Johnny Boy clicked off the TV and looked at Spencer coldly. “Those two go in the Prius. You follow with us. Bring their phones. And yours.”

Chris drove as slow as ever up the seventy-five, and it was dark by the time they got back to Detroit. Sitting in the back seat of McGrath’s car as they rolled into the lot of Chris’s apartment block, Spencer felt sick. The Yo-Yo parked behind Penny. Spencer went to get out.

“Hold your horses,” said McGrath. “Next Friday. Means you got a week to get ready. Anything you need, you ask. And we better make sure you focus and, you know, don’t go off on any tangents again. How many rooms he got up there?”

“Two. Why?”

“You guys are going to have a houseguest.”

Moments later, Spencer was standing by the apartment block entrance, watching McGrath’s Mercedes leave. In the corner of the lot, the Subaru was back. The car sneered at him, like a friend he’d left for dead now returned, a friend no longer.

He sent Abby upstairs with Chris and started unloading Penny. He was worried about Chris. The stress of the day had taken its toll.

Abby held the apartment door open so he could at least walk straight in with each load.

“Last one,” he said as he headed for the stairs.

This time, when he arrived back at the apartment, the Yo-Yo was waiting for him.

“We need to look at your car,” he said as Spencer dropped an armful of stuff in the hallway.

He followed Spencer down the stairs. Just as Spencer went to open the communal door of the block, he was yanked backward. The Yo-Yo spun him around and threw him against the mailboxes. It was as if he weighed nothing. Suddenly he was off the floor and flying backward until impact. The sharp little handles cut deeply into his back.

The Yo-Yo grabbed him by the throat and gave his face and stomach several hard slugs in quick succession. Spencer couldn’t breathe. His vision started to cloud.

Suddenly the beating stopped. The Yo-Yo leaned in close, showering Spencer’s face with spittle, whispering harshly.

“Dom’s the chief, Spencer. He works in his own way. My way would be different. There’s three of you. I only need to let you live. I really wanna go up there and kill one of them just so you do what you’re told. You know I ain’t got no problem wasting a kid. If you go out for something, remember I’ll be here with them. You bring anyone back, any cops, I can work real fast. Understand me?”

Spencer nodded. The Yo-Yo let go and he slithered to the floor. As he lay there gasping, he heard the Yo-Yo’s footsteps ascend the stairs. Chris’s front door opened and slammed.