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 walk back to the nightstand, grab the fake identification out of his wallet, and bring it back. Put it in his face.
“This is all I need to have you put away for life. But I don’t make you for the murdering type.”
“I’m not. I’m not…I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
I bitch-slap him hard on the side of the face. Maybe too hard. I’m worried I snapped his neck.
He whimpers.
“And I’m pretty damn sure you won’t last long in prison. So you’re going to talk, tell me what I need to know.” I pull out my wallet and flash my badge. “Or we’ll take care of this outside of court.”
“Oh, damn,” he whimpers.
I see watery eyes and a few tears.
“Do you still have a job?” I ask.
“No.”
“What did you do before you got messed up with this shit?”
“Building maintenance for DC public schools.”
He didn’t deny being messed up with any kinda shit.
“Damn. So you got fired?”
“Yeah.”
“Piss test?”
“Yes.”
“You had a pension, health, and all that?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“How many years did you have?”
“Four.”
“That’s not so bad. Built up a little bit on your pension is all. You didn’t lose much.”
He chuckles, a nervous chuckle.
“I want the rest of my shit back. I want to know why that kid was murdered in my kitchen.”
“How do I know you’re not setting me up?”
What the fuck does he mean by that?
“What are you talking about, ‘setting me up’?”
“That you don’t work for him, and you’re just testing me.”
“No, I don’t work for him. Who the fuck is him?”
“I’m sorry, sir. I can’t get your stuff back.”
“I’m not setting you up. This is my life you fucked. I want information. You don’t give it to me, I’m going to turn you in right now. You’re not going to get the shit kicked outta you or nothin’ like that, ’cause I changed my mind. I got a good sense about people. Like I said, I don’t figure you for a killer. You’re just going to go to jail, and so is your uncle. And both of you will get charged with murder, with burglary, and then you’ll find yourselves playing with the big boys in some federal prison.”
“My uncle?”
“Yeah, I know your uncle Diamond, and no, he didn’t give you up. I followed you both here. I know he’s trying to protect you. He’d even go to prison for you. You must really mean something to him.”