“It rained. The basement flooded, and the fish drowned. Excuse me. I need to use the restroom.” He stood up and walked away, not giving me a chance to say anything, even if I’d wanted to.
I did notice that after a moment, Matheson rose and followed him.
I stared after them, chewing my inner cheek and wondering if I should pay a visit to the men’s room myself.
Our waiter cleared his throat. “Scusi, signore.” I hadn’t even realized he was standing there. “How was the meal?”
“It’s excellent. Thank you.”
“Perfecto. You are finished? I take the dishes, no?”
Mark’s plate held only the remnants of his meal. “Yes. And bring us coffee. We’ll wait for il signore to return before having dessert.”
“Sì.”
He had just brought the small cups of espresso when Mark returned.
“You order dessert, Qui
