Chapters (65)
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- 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
- Forty–one
- Forty–two
- Forty–three
- Forty–four
- Forty–five
- Forty–six
- Forty–seven
- Forty–eight
- Forty–nine
- Fifty
- Fifty–one
- Fifty–two
- Fifty–three
- Fifty–four
- Fifty–five
- Fifty–six
- Fifty–seven
- Author’s Note
- Acknowledgments
- Also by Becky Masterman
- About the Author
- Newsletter Sign-up
Beaufort noted the number she was calling from on the phone’s display screen. “I’ll call you,” he said.
He hung up on her. With something close to admiration he turned to Carlo. “Your wife is one crazy bitch.”
Carlo moved his jaw where Beaufort had smacked him, and then nodded, clearly troubled more by the past minute than by anything that had gone before. “I’m beginning to get that, yes.”
Fifty
I disconnected, shaking with the adrenaline surge from the control I had had to exert over myself during the call. Of course I had lied about the confession incriminating Beaufort, because, after all, Hickock didn’t name him. Except for the first name Jerry, a common name, there was no way to undoubtedly connect Beaufort in all the ways I had figured. But Beaufort didn’t know that, or was too stupid to remember Hickock couldn’t finger him. It was critical that Beaufort stay in the dark about this. If he thought the document was useless as evidence he would have no reason to leave Carlo alive until I got there.
What would he do now? Would he head across the border with Carlo? Would Carlo stay silent as they passed the border guard? I wished I had been able to speak with him more, to give him some warning or advice. If only I had insisted on Gemma-Kate staying with him. At this point I wasn’t sure whether I’d ever be able to speak to him again and only hoped he felt some of the courage I was sending him.
What I could be sure of was that Beaufort wouldn’t take the chance of remaining in our house. He couldn’t know if I would make good on my promise to not call in the cavalry. That’s why he said he wouldn’t take any more calls on our landline. So where? To Gloria’s house?
I thought I knew how Beaufort’s mind would be working, but if Gloria was still alive, for me she was the wild card.
On the other hand, as far as Beaufort was concerned, I was the wild card.
“Yes,” I said to myself, and looked up, thinking, hardly seeing that I had stepped to the center of the concourse while I’d been talking, instinctively moving away from anyone who might have heard me.