BooksBarbecue
Back The Asset
Chapters (86)
  1. Foreword
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. 50
  52. 51
  53. 52
  54. 53
  55. 54
  56. 55
  57. 56
  58. 57
  59. 58
  60. 59
  61. 60
  62. 61
  63. 62
  64. 63
  65. 64
  66. 65
  67. 66
  68. 67
  69. 68
  70. 69
  71. 70
  72. 71
  73. 72
  74. 73
  75. 74
  76. 75
  77. 76
  78. 77
  79. 78
  80. 79
  81. 80
  82. 81
  83. 82
  84. 83
  85. 84
  86. Afterword

She had to force herself not to think about what had gone wrong. There were too many permutations, and the situation at hand was more urgent. She had to get through the next few minutes, get to Spector, get this Goldin off her back, and then she could figure out how much shit she was in.

She’d brought this on herself. She’d known it would cost her. There would be a price, and she was ready to pay it.

She just wanted desperately for it to be worth the cost.

The cab pulled up outside the Horse’s Head and she peered out the back window. Goldin’s cab was behind them at the last set of lights.

She looked around the street. It was all but deserted. There were a few cars crossing at the intersections, there was a guy walking down the street smoking a cigarette.

She reached into her purse and felt the reassuring steel of the pistol.

“I ain’t got all night, lady,” the cab driver said.

36

Laurel looked at her watch for the thousandth time. It was almost one AM.

“Hey lady, I’ve really got to get going,” the bartender said.

He’d already put up the seats, swept the floor, and was finishing his cash out. He’d agreed to let her wait while he closed but her time was up.

“Just a few more minutes,” she said.

“Lady, it’s snowing outside and I’ve got to get all the way across town.”

“She’s coming,” she said. “I’m sure of it.”

“I don’t care. I’ve got to lock up. It’s time to call it a night.”

Laurel didn’t know what to do. She’d been certain if she left the message at the mail store, someone would show.

“Fine,” she said, grabbing her coat from the back of the stool.

She let the bartender usher her out, then offered him a cigarette to stall for time. He took it and she lit it for him.

As he locked up she said, “Any idea where I can get a cab at this time of night?”

“Just try the corner,” he said, as he went down the steps.

She watched him walk away, leaving deep footprints in the snow behind him.

The snow had really started to fall. It was piling up on the street, causing the cars to slow down and giving everything an eerie stillness. It reminded her of the town in Montana. She looked up and was fairly certain she could see a drone in the sky. It wouldn’t have been unlike Roth to send one in when he pulled the surveillance team.

She saw a cab approaching and raised her hand. To her relief, it pulled over.

She hurried down the steps reaching for the door, but it opened before she got to it.

“Oh,” she said, surprised.

“Excuse me,” a woman said, getting out.