She knew only that he’d recently moved from New York and that his first name was spelled K-a-j but pronounced “Kai,” rhyming with “pie.” And she only knew those tidbits because she’d overheard Burke telling someone else in the firm.
After that day, she’d seen Cardozo twice. Once a couple weeks ago at another party at a friend’s restaurant, Le Petit Choux. He hadn’t stayed long, and she’d managed to avoid him. Their most recent crossing of paths had been in a courtroom the week before, a plea hearing for one of the criminals whose crimes Burke’s group had exposed. No words had been exchanged between them either time, but Val had noticed the man’s every movement.
He moved so very nicely. And he was a good guy, prosecuting bad guys, but that smile he’d worn . . . He could get her to trust that smile. Which meant he was dangerous.
He didn’t look anything like that now. He was as handsome as before, his dark brown hair neatly combed, his face freshly shaven. His khakis were unwrinkled, the sleeves of his casual button-up shirt rolled up, exposing tanned forearms. He even wore a tie printed with whimsical dinosaurs. But his expression appeared haggard, as if he hadn’t slept at all.
And his dark eyes were full of fear.
Val glanced to the corner of the room, revealing the source of his fear. A boy of about nine or ten sat at Burke’s little meeting table. His hair was white-blond, unlike Cardozo’s. But their faces were too much alike for them not to be related. Father and son, she thought.
She hadn’t realized that Cardozo had a child, and she didn’t want to think about why that disappointed her. It didn’t matter that the child had a mother, that Cardozo had a significant other. It didn’t matter because she was not interested in ADA Cardozo, first name “Kaj” that rhymed with “pie.”
The child, however, had captured her attention. He clutched a tablet in his hands, staring down at it with a vacant look that Val recognized all too well.
She’d seen it in the mirror plenty of times.
He’d been traumatized. He didn’t look up, so Val turned back to his father.
“Hey,” Val said quietly, because the mood in the room was brittle. “It’s good to see you again, ADA Cardozo.”
The man’s throat worked as he swallowed. “Likewise. This is my son, Elijah. Elijah, this is Miss Sorensen.”
My new client? Val wondered. She looked at Burke, who inclined his head toward the boy, gesturing her to engage.
“Hi, Elijah,” she said, approaching the table. “I’m Val.”
The boy didn’t look up until Val put the cupcake in front of him. “Hi,” he whispered.
It was one tiny word, but said with a determination that won her respect. She pointed at the cupcake. “That’s yours.”
“And that one, too?” Elijah asked, pointing at the cupcake still in her hand.
“Pfft. No,” she said, using her best duh tone. “This one is mine. You’re a greedy one, aren’t you?” She smiled so that he would know she was teasing.
The boy’s lips quirked up before returning to a grim line. “Was worth a try.”
“It’s always worth a try when cupcakes are on the line. Are you my new client?”
Elijah pushed Harry Potter–style glasses up on his nose. “I guess so.”
“May I sit down?” She waited until Elijah nodded before taking the seat beside him. From this vantage point she could see the boy’s face as well as that of his father.
Cardozo lowered himself back into his chair in front of Burke’s desk, his face still frozen in a rictus of fear.
Whatever had happened, it had been bad.
She peeled the wrapper from the cupcake she’d kept, watching as Elijah did the same.
He hummed his pleasure when he took the first bite.
“Good, huh?” Val said. “My bestie makes them fresh every morning.”
“Really good,” Elijah said, setting the rest of his treat aside. He gave his father a quick, sharp look across the room. “I’m saving the rest for later.” His tone was dry but not unkind. “You can get your own cupcake.”
Cardozo’s chuckle sounded forced. “I’ll get right on that.”
Elijah shrugged sassily, but then his shoulders sagged as he sighed, his playfulness clearly feigned. “Ask your questions, Miss Sorensen. I figure you have some.”
“Okay. Why are you here?”
“My dad said I had to come. He didn’t have anyone to leave me with, and it wasn’t safe for me in school.” There was a reluctance in his voice, and Val wasn’t sure if it was because he was here or because he wasn’t in school.
She wanted to ask where his mother was but held back. “Do you like school?”
Elijah’s expression became abruptly defiant. “I do. Is that a problem?”
“Nope. I’m a teacher. I like kids who like school.”
“I thought you were a bodyguard.”
“Now, yeah. And an investigator sometimes, too, but I still do some teaching.”
Elijah’s defiance melted away. “What do you teach?”
“Music. I teach kids at the community center. Piano, violin, flute, some guitar, and a little tambourine for those who don’t have success with the other instruments.”
“That’s really nice,” Elijah said with a small smile, then dropped his gaze to the cupcake. Silence followed, and Val waited patiently, keeping her attention on Elijah.
She had experience with traumatized kids and knew that he’d speak when he was ready.
Finally, he looked up, swallowing audibly. “Someone tried to kidnap me yesterday.”
Val drew a sharp breath, managing not to gasp. “That sucks.”
Elijah snorted, then looked surprised that he had. “It really did.”
“Can you tell me what happened?”
“It happened really fast. I was with my aunt, walking home after the math club competition at my school.” He dropped his gaze again. “There were two men in a white minivan. Both had on ski masks. One got out and grabbed me, then started carrying me to the van.”
He stopped and looked up, his eyes now as fearful as his father’s.
“That had to have been terrifying,” Val murmured. “How did you get away?”
His lips curved again, this time with pride. “My aunt Genie carries a Taser.”
“Excellent,” Val said with a nod. “She hit the guy with the ski mask?”