Gabriel looked at her once.
“Tonight you’re injured.”
Then he walked away.
Norah called after him.
“What are you going to do about Ray?”
Gabriel stopped.
“Nothing you need to participate in.”
That answer should have terrified her.
May you like
It did.
But not nearly as much as the thought of Ray waiting outside her apartment.
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