Chapters (46)
- COVER PAGE
- PRAISE
- DEDICATION
- 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
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- SNEAK PEEK: EXIT .45
West along Sunset in the limousine. Even with traffic it felt like a perfect journey: just the two of them in the back, Erin in that same seat and looking at him. He would have been happy to sit there and let the moment run its course, enjoy the feeling of something good about to turn even better—life on one of those heady upward curves—but he still hadn’t told her about Locke, or the other thing. And maybe she read his mind, because she stretched out and nudged him lightly with a foot, and part of him took note that this was the first time she had touched him since they’d shaken hands yesterday morning—the tie thing a moment ago didn’t really count.
She said, ‘Say it. Whatever it is.’
He said, ‘I was trying to put this off, but I got a couple of calls during the interview.’
He told her about Locke first.
‘They found him at the kitchen table with his head missing, basically. They think whoever killed him was sitting opposite, got him with a shotgun.’
He watched her swallow carefully, and the light seemed to leave her face for a moment, just the way her expression softened. She said, ‘Who told you?’
‘An LAPD detective. They want an interview tomorrow.’
‘And it was Gutierrez who did it?’
‘I assume so. I think Locke went looking for him, and Andre found him first.’
She had her eyes closed now. ‘God, he probably had a family, kids.’
He didn’t know what to say to that.
Erin said, ‘What was the other call?’
‘Your friend with the digital voice.’
‘Let me guess: he wants thirty million dollars.’
‘Exactly.’
Erin opened her eyes. ‘They’re not going to stop. For God’s sake. They’ll just kill everyone who’s in their way.’
Vincent said, ‘We need a different hotel.’
She shook her head. ‘I can’t pay if I’m dead. They know that.’
He didn’t answer.
She said, ‘Are you scared?’
Vincent had to think about that. He said, ‘Scared’s not the right word.’
‘What would you call it then?’
‘I don’t know. But I’ve met these kinds of people before, and I’m the one still here, talking about it.’
She was looking at him.
He said, ‘Wary. I’d say I’m wary.’
She nodded.
Vincent said, ‘And what about you? Are you scared?’
Erin said, ‘I’m scared I won’t find out what they’ve done. I’m scared they won’t end up dead or in prison at the end of all this.’