Chapter 45 Hole-in-the-wall Diner

‘Do you need some ointment for that?’ Logan asked. ‘We could stop by a pharmacy.’

‘No, thanks,’ Alessia said. ‘It looks worse than it is.’

The portly Jeramy Chavez was all fat and no muscle.

‘Thank you for stepping in and saving me, Mr Wilde,’ Alessia said, her gratitude tinged with a touch of reservation.

‘That’s why you are treating me to dinner.’

‘Fine. But you know I can’t possibly afford to take you to a Michelin-starred restaurant, the kind of fine-dining establishment you are usually used to.’ Alessia’s eyes gleamed with mischief. ‘If you are up for it, there’s this place I know, a hole in the wall tucked away at the end of an alley not far from here. It doesn’t have a signboard. The walls have peeling paint. But the food’s more than decent. The question is, do you have the guts to eat there, Mr Wilde?’

‘Why wouldn’t I?’

‘Your suit probably costs more than the rent of that place,’ Alessia said. ‘And I know for a fact that your car definitely costs more than everything they have