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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

Spencer was just about to hit Chris’s number when a silver Merc SUV swung into the entrance and stopped abruptly, as if surprised to find its way barred. A guy who looked like a cross between a lawyer and a Czech music professor got out. The guy stared at the closed gates and then around him as if checking he’d come to the right place.

“Hey,” he said to Spencer. “Know anything about this?”

“Who are you?” asked Spencer.

“Oh, sorry. Johnny. Well, people call me Johnny Boy. I work for a guy who came and looked at a car here. I was supposed to come down and put a deposit on it.”

“Dominic McGrath? The Lotus?”

“That’s right, but he wanted a Jag,” said Johnny Boy.

Spencer sighed.

Johnny Boy looked at the sign again. “Guess that isn’t going to be possible now.”

“They’ll auction it. He’ll get it cheaper.”

“Now is that right? I’ll be sure to pass that on.” Johnny Boy started back to his car but stopped. “Say, you need a ride somewhere?”

“Not unless you’re going anywhere south of Highland Park.”

“You’re in luck.”

As they drove, Spencer found himself being drawn into a conversation that spawned ideas. One of those ideas was that Dominic McGrath was a guy he needed to know. He didn’t realize he was getting these ideas because the man driving wanted him to. A clever, careful man. And when they pulled over on McLean, Johnny Boy did a great job of acting surprised, but agreeable, when Spencer asked for his card.

10

10

The New Guy from Nebraska

Spencer held off telling Chris the dealership had bought the farm. Chris had a low stress tolerance these days. Spencer could hear him in the kitchen, asking Abby about her day. He felt guilty for not doing the same. He would, he promised himself, just as soon as he got things going again. And with that in mind, he paced the fire escape porch late into the night.

Chris was about to switch off his bedside light when Spencer’s head appeared in his doorway.

“Chris, I need to borrow Penny tomorrow.”

Chris was one of those guys to whom a car was strictly a means of transportation. What it said about him was of no consequence. He’d even allowed Abby to name his Prius.

“Did you say yes?” said Abby.

“Yes to what?” said Chris.

“Yes to Dad taking Penny this morning.”

“Sure, why?”

“You shouldn’t have.”

“Why? I’ll walk you to the bus.”

“It’s not that, Chris. Didn’t you see what he was doing last night? He was making a plan. And it’ll be a bad one.”

“Abby, you’re eleven. You were in bed. He’s just borrowing the car.”

“Dad’s a car dealer, Chris. He has lots of cars and he hates Penny.”