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Chapters (57)
  1. Welcome to the Game
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraphs
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. Six months later . . .
  56. Acknowledgments
  57. Back Cover

Rosso patted his pocket, started up, and took off slowly across the lot. If he’d seen the way Cal and the Yo-Yo watched him go, he’d have felt even more stressed than he already did.

Rosso slowed up as he approached the Conant and East Winchester intersection, but saw no sign of Dom or his car. When he spotted Johnny Boy’s SUV, he parked up behind and got out to get the lowdown.

Johnny Boy dropped his window. “How much did Cal give you?”

Rosso leaned against the car. “Twenty-nine seven hundred.”

“OK, take it west: the parking structure near Telegraph and Jeffries. You know the one. AtoB will meet you there. This load’s for around Livonia way. Zeb here’s coming with you. Make sure you’re clear of anything before you hit the changeover.”

Rosso was taken aback. Make sure you’re clear? What the fuck did that all mean? As if he didn’t know the AtoB handovers were a big deal. He hesitated, not sure how to play it. All of a sudden he felt awkward, stiff.

“I thought Dom was comin’?” he said.

“He’s busy.” Johnny Boy nodded over at Winchester Auto Specialists, where Spencer’s Lotus was waiting to pull out of the lot. “You got a problem with it not being Dom?”

Rosso wasn’t sure whether it was the question itself or the tone in which it was asked that rattled him. Did Johnny Boy know there was something Rosso wasn’t telling him? He debated whether to bring it up now and clear the air.

“No,” said Rosso. “I just—”

“And ditch your phone,” cut in Johnny Boy.

“This one’s pretty clean, man.”

“I don’t give a damn. Matter of fact, give it to me. Zeb here’s got one. Get going, both of you.”

6

6

The Interview

The Lotus pulled onto Conant. McGrath nodded at Johnny Boy as they passed by. Johnny Boy followed, keeping his distance.

Spencer headed east then north into Macomb. He was going to take McGrath up Sterling Heights way, maybe around Palmer Woods, to find some curves to show off the car’s cornering abilities.

McGrath watched him drive. Fluid, expert—and hungover. He’d known that from his breath back in the showroom, when he’d leaned in close to shake hands.

“Long way from home, Spencer.” It took Spencer a moment to note that it hadn’t annoyed him.

“American wife?” continued McGrath. Spencer glanced round at him, and McGrath nodded at Spencer’s wedding ring.

“She wanted to come back here because her mum was ill.”

“You married a Detroit girl? Good for you. What does she do?”

There was something about the way he asked that almost made Spencer inclined to be totally honest.

“She raises money for museums. Looks for sponsorship by tying up events with companies.”