Chapter 16

Curious, I tilted my head and advanced. This was another example of how humankind archives unpleasantness. He was just a stranger in a plaid cardigan at a locked door.

“I’m Oliver Nicholas.”

Behind the glass, it sounded as if he were underwater.

“If you’re open to it, I’d like to speak with you. And Mr. Brodie, if he’s around.”

Only now did I recognize him. I’d been in the man’s presence only once, and I had recreated Argyle as younger. This close, I could see the faint creases flaring out from each eye, the baggy face and defeated stoop of someone double his age.

I unlocked the door. “It’s open. I’m open. Dominick’s not here.”

“Thank you, Mr. Neumann.”

“Call me Hugh. Or you can be Hatfield, I’ll be McCoy. Anyone who shared so many headlines can drop the formality. I should tell you, if you’re here to hash or rehash this out, I dropped out of high school debate.”

“No no no.” Oliver anxiously looked around to voices somewhere. “I thought you were closed.”