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
She ended the call and sighed gently and said, ‘All right. Getting there. We’re booked at the Beverly Hilton.’
Nice. Though it might be hard talking her out of the Hilton and into a safe house. And he wasn’t actually sure if he was supposed to talk or not. He waited a couple of blocks and then looked at her in the mirror, saw her looking back, and somehow that seemed like an invitation to speak.
Vincent said, ‘I’m happy to do PA duty too, if you want. Cancel any book signings or whatever.’
Erin shook her head. ‘It’s not a signing, it’s a live podcast. Tomorrow night, actually. Dad didn’t want me to do it, and I’m not going to let him have his way just because he’s dead.’
Vincent decided to leave that one alone for now, maybe pick up on it later.
Erin said, ‘Funny, I could solve the whole thing right now.’ She held up Freeman’s phone so he could see it in the mirror. ‘Go through his calls one at a time, maybe I’d get someone guilty on the line.’
Vincent said, ‘I imagine people won’t let on that they’re involved.’
She said, ‘Yeah. Might be a bit cagey, do you think? If I ask have they been out shooting anyone?’
It was hard getting a read on her. He couldn’t tell if she was glib because she felt genuinely in control, or if the attitude was fabricated—some kind of coping mechanism. She looked out the window, and it reminded him of Lamar, just the way she held herself. It was a strange upshot of a bad situation: Eugene dead, and now he was driving Erin. He couldn’t help the thought, but given the choice—Erin or the old man—he’d choose her every time.
She said, ‘And the problem is: Then what?’ He saw her swallow—chin up a little as she looked at the street going past, letting him see that nice line of her throat in profile. She said, ‘I don’t know if I want them in prison, or just dead.’
And now she was looking at him: hard, clear eyes in the mirror, and he felt she was asking him the question. He’d said he would help her, but how far would he go?
Vincent said, ‘You’ve heard my opinion: I think you should leave it with the police.’ Not strictly true, but it would do for now. He figured it was best to play it legal, see where they ended up.
Erin said, ‘Yes, but we’ve been through that, haven’t we? I’m taking an active role, and you’re helping me.’