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 put my ear to the door. Sounds like he’s still watching TV. I bow my head so he can’t make me out through the peephole, take a deep breath, and knock.
Couple seconds later, I hear shuffling inside.
“Who’s there?”
“Front office. Smoke detector light’s blinking for your room. I need to check it out.”
“I don’t smoke, and there’s no fire in here that I can see.”
“City fire regulations, sir. I have to check. Won’t be but a minute. Might be just a short or something.”
“I’m telling ya there’s nothing,” Biddy says.
“Sir, either I check or I have to call the fire department, and they’ll have to check on it. Sorry to bother you, but I have to come in.”
The door opens, but only a bit.
“I’ll just be a second,” I say with a smile.
“I didn’t see you in the front office.”
“I work maintenance, stay in one of the rooms upstairs, and got a call. Smoke alarm’s right there on the wall above the thermostat.”
He turns his head to see, then back to me. He opens the door to let me in.
Looks like he’s been lying on top of the covers. Some reality show is on cable. I smell the familiar sweet scent.
I walk to the smoke detector, look at it briefly, and reach up to remove the battery.
“Just as I thought,” I say.
I take the battery and drop it in my pack, then set my pack on the armchair.
“One more thing I have to check out,” I say, walking toward him.
He steps back as I pass.
In one quick move, I snatch him by the hand and twist it so he doesn’t have a choice but to turn the way I want him to. He yelps, comically, as I think he meant it to be a scream. I kick him on the inside of his right knee, and he buckles and falls face-first on the bed.
“Make any noise, and you’re fucked.”
He turns his head so his cheek is on the mattress, his right eye trying to focus on me.
“I don’t have money.”
“Do I look like a burglar?”
I take out my handcuffs and cuff his right wrist.
He struggles.
“Wait, wait…”
He’s double-jointed, the gangly little fuck.
“Hold on, now…hold on…what’s going on here?” he squeals.
“Quit struggling or I’ll snap your arm in two.”
“Please…”
I manage to cuff him, but before I roll him over onto his back I say, “You scream, even talk loud, you’ll regret it. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“Stay just like you are.”