Look Again - Lisa Scottoline [62]
Marcelo laughed again. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.”
I always make jokes when I’m nervous.
“It was very strange to have you faint, so suddenly.” Marcelo frowned slightly, and Ellen recognized a flicker of concern behind his eyes, which made her warm all over.
“Thank you for being so kind about it.”
“Give me no credit. I wanted to leave, but you were lying in my way.”
Ellen laughed, and Marcelo sipped his soda and set it down.
“So, to your email.”
“Yes.”
“Please explain.”
“I’m not sure where to begin.”
“Let’s be honest with each other. You’re reliable. You make deadlines. You didn’t take a vacation last year, I checked. All of a sudden, you’re fainting and you need time off for a mysterious reason.” Marcelo glanced away, then back again. “I will tell you, I usually keep my private life to myself, but my mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She’s at home, in Pinheiros, getting treatments, and she tells me they make her very tired.”
Ellen felt for him, having been there herself, and the pain on his face was visible. “I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. If that is what’s going on with you, or if you have some other illness, you can be sure I’ll keep it confidential.”
Ellen felt touched. “I don’t have cancer, but thank you for asking.”
“Is it another illness? Is that it?”
Ellen didn’t know what to say. His tone was so calm and the excuse so handy that she almost considered making up a short-lived disease. She could keep her job, if she lied.
“Do you have a drug problem, or alcohol? We have counseling for that, you know.”
“No, that’s not it, at all.”
“Well, what then? Am I being too intrusive? I feel like I’m doing that a lot lately, with you, though I’m trying to help you. It’s a difficult situation, having to make these layoff decisions, and I’m doing everything I can to save your job.” Marcelo stood straighter, shaking his head. “But a vacation request, at a time like this, how do you justify that?”
“All I can tell you is that I need to take these few days off to settle something personal.”
Marcelo looked at her, his regret plain. “That’s it?”
Ellen was so tempted to tell him, but she couldn’t. “Sorry,” she answered. “That’s it.”
“Are you going somewhere or staying here?”
“I’d rather not say. I’m taking vacation time, is all.”
Marcelo’s lips pursed. “Will you get the homicide piece written on time?”
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
“How does your draft look?”
“I haven’t started drafting yet.”
“May I have your notes?”
“I haven’t transcribed them yet.” Ellen felt a wave of guilt at his dismayed expression.
“How am I supposed to give you an extension and no one else? How can I justify treating you specially?”
“If you have to fire me, I understand. But I need this time for myself.”
“Would you rather get fired than tell me what’s going on?” Marcelo asked, his eyes disbelieving. “Can that be what you truly want?”
“Yes,” Ellen answered, though she hadn’t thought of it that way.
“It matters that much to you, whatever you’re doing?”
“It matters more to me than anything in the world.”
Marcelo blinked.
Ellen blinked back. For a minute, they played eye chicken.
Marcelo sighed, and his expression softened. “Okay, you win. Take the time you need this week, but that’s it. I’ll tell everyone you’re not feeling well. It’ll make sense, after you fainted dead away.”
“You’re saying yes?” Ellen was dumbfounded. “Why?”
“I’m trying to show you that I’m not a jerk.”
“I know that. I never thought you were.”
Marcelo lifted an eyebrow, dubious, but Ellen knew she’d never convince him otherwise, after what Sarah had told him.
“What about the homicide piece?”
“It can wait a week. The fire in the Yerkes Building is the new story.”
“What fire?” Ellen had been in the love cocoon with Will and hadn’t heard. The Yerkes was one of the biggest buildings in town.
“Three people killed, cleaning personnel, so sad. The building burned to the ground. Police suspect arson.”
“Wait a minute,” Ellen said, as the truth dawned on her. “Does that mean you didn’t really need my draft, just now?”
“Uh, yes.” Marcelo looked