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
“Listen. I never thought I’d be saying this, but I need your help.”
She asked help with what, and I think I managed to give her an explanation within three, maybe four seconds. With Gemma-Kate all she needs is a couple of words to get the picture.
“Let me organize things from here,” she said.
“No. The guy’s worse than crazy, he’s stupid crazy. Put the Tucson cops on the scene and you don’t know who’s going to get hurt. But I have an idea, if you can get something for me.”
“Can’t you just do your usual, walk in and shoot him in the face or something?”
“He has Carlo. Carlo might get hurt.”
“No.”
“Besides, he knows I’m coming and I’m pretty sure he has a gun.”
“Don’t you know how to kill someone with a credit card?”
“I’m sure he’ll take whatever I have on me. He’ll take my wallet.”
“Will he be eating anything, do you think?”
“It’s not that kind of a situation. Gemma-Kate, just listen. I need a weapon that doesn’t look like a weapon.”
“That stick of yours with the razor on the bottom?”
“He would see it. That won’t get by.”
“Okay, what are you thinking? I’ll do anything.”
“Get me some pepper spray,” I told her. “Only it can’t be in one of those aerosol canisters marked ‘pepper spray.’ Understand?”
“That’s it, capsicum? That’s your plan? And you say this guy is crazy? Do you realize the chance you’re taking?”
“Just do it, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
There was barely a beat of silence before she had thought through several scenarios and I felt her nodding into the phone. “I’ll see if I can get the materials and tell you how to handle them without hurting yourself. How much time do I have?”
“I’m in the Tampa airport about to board. I’m seeing a Dallas connection on the departure board, so if I can manage the connection it puts me in Tucson by four fifteen. I’ll pick you up. Just call me back to confirm you’ve got it and tell me what to do.”
Gemma-Kate disconnected. I got on the plane to Dallas, found the seat, and buckled myself in, my mind repeating all the connections I’d missed until now. To break the useless flow I went back to reading Hickock’s confession because it was all I could do.