Fucking hell. Several things occurred to DJ, in no particular order:

Kowalski had cameras inside the woman’s house. He’ll know when I’ve killed her.

This is a damn test.

Mrs. Ellis is talking about me. And it was dark outside her window, but the sun hadn’t set yet. It was barely one in the afternoon.

“Wait.” DJ held up a hand. “Is this prerecorded video?”

Kowalski hit the pause button and the screen froze. “It is. This conversation happened last night. She was peeking in your windows this morning.”

“What about whoever she was talking to? That phone she’s using is ancient. It won’t have caller ID.”

“She has a cordless phone in the kitchen. It will.”

“What about the cameras? Once she’s dead, her family will be all over the house. They’ll see the cameras.”

“They’re the size of a pencil eraser. You’re good with your hands. Cover them up.”

“Fine.” DJ waved at the syringe and vial. “You knew you were going to tell me to kill her.”

“Yep. You really should have had the cameras installed the first time she pushed you for information. Little old ladies often get ignored, but they are fonts of knowledge. All it takes is her telling the wrong person that you’re weird and antisocial and people will start to wonder.”

The man spoke truth. “I’ll do it today, but I’m going to eat first. She won’t go to sleep for a while yet.” He pulled his own cell phone out. “Want some more pizza?”

Kowalski stood, stretching until bones creaked and joints popped. “No, I have to get going. My son has a recital after school. He’s amazing, but I have to sit through the rest of those little brats and it makes me cranky. So I’ll be looking for good news tomorrow.”

He walked to the door to the basement, turning back to look at DJ. “By the way, where are the fifteen kilos of coke I gave you to distribute? I reviewed the accounts this week and realized that money never came in.”

Shit. He should have known this was coming. “This is my first time out of the compound since I got shot.”

“So you have it with you?”

DJ knew exactly where it was. It was stored in a box labeled Smithy Tools in the cave farthest from the main entrance. “No. It would have raised questions if I’d hauled it out.” The truth was that he hadn’t been able to lift the boxes that had been stacked atop it. His arm was still useless. He’d barely managed to get his rifle off that rooftop this morning.

Kowalski’s smile thinned. “Figure out how to ‘haul it out.’ That’s my money. I’ve been very patient during your recovery. In the meantime, I want a full report on the old lady. I also want to see a hearse outside her house, taking her body straight to a funeral home.”

Translation: Make it look like a natural death or else.