“I’m keeping up,” Rose says. She puts the note back in with the gun, then zips the bag shut.

For a long time they sit on the bench, neither speaking. Finally, Rose says, “You are between a serious rock and a hard place. You kill me, you go to jail for a long time. You don’t kill me, same thing happens.”

“God damn.” Eddie blows out a sigh. “All the counselors and shit they make you talk to in the clink, even the other prisoners, they all tell you not to do that one last job. It’s the one that hangs you.” He sounds like he is about to cry.

Rose picks up the bowling bag and sets it on the bench between them. She takes out her cell and pokes the buttons. “There, now you shooting me is on my To Publish list if anything happens to me.”

“That’s just great,” Eddie says. For several minutes, Rose watches the shoppers. Eddie watches the floor between his feet.

“You know, Eddie, this is that whole wicked web karma,” Rose says. “You’ve pretty much hit bottom. First they’ll repo your truck. Then you can’t work. No work, no Tania. Then a gun, prison. You are right royally screwed.”

“Rub my nose in it,” Eddie says.

“Just thinking out loud,” Rose replies.

“Yeah, well, don’t.”

“I might be able to get you out of this mess,” Rose says pensively.

“I bet. You’ve done such a good job with that so far.”

“What other choice do you have?” Rose asks.

“Since I met you? None.”

Rose punches him in the shoulder.

“What was that for?” he nearly whines.

“You are not the victim here, Eddie. Get your mind around that.”

“Okay. So. What do I have to do?”

Rose smiles and pats the bowling bag. “Just one last job,” she says.

CHAPTER 26

Given the vast number of things Rose has to regret, the great gouts of bad karma lapping at her heels like an incipient tsunami, the worst is lying to Mel. Honesty bonds them. From the moment they met, Mel twenty minutes old, Rose fifty-four years, Rose swore she would not only tell Melanie the truth but would also protect and defend the child’s truth as it changed and evolved.

Tonight Rose has smashed that oath all to hell, no shading, no omissions; an outright, premeditated lie. Like all liars, Rose justifies her action as necessary. She and Eddie are setting out to break serious go-to-jail laws. Eddie, Rose refuses to feel responsible for. Once a man tries to kill a woman, all bets are off.

If things go wrong tonight, even their status as minors would not save Mel and Royal from the justice system. Knowing they would insist on helping anyway, Rose has chosen to tell them she is going out to dinner and a movie with Brian, the Lyft driver, who waited for her outside Vincenzo’s.