“We’re just sitting here.”
“We’re waiting for the order to advance. Then we run straight into the enemy’s machine guns and barbed wire.”
“But until then, we have teriyaki, gyoza, and miso soup,” says Candy, passing around Styrofoam cartons.
“And sake,” says Vidocq. “I will light a candle for the lovely goddess Matsuo to honor every bottle she has given to us over the years.”
Candy says, “That’s going to be a fire hazard.”
“What’s life without risk?” says Vidocq.
“Long,” says Allegra. “And with a lot of time to be grateful for the stupid things you didn’t do. Like staking out a killer’s apartment.”
“We’re not staking out Cairo’s apartment. I think he owns the whole building.”
“I feel better knowing we’re after a man with real estate. It makes the whole thing seem friendlier,” says Candy.
Allegra dunks a gyoza in soy sauce with her chopstick and feeds it to Vidocq. He smiles and kisses her lightly on the lips.
He says, “The good father tells me that you witnessed the Via Dolorosa yesterday.”
I nod, keeping my eye on a doorway across the street.
“That I did. Traven’s turning into a real bruiser. He’s done that to other people? After Amanda stopped by, he wanted to come with me to meet Teddy Osterberg. That would have been a lot of laughs.”
Vidocq shakes his head. Sips more sake.
“The father is a good and serious man. He would never abuse his power.”
“If you say so. I just hope he isn’t a kid with a loaded gun.”
Candy stops eating for a second.
“Is that crack aimed at me?”
“Your gun is unloaded. I checked.”
She turns to Allegra.
“Stark is going to take me shooting. You and Eugène should come with us.”
“That sounds like fun.”
Candy frowns.
“Father Traven isn’t Sub Rosa, is he?”
“No.”
“Then how can he do the Dolorosa?”
I shrug and take a bite of teriyaki chicken.
“Allegra isn’t Sub Rosa and I taught her to make fire with her hands.”
Allegra waves her chopsticks like shaking her head.
“You didn’t teach me that magic. You gave it to me.”