I shook my head, even though Lou couldn’t see it. I didn’t want to be thinking of Lou now while I was trying to figure out Carrigan. I didn’t want to deal with her jealousy swings at the Sole del Mare, those moments when she seemed to cling to me. But I wasn’t hanging up the phone, either. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to see where you were. Thought you might be thirsty, maybe you’d want to grab a drink.”

I stared down at my double. “I’m taking a break from drinking. I’m grabbing something to eat.”

A beat of silence. “Alone?”

“Yes, alone. Call up Mr. Alibi, he can take you for a drink.” My voice sounded bitter. If I closed my eyes, I could see Lou’s face staring at me through Jackal’s car window, tight and disappointed. In me.

“Out getting a bite to eat. I wondered. I didn’t see your car parked in its spot.”

I blinked. “You’re at my apartment?”

“Until five minutes ago. Like I said, I wanted to talk. See how you’re holding up.” Lou took a deep breath on the other line or blew out cigarette smoke—I couldn’t tell which. “Also, there’s an unmarked sitting outside your apartment. I circled the block a few times and he didn’t move. Just sitting there in the dark. I waited about forty minutes. He’s not budging.”

My throat started to close up and I shut my eyes, trying to block the humming in my ears. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

“If he’s unmarked, he’s not there to arrest you. Only to observe.”

“That makes me feel so much better.” I took a sip of my drink, putting a hand over the mouthpiece of the phone so Lou couldn’t hear the ice rattle on the other side. “You didn’t happen to get a look at his face, did you?”

“No.” She didn’t tell me it would all be fine, that this was normal. I wouldn’t have believed her if she had, but I still wanted her to say it. “As long as you don’t give him any reason for probable cause, he’ll probably stay out there tonight. I’d go to Jackal’s if I were you.”

Or you could invite me over, I thought but didn’t say. I could stay with you. “I’ll do that,” I lied, and hung up.