BooksBarbecue
Back Die Next Save as PDF
Chapters (97)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. SIX MONTHS LATER
  25. 20.
  26. 21.
  27. 22.
  28. 23.
  29. 24.
  30. 25.
  31. 26.
  32. 27.
  33. 28.
  34. 29.
  35. 30.
  36. 31.
  37. 32.
  38. 33.
  39. 34.
  40. 35.
  41. 36.
  42. 37.
  43. 38.
  44. 39.
  45. 40.
  46. 41.
  47. 42.
  48. 43.
  49. 44.
  50. 45.
  51. 46.
  52. 47.
  53. 48.
  54. 49.
  55. 50.
  56. 51.
  57. 52.
  58. 53.
  59. 54.
  60. 55.
  61. 56.
  62. 57.
  63. 58.
  64. 59.
  65. 60.
  66. 61.
  67. 62.
  68. 63.
  69. 64.
  70. 65.
  71. 66.
  72. 67.
  73. 68.
  74. 69.
  75. 70.
  76. 71.
  77. 72.
  78. 73.
  79. 74.
  80. 75.
  81. 76.
  82. 77.
  83. 78.
  84. 79.
  85. 80.
  86. 81.
  87. 82.
  88. 83.
  89. 84.
  90. 85.
  91. 86.
  92. 87.
  93. SIX MORE MONTHS LATER
  94. 88.
  95. 89.
  96. Discover More
  97. About the Author

He scoops up his cell phone and shoves it into his pocket.

Truth is, Joey’s been reluctant to even look at the thing ever since Steve showed him the shiny new components inside it. He doesn’t like looking at it or feeling it in his pocket. It’s a reminder of his fate, of doom, of inevitability.

He glances at Becker, who is trying to shove his laptop back into his beat-up bag. To someone like Karloff, this guy Becker must be disposable, where Cope and Carter may not be. Is Becker as disposable as Joey? As disposable as the phone in Joey’s pocket?

If there really is a bomb in the courtroom, Karloff is saving not only on an assassin’s final contract price but also on significant legal fees. Cope and Carter, Joey is sure, are on ski vacations, at beach houses, at children’s soccer games or dance recitals. While bald, money-hungry, baggy-suited Nat Becker is shuffling into the courtroom alongside Joey. You may be a lawyer but you’re as stupid as I am, thinks Joey.

Getting a cell phone detonator into the courtroom. Is this somehow what the whole civil suit is really about? Joey can barely get his head around the idea. And certainly can’t begin to answer the even bigger question: why?

73.

73.

Zack stops into a GreenGirl.

A different one. One where no one knows him. One where he’s never worked, never been seen. There are hundreds of them, practically interchangeable, and once again, he’s glad it’s a chain.

For whatever conscious or unconscious reasons, he relives his previous life for a few moments. Buys a Café Americano—this one from a surly, downbeat barista with a black crewcut and beard—treats himself to a cranberry muffin, and settles onto a stool at the counter by the window.

Is he trying to rekindle—with the right setting, the right props—his earlier life in some way? Does he expect Steve or Emily will magically appear in the window as if coming to meet him?

Emily and Steve aren’t speaking to him. So he knows they’re not forwarding any online news to his cheap, featureless, app-less phone. So he flips open his old laptop, connects to the GreenGirl Wi-Fi, starts scrolling through some local news sites, and sees it. JOEY RICHTER TO STAND TRIAL ON CIVIL CHARGES.

He still has his password from Lopez. He takes a sip of coffee and, with a few clicks, starts to scroll through the state of New York legal docket.

And there it is.

Civil trials, Part 231, State of NY v. Joey Richter, Judge J. Litvinov presiding.

Wait a second. Something echoes in Zack Yellin’s head. Some reverberation of recognition, of mild familiarity, turning sharper, electric, in his mind.

Litvinov. Is it possible?