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.
I undress in the master bathroom, drop my clothes in the hamper, put on some fresh boxer briefs and my old gray Redskins division-champs T-shirt, and go to bed. I’ll force-feed myself in the morning, eat some grapefruit and down a couple of vitamins. That should be good enough to go. Well, that and replenishing my supply, but not with as much as I usually take. Need to conserve.
Thunder’s in the distance. Another storm heading our way. I love a good storm. Helps me sleep.
Two in the morning.
Did I sleep?
I think I did, but I don’t remember dreaming. Might be a good thing. Means I might’ve slept deeply, as short as it may have been. As much as I want to, and this body wants to, I can’t bother going back to bed. It’ll just get me thinking.
After my morning ritual cleansing, I pack up my backpack. I put on my good suit ’cause it makes me feel like a detective again, and I’ll need that if I get the chance to chat with Mr. Diamond today.
I do feel like I used to feel back in the day, which really wasn’t so long ago, when I had to get up before the sun to execute a search warrant. Everything but the suit. I’d never wear a suit to a search warrant back then, when I was actually a cop. I do on occasion nowadays, but those situations aren’t really search warrants, and the suit is more of a disguise than a uniform. Fake armor.
Rain-drenched landscape. What little grass I have in front needs it. Must’ve been a good storm. The humidity is oddly low. Sky is cleared of clouds, allowing the subtle first light through. The quiet time.
I drive the car around the block to make sure I’m not being followed. I take some back roads, too. Easier to spot a tail that way. No rush hour, so I make it to Diamond’s neighborhood quickly. I do a drive-through in the alley at the rear of his house. His cab is there.
It’s a tough one to set up on. Would’ve been easier if he’d parked in front, because then there’d be only one direction he could go. I need to get an eyeball on his car. The only way to do that is to set up in the narrow alley and trust that a neighbor won’t complain or, worse, call the police. It’s early enough to think I might be okay. And luckily it’s not so humid, so I can turn the car off.
The sun is slow to rise behind me, but when it does it’s beaming.
Seven in the morning.
You’d think he’d get out there by now. Rush hour beginning, burglars starting their rounds casing the neighborhoods.