Think of the Devil

Twenty-Eight

Alberto and Angélica had been anxiously waiting for almost two hours. They sat together, watching the door more closely than the news playing on the television. It was a slow night, the cold weather and snowflakes keeping people indoors. Anytime the bell above the door would chime, the pair's heads would snap up, hoping for Jane. Every time they met the gaze of a stranger, their anxiety would worsen.

So when the bell chimed again, neither of them felt particularly hopeful as they looked up. Upon seeing Jane in the doorway, a brief bout of relief flooded them. She was finally there, safe at last after being whisked away by her mysterious new client. Their relief diminished when they saw the condition she was in.

Jane was shivering, her arms wrapped tight around herself. Her nose and cheeks were red from the bitter chill of the air as she'd walked. Snowflakes clung to her flannel and her hair as she slowly came into the shop. As she got closer, they could hear her teeth lightly chattering.

"Mija," Alberto murmured, his voice thick with worry.

She hesitated for a moment, looking at the two of them and wondering what she could even tell them. But it hurt to feel their worry, almost as much as it hurt to see it so plainly on their faces. It made her stomach twist into knots. She swallowed hard, giving them a quick nod before she continued towards the stairs, leaving them bewildered behind her.

Fortunately for her, she'd left the radiator on low when she'd gone down to smoke a cigarette earlier that day. The entire apartment felt like a sauna, but she relished in it as she peeled off her damp flannel and exchanged it for an old zip-up hoodie. She immediately moved towards her freezer, pulling out the half-empty bottle of expensive vodka that Matt had swiped for her. She started pouring into a glass when she felt Angélica's concern getting closer to her again. Sighing, she hid the vodka back in the freezer and carried her glass to the couch.

Angélica let herself in as Jane was sitting down. The girl quickly moved around the room, coming to stand in front of where Jane sat. "What was that?" she demanded, her voice verging on shrill. The telepath winced, taking a sip of vodka. "Who was that man? What happened?"

"That was an associate of my new client," Jane mumbled.

"Yeah? Who's your new client? Tony Soprano?" Angélica crossed her arms. While her tone came off as angry, she was really just scared. It pressed into Jane as the girl continued, "Who just sends cars for their therapists, huh? What kind of a person are you working with now?"

The door opened again behind Jane, and she turned her head at the noise. Alberto was coming in now, having locked up the store to check on her upstairs. She tried not to sigh, but she'd been hoping to get a break from the questions and the worry for the night. After the argument with Angélica in the alley and what happened with Fisk, all she wanted to do now was drink and try to forget the entire day. She took another large sip of her vodka, hoping they would believe it was just water.

Alberto moved around the couch too, holding a paper cup from downstairs in his hand. "I made you some coffee," he offered quietly, extending it to her. (I hope it helps. She looks miserable.)

Jane softened as she took it, thanking him quietly. He'd made a cup of sweet coffee, with cream, a little extra sugar, and a dash of cinnamon. It was how his mother had made it for him, and how he made it now for the girls. When she took a sip, her gaze fell to her lap. Alberto had made it this way because he considered her like family. Family wasn't supposed to lie to each other the way she was about to. She set the alcohol on the table and held the coffee close to her.

Alberto sat down in her chair across from her, and Angélica moved to stand behind him. He sat with a sigh, his body tired both from physical and emotional strain. The two watched her for a moment, collecting their thoughts. She kept her gaze in her lap, trying to deal with the weight of her own feelings.