Chapter 5 - The Price of Walking Away
Three days later, Dora returned to Rusty's.
Leonardo hated the idea.
Dora didn't care.
“You promised.”
“I promised to try not ordering you around.”
“You're failing.”
“I've noticed.”
He sat at his usual stool.
Dora poured his coffee.
“One sugar?”
“Black.”
“You look like a one-sugar man.”
“I don't even know what that means.”
“Neither do I.”
Leonardo smiled.
Then the front window shattered.
Dora dropped.
Leonardo was already moving.
He pulled her behind the counter as Dante and two security men rushed from outside.
No one was hit.
A brick lay on the floor.
A note was wrapped around it.
Leonardo read it.
His face became stone.
Dora reached for it.
He pulled it away.
“Give me that.”
“No.”
“Leonardo.”
“Dora.”
She held out her hand.
“Try again.”
He almost laughed despite himself.
Then he handed it over.
Three words were written across the paper.
WALK AWAY, COSTA.
Dora looked up.
“Victor?”
“No.”
“Raymond?”
Leonardo said nothing.
Dora understood.
“Raymond is still out there.”
“Yes.”
“You told me this was over.”
“I believed it was.”
“You believed wrong.”
Leonardo turned toward Dante.
“Find him.”
Dora caught Leonardo's arm.
“Wait.”
“Not now.”
“That's exactly the problem.”
“What?”
“You're angry, so you're going to do the thing everyone expects Leonardo Costa to do.”
“He threatened you.”
“And I'm standing right here.”
“He could've killed you.”
“But he didn't.”
Leonardo's voice dropped.
“You think that makes him merciful?”
“No. It makes him sloppy.”
Leonardo stared at her.
Dora pointed toward the cameras above the diner.
“He walked close enough to throw a brick.”
Dante looked toward the ceiling.
“The parking-lot cameras.”
Dora nodded.
“My manager installed new ones after someone stole his catalytic converter.”
Dante immediately went into the office.
Leonardo looked at Dora.
“You just solved something twenty men were about to search the city for.”
“Twenty armed men.”
“Yes.”
“You're welcome.”
Within an hour, Dante identified Raymond's vehicle.
Police arrested Raymond later that morning on outstanding weapons charges after receiving an anonymous tip containing surveillance footage.
Dora knew better than to ask who made the call.
That evening, Leonardo sat across from her in an empty booth.
“No war,” Dora said.
“No war.”
“No bodies.”
“No bodies.”
“Raymond goes to prison.”
“Yes.”
Dora studied him.
“You could have handled it differently.”
“Yes.”
“But you didn't.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Leonardo looked into his coffee.
“Because you asked me not to become the man everyone expects.”
Dora's expression softened.
“That's not why.”
“No?”
“No.”
“You did it because you didn't want to be that man anymore.”
Leonardo looked at her.
Neither spoke.
Finally Dora asked, “Why did you really come back that second night?”
“I told you.”
“You wanted to make sure I was alive.”
“Yes.”
“That's not all.”
Leonardo leaned back.
“You embarrassed me.”
Dora laughed.
“That brought you back?”
“No one had spoken to me like that in fifteen years.”
“Maybe you need better friends.”
“I apparently need a waitress.”
“Careful.”
“Would you please consider having dinner with me?”
Dora blinked.
“Are you asking me on a date?”
“Yes.”
“You're terrible at this.”
“I don't practice often.”
“Do your dates usually require armed security?”
“Unfortunately.”
Dora considered him.
“One dinner.”
Leonardo smiled.
“One dinner.”
“And I'm choosing the restaurant.”
His smile disappeared.
“Why?”
May you like
“Because I don't trust your definition of casual.”
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