Pipe Burst Guest novel · Chapter 17 of 24

Chapter 17: The Lawyer

The Arden's ballroom had not held a Commission since my father died.

The long table was set for fourteen, with water glasses and blotters, and the gold chairs were pushed in square.

At a quarter to two the captains came in by twos and threes, and I watched each one choose a seat.

The old captain sat on my right without a word.

The nervous one sat across from him and kept both hands in his lap.

Nico stood at the back wall with his arms folded, in a black suit I had never seen.

Tullio came in last, with a white cast on his right hand and the old half smile back on his mouth.

I had not expected that.

I had thought a man who knelt before his own crew would have the decency to stay home.

"Donna," he said, and bowed to me with a flourish.

I did not answer.

At two o'clock exactly, the doors opened for Cesare.

He wore his charcoal suit, with the jacket open, and he walked down the long room without hurrying.

Ines walked on his arm in cream silk.

She had done something to her face so that she looked pale and frightened, and she held a small white handkerchief in her fist.

The man in the grey overcoat came behind them with a leather case.

My fingers closed on the edge of the table.

Ines saw it and gave me a small, trembling smile, and the earring shook in her ear.

"Gentlemen," Cesare said. "I regret that we meet like this."

"You don't have the chair," I said.

"I have a petition."

"Then read it."

The lawyer opened his case, and laid out a stack of paper at each place.

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