Too late he remembered the girls were there and listening to his end of the conversation, and he swung around, his gaze connecting with first one, then the other. One of the girls leaned back as if she could somehow escape into the wall while the one with blue and brown hair widened her eyes at his words even as her chin fell toward her chest, her shoulders dropping as if he’d placed a ton of bricks on them – or murdered her family.

A chill, angry laugh drilled into his ear. ‘Adam, don’t be so naïve. Do you think he was going to just let us walk away after giving us what we wanted?’

The way Alex had grabbed the marble rolling pin before bludgeoning the private investigator was still stuck in his head, the sight of mangled flesh playing in Technicolor in his memory. And all he’d done was stand there, stunned and terrified as he watched, wincing as blood sprayed everywhere, peppering his face and arms, remembering another time when Alex’s anger had taken over.

Goosebumps and a cold sweat broke out over his skin, and his insides roiled. He rattled his head back and forth in an effort to scrub the images from his brain, both the hopelessness in the girls’ faces and that of the murdered Kensingtons. It didn’t help, so he stepped over to an old coffee can that had once been used as a spittoon and kicked it across the floor, watching as it hit a closet door, rust sprinkling off the sides.

One of the girls whimpered loudly, the end of her pink nose dripping as she wiggled her body so close to her blue-haired friend, a sheet of paper wouldn’t slide between them.

‘What was that noise?’ Too late, Adam realized he’d made a mistake, and when he didn’t answer right away, Alex’s voice rose, shrill in its demand. ‘Adam? What. Did. You. Do?’

He opened his mouth to lie, but the truth tumbled out before he could stop it, even admitting he hadn’t located the beanie.

‘You idiot! What the—what were you even thinking?’ The hissed response was akin to having a snake embedded in his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. ‘Shit!’ Adam heard a thump, thump, thump as Alex pounded on something, probably imagining it to be him. ‘Damn it! Stay put. Do not go anywhere. Adam? Are you listening? I’ll be there as soon as I can get away, and then I’ll take care of the problem. Again.’

The words I’ll take care of the problem echoed in the silence of the abruptly ended call and looped like a rollercoaster in Adam’s already addled thinking. But Alex’s intention was clear, and a new surge of adrenaline raced through him.