Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“Wait a minute, surgery?” Tabitha says. “And Ralph, a murderer? I think I need to sit down.” She plops onto the sofa.
“Jason,” Angie says, “I don’t know what I can tell her.”
“You may as well tell her everything,” I say. “But Tabitha, it doesn’t leave this room. Do I have your word?”
“Yeah, of course. Angie and I are friends. I would never break her trust or yours.”
“All right. Here goes.”
I give Tabitha an abbreviated version, and tears glisten in her eyes as I finish.
She clutches her hand to her chest. “My God. I’m so sorry for your loss, Dr. Lansing.”
“I appreciate that, Tabitha.” I cock my head. “But you called me Jason a moment ago. I’m still Jason. And I’m still in love with Angie. And no, I did not attack Ralph.”
“I can’t believe Ralph isn’t who he says he is,” Tabitha says. “I can’t believe I kind of liked him at one point.”
Angie frowns. “Well, he’s not exactly bad-looking. But like I told you that first night, he’s a dick.”
“That’s a little too tame a word,” I say. “He’s a murdering dick.”
“Sounds like it,” Tabitha agrees. “I think I need a drink now.”
“I’ll get you a glass of wine,” Angie says. “I could use one myself.”
Angie goes to the kitchen and returns with two wine goblets full of red wine. I’m still working on my bourbon when Henry returns.
“Jason, where were you?”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t leave Angie alone. The story she had to tell Tabitha is actually my story, so…”
“Sure, I get it. The good news is, Blake says he thinks he’ll be able to get the DA to drop the charges against you based on the evidence from your motion sensor.”
I feel like a concrete block has been lifted off my shoulders. “God, are you sure?”
“We won’t know for sure until Monday. The courts are closed until then, but…”
“What?” Angie asks.
“I do have a contact in the DA’s office.”
“Here in Boulder County?” Angie asks.
“The Steels have contacts in every county in Colorado, pretty much in every state.”
“It’s okay,” I say. “I can wait until Monday.”
“I can’t,” Angie says. “Call your contact, Henry.”
“All right. I’ll call the DA.”
“Wait,” I say. “Your contact is the actual DA?”
“Yeah,” Henry says.
Damn. These Steels…
Henry gets on his phone, excusing himself again.
Tabitha nudges Angie. “Your brother is hot.”
“Gross,” Angie says. “He’s my brother.”
“Your hot brother.” Tabitha sips her wine. “God, what an evening.”
“You’re telling me,” I murmur, draining the last of my whiskey. I walk to the kitchen for a refill when Henry waylays me.
“Can we talk in private?” he asks.
“Yeah, sure, though I don’t know how Angie will take it.”
“It’s important.”
“Yeah, of course.”
We walk outside to Angie’s small backyard, bringing Tillie along to do her business. Thank God for Angie’s small heater for Tillie. It’s brisk.
“What is it?” I ask.
“The DA has agreed to drop the charges against you.”
Man, if I knew Henry better, I’d give him one hell of a bear hug. “That’s amazing. I can’t thank you enough.”
He shifts his feet. “But there’s something else.”
“Now what?”
“The DA has called off the search of Ralph’s apartment.”
“Why?”
“Because…” Henry clears his throat. “After the fingerprints matched and the handwriting matched, two police detectives went to the hospital to question Ralph.”
“And…” Unease propels through me.
“And…he’s gone.”
“Did he check himself out?”
“No. He sneaked out without anyone seeing. Bed empty, no indication of where he went. He’s just…gone.”
I widen my eyes. “Fuck.”
Henry nods. “Yeah, I think maybe I should take you guys back out west to Snow Creek. We’ve got lots of safe places for you to stay there—”
The doorbell rings.
My heart leaps into my throat.
Is it… Is it Ralph?
I slowly walk toward the door. Look through the peephole.
It’s not Ralph, thank God. Just a guy in a UPS uniform.
I open the door. The UPS delivery guy is tall, with dark circles under his cold gray eyes.
“Jason Lansing?” he asks.
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“I have a special delivery for you, sir.” He picks up a large box.
I raise an eyebrow. “This isn’t my home.”
The hairs on the back of my neck rise. I look toward the street.
No UPS truck.
Sometimes they rent trucks when they have more packages.
But that’s usually just around the holidays.
And then I see it.
The car.
The black car that was parked behind me when I was snooping around Ralph’s apartment.
Oh my God.
This man is here to kill me. I just know it.
Kill me, and then kill Angie. Tabitha and Henry, too, since they’ll be witnesses otherwise.
The man with gray eyes shrugs. “That’s funny. Package is for this address. Perhaps your friend is buying a gift for you, accidentally put your name on the recipient line.” He puts the large box down. “I think it’s alcohol, sir, because I need someone to sign for it. Let me just get a pen.” He reaches into his pocket.
He’s not going for a pen. He’s going for a gun.