“No?”
“Before I left the apartment, I had my cleaning staff from my company do a special job for me. Half of the janitorial is in her apartment right now, getting rid of all the blood and. . .” He sighed. “The other half is finishing up my condo. That’s where we are going right now.”
“What happened to your condo?”
“Nothing. I just wanted them to clean it up, and get all traces of Amber out of there.” He placed Ganesha in the back seat. “After today. . .”
He closed the door and turned to me. “She could have killed you.”
“Yeah. I’m trying not to think about it.”
“I can’t stop thinking about it.” He opened up the passenger side. “What if I didn’t come out in time? What if. . . I could have lost you.”
“But you didn’t.” I climbed inside.
He closed the door and walked over to his side.
Minutes later, we drove out of the parking lot. He kept the radio off. The streets were empty. A few people strolled down the sidewalk in masks. But New York City truly appeared like a ghost town.
I turned to him. “Kamal?”
“Yes.”
I cleared my throat. “Have you heard about Amber yet?”
Water glazed his eyes. He gripped the steering wheel hard. “Let’s not talk about that now.”
“But. . .” I swallowed. “Is she okay?”
Sighing, he rubbed his face with his hand.
“Kamal?”
“She’s dead, Jade.”
Stunned, I looked away and leaned back in the chair.
Dead?
His voice went low. “She died on the way to the hospital. That’s why the police kept me for so long. They took my fingerprints, shirt, and jeans. They also grabbed evidence just in case Zora’s kitchen was a crime scene for a homicide. But in the end, they confirmed it was a self-inflicted wound.”
I blinked. “She’s. . .dead.”
A tear left his eye. He wiped it away and shook his head over and over. “Why didn’t she just get on the plane? I don’t understand. It didn’t have to happen like this.”
I placed my hand on his thigh.
He moved one of his hands from the steering wheel and rested it over mine. “I should have told her to stop. She asked me if I wanted her to cut herself and I didn’t say anything. I was so fucking mad that she had that gun pointed at you. That she had shot Ganesha. That she was back and causing more damage and tragedy. . .”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I should have said something.”
“It might not have helped.”
He let out a long breath. “And now I’ll never know if I could have saved her life or not.”
“Don’t do that.”
He shook his head.
“Don’t blame yourself, Kamal.”
“It’s hard not to.” Another tear left his eye. “In the end. . .I wanted her to cut herself.”
“Don’t think about it that way. You were mad.”
He didn’t respond.
Silence filled the car.
I had no idea what else to say. Never had I dealt with such a horrific situation.
She’s really dead.
When we arrived at Kamal’s place, I drank the spacious condominium in, needing anything to get my mind off of the day’s terror.
His condo was in the middle of Manhattan and at the top level of the building. It was an open-plan living area with plenty of large windows, displaying stunning city views. The balcony door led to a penthouse roof terrace.
Don’t think about Amber. Focus on this moment.
I scanned the massive place. It looked even better than the pictures Zora had sent me months again. High ceilings and state-of-the-art light fixtures. Polished oak flooring. There was a glass screen in front of the fireplace.
The kitchen was big. Stocked with warm oak cabinets, veined marble counters, and fully integrated appliances.
With a sad expression, Kamal held Ganesha in his arms and showed me around, telling me that he’d decorated it himself. It made sense. There was a classic style to the place. Leather furniture set with an elegant coffee table. The second level was small. Up there was the sunroom, gym, and tiny steam room.
We went back down to the lower level. There were three bedrooms along with three and a half bathrooms. The master bathroom had a vanity table and sky white marble tubs. The others possessed glass-enclosed showers with a polished nickel finish.
“This is where we’ll sleep.” Kamal led me to the master bedroom and placed Ganesha on a brand-new doggy bed near a bookshelf. It was clear the place had been scrubbed. A lemon fragrance hung in the air. “Everything has been replaced. Including the bed.”
“They were busy.”
“Yes.” He ran his fingers through his hair.
I went over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I just need a minute.” Gently, he moved me away and headed out of the bedroom. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
I followed, wishing he had not ended our hug so fast.
His phone rang.