BooksBarbecue
Back The Newcomer
Chapters (71)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

“Is that a threat?” Her voice grew shrill. “Fuck you, okay? I’m going out on a limb in a major way here. Setting up a hit on somebody is a lot more serious than looking the other way when you set up another illegal Airbnb in a building in Brooklyn. How do I know you won’t turn around and blame this whole thing on me once this girl is dead? For all I know, you could be ratting me out to the city right now, you creep.…”

“Hey, chill, Vikki,” Evan said hastily. “Nobody’s ratting anybody out. This is a negotiation, right? It’s nothing personal. It’s just how I do business. You made an offer, I made a counter, which you rejected. Jesus! Doesn’t mean the deal’s off the table. Calm down, okay?”

“You know what?” she said heatedly. “I am so over guys telling me to calm down, I could puke. Just tell me, do we have a deal? Fifty thousand. Final offer.”

“Yeah. It’s a deal. Couple things. I’m gonna need proof that the deed is done.”

“That’s crazy. You want her disappeared, there won’t be any proof.”

“A photo’s good. But I want to be able to tell it’s Letty, not some homeless bag lady you snatched off the street. I’ve seen that episode of Law & Order.”

“Okay. That sounds doable,” Agent Hill said. “What else?”

“My daughter. I don’t want her hurt. Make sure she’s nowhere near Letty when it happens. You understand? And then, I want you, personally, to deliver her back to me.”

“Me? I’m not a child welfare worker, Evan. I don’t even like kids.”

“You’ll get over it. She’s a sweet kid. Nothing like her mother. One more thing. I want this done. Now. Like, this weekend. Maya’s been gone almost a month. No telling what she’s been through. I’ll probably still be paying for a shrink when she’s in college.”

“I don’t know,” Agent Hill objected. “My guy might not be ready. He’s gonna have to do some legwork to set up everything. Also, he’s gonna want half up front.”

“This weekend,” Wingfield repeated. “Or the deal’s off. Also, half won’t work. I’ll transfer ten thousand dollars into your account this afternoon. You’ll get the rest when I get proof.”

He hung up before she could offer any more lame objections.

Agent Hill disconnected, too. She went back to her text chain with DeCurtis and began typing.

GAME ON.

36

MELTDOWN OVER, MAYA SAT AT her red table, contentedly sucking on the cherry Popsicle Ava had fetched from her apartment above the office.