“What am I missing here, Chris? He doesn’t like witnesses. Soon as I go out the door with him, he’s going to come back and kill you.”

“Spencer, you have to trust me on this. Tomorrow, that man in there and I are going to come to an understanding.”

“Even if he lets you live, he’s not going to set you free.”

Chris said nothing.

“They can’t get her now,” said Spencer.

“No.” Chris’s eyes were closed. He seemed almost Zen-like.

“Back there,” said Spencer, “in the living room. I thought he was going to kill you. Made me realize something.”

“Yeah? What was that?”

“All this time, all my life, I’ve never been a team player. I’ve taken stupid pride in that. Maybe it’s a driver thing. I only realized how much I’d been relying on Marielle when she didn’t come home that day. And I only just realized you’re the best friend I ever had.”

Chris smiled to himself. “Tell me, Spence, how’s your core strength these days?”

“Huh?”

“’Cause if you’re done sentimentalizing, there’s a ton of high-quality pain management in the bedside drawer next to you, along with some nail scissors I might have need of tomorrow.”

The next morning started hard and fast.

Wordlessly, the Yo-Yo strode in and cut Spencer loose. He marched him downstairs to his car and half threw him into the driver’s seat. He cable tied him to the steering wheel and went to shut the door but stopped. He leaned in.

“You better think about what you gotta do today, friend. I’d have listened to Cal and eighty-sixed you and used Eddie. Long time back. How’s that doin’?”

He gave Spencer’s burned hand a couple of firm slaps. Spencer yelled in pain as the Yo-Yo slammed the door.

Spencer watched him through the windshield as he headed back to the apartment block. Never had he felt more helpless. He was sure Chris had misjudged terribly.

Chris lay on his bed, waiting. He could feel his heart pounding. Really pounding, like he’d taken a bottle of Thermo Booster Burn and then some. Couldn’t be good for him. He laughed inside at the way such commonsense thoughts still popped up even when disaster loomed.

The Yo-Yo’s massive bulk filled his doorway. His gun was already out. Later, it would be in pieces on the bed of the Detroit River. Seeing no reason to stand on ceremony, he walked around the bed to Chris’s side.

“Before you use that, Yo-Yo, let me ask you something.”

“Make it quick.”

“Are you used to people being scared of you?”

“They have reason to be.”

“Some things can be scarier, I tell ya.”