Chapters (95)
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Also by David Swinson
- Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital.
“You’re scared. Your uncle’s been murdered. We both know Jasper’s probably behind it. You can’t trust going to the police because of that. You found out I’m a PI and an ex-cop through your uncle, who I was working with. So you turn yourself in to me for the burglary of my residence, and you need protection. That’s a good story to go with.”
“You kidding? I told you I can’t catch a charge.”
“Just listen. I know it’s difficult, but I have a way out of this for you—and for me, ’cause it’ll get Jasper out of both of our lives. I think that’s why you came here anyway. If you weren’t so high, I believe you would have done it differently. You weren’t thinking straight. Do what I say, but don’t mention anything about the motel. If you do, I’ll make sure you get fucked.”
“I’m still not thinking straight.”
I can say the same.
“Hear me out. Detective Joe Hurley is a good friend of mine.”
“No.”
“He’ll tell you the same thing I’m going to. Cops can never make promises, but you can believe this: I’ve been through this kinda talk, and so has Hurley, more times than I can remember. I can tell you based on all those experiences that it has worked out for everyone else we’ve talked to, but that’s only if they don’t fuck up during the process.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You turn yourself in through me—”
“No.”
“Just shut up,” I say to a man with a gun. “You turn yourself in through me to Detective Hurley. He’s already investigating Officer Jasper, so he needs someone like you really bad. I can tell you you’ll probably get a sweet deal, maybe even just a slap on the back of your hand, ’cause you’ve got a clean record. So we arrange for you to turn yourself in, and you confess to my burglary only, but say that you were directed to commit the burglary by Jasper. Outta fear, you obeyed. You still with me?”
Nods once.
“You tell him you’ll cooperate. I’ll tell him how much danger you’re in and that you can’t go into general population.”
“Prison?!”
“You won’t be in there for more than two or three days. Max. Really. When you get to arraignment—which, if we do this now, might be later this morning—they’ll give you a lawyer pro bono.”
I wish it could be Leslie, but that’s a definite conflict of interest for her.
“What’s that really mean?”