Back Deep Sleep
Chapters (72)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. PART I
  7. CHAPTER 1
  8. CHAPTER 2
  9. CHAPTER 3
  10. CHAPTER 4
  11. CHAPTER 5
  12. CHAPTER 6
  13. CHAPTER 7
  14. PART II
  15. CHAPTER 8
  16. CHAPTER 9
  17. CHAPTER 10
  18. CHAPTER 11
  19. CHAPTER 12
  20. CHAPTER 13
  21. CHAPTER 14
  22. CHAPTER 15
  23. CHAPTER 16
  24. CHAPTER 17
  25. CHAPTER 18
  26. PART III
  27. CHAPTER 19
  28. CHAPTER 20
  29. CHAPTER 21
  30. CHAPTER 22
  31. CHAPTER 23
  32. CHAPTER 24
  33. CHAPTER 25
  34. CHAPTER 26
  35. CHAPTER 27
  36. CHAPTER 28
  37. CHAPTER 29
  38. CHAPTER 30
  39. CHAPTER 31
  40. PART IV
  41. CHAPTER 32
  42. CHAPTER 33
  43. CHAPTER 34
  44. CHAPTER 35
  45. CHAPTER 36
  46. CHAPTER 37
  47. CHAPTER 38
  48. CHAPTER 39
  49. CHAPTER 40
  50. CHAPTER 41
  51. PART V
  52. CHAPTER 42
  53. CHAPTER 43
  54. CHAPTER 44
  55. CHAPTER 45
  56. CHAPTER 46
  57. CHAPTER 47
  58. CHAPTER 48
  59. CHAPTER 49
  60. CHAPTER 50
  61. CHAPTER 51
  62. CHAPTER 52
  63. CHAPTER 53
  64. CHAPTER 54
  65. CHAPTER 55
  66. CHAPTER 56
  67. PART VI
  68. CHAPTER 57
  69. CHAPTER 58
  70. CHAPTER 59
  71. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  72. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Heart attack food sounds about right,” said Berg. “I just need to use the bathroom.”

“Watch your head,” said Devin.

The bathroom had clearly been an afterthought. About the size of a modest walk-in closet, it featured a toilet, wall-mounted sink that you had to lean your head away from when sitting on the toilet, and the smallest shower stall Devin had ever seen.

When Berg emerged from the bathroom, he pointed a thumb over his shoulder.

“We’re down to a single roll of toilet paper,” said Berg. “Unless she has a hidden stash somewhere.”

Devin shook his head. “I already looked. I’ll make a run for some basics later.”

“We’re not moving in, so don’t go overboard,” said Berg. “Speaking of which, where do you think she slept?”

Devin shrugged. “I think she slept in the recliner. I found a few blankets folded on the floor under the TV.”

“Clothes?”

“French wardrobe in the armoire in the living room,” said Devin.

“What does that mean?”

“About ten pieces she could mix and match to go from casual to dressy. A few pairs of shoes. It’s a minimalist trick.”

“Jesus,” said Berg, shaking his head. “But she had another apartment?”

“The FBI said it didn’t look like she’d spent any significant time there over the past two months,” said Devin. “They were light on the details.”

“So they’re looking for this apartment, too.”

“That’s what I assumed,” said Devin.

“And there’s no way the apartment can be traced back to your mother?” said Berg, looking slightly concerned.

“The building was purchased by a Nevada LLC, which Helen formed anonymously. One of the benefits of a Nevada corporation filing. I got a look at how she set it up when I reviewed the documents transferring the title deed to Henrietta Silver.”

“That was very generous of her,” said Berg. “What are your plans for Ms. Silver while we camp out here?”

“The effective date of the title transfer is forty-five days after her recorded death, so that gives us thirty-four days to work out of this apartment. I’m going to put Henrietta and her family in an Airbnb within the city, but far enough away from here,” said Devin. “I’m hoping that will be enough time for us.”

“It should be,” said Berg. “How do you plan to pay for the Airbnb?”

“I’ll give them ten thousand in gift cards and five thousand in cash. That should be enough for them to arrange a nice Airbnb or two and pay for incidentals for up to a month.”

Helen had fifty thousand dollars in five-hundred-dollar Visa gift cards locked away in her safe, along with what looked like fifty thousand in cash. And that wasn’t all.

“That’ll be more than enough,” said Berg. “Make sure they understand the stakes.”

“I think they do,” said Devin.

“Not good enough,” said Berg. “Make sure they do.”