Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Fitch’s huff of laughter was quickly muffled.
“Don’t make me regret calling you.”
“Like you aren’t already?”
“Not yet. I’m still in the grateful stage.” He reached down and rubbed his ankle. It had swollen a little during his shift and even though it didn’t hurt right then, it had been aching before Ansel and Fitch had arrived to pick him up.
Ansel noticed the movement. “Not one-hundred percent yet, huh?”
“I wish it would just fucking heal already. My legs look so short in flats, and these shoes don’t match any of my outfits.”
“Honey, everything you own is black.”
“Not everything.”
“You know, it wouldn’t hurt you to wear a little color occasionally.”
“What do you call these?” He gestured to the red sneakers.
“They don’t count.”
“It’s the next left up ahead, Fitch.”
“Gotcha.” Fitch flipped his blinker and slowed to make the turn.
“Are you sure he’ll be home?” Ansel asked.
“No, but if he isn’t I’ll just wait.”
“Which building is it?” Fitch asked as they drifted down Connelly’s street at a snail’s pace.
“That one with the fire escape.”
“Do you see his car?”
Z shook his head. “He’s probably still at work. Just let me out here.”
“I’ll park,” Fitch said.
“No need.”
“I’m not leaving you on a strange street in the middle of Spanish Harlem at night, Z. You can check if he’s home. If not we’ll wait with you.”
Fitch only spoke like that when something was important to him. It actually meant a lot that Z’s safety was on his list.
“Fine, but don’t blame me for missing your bedtime.”
“Ha-ha, another old man joke? You really need some new material.”
“Seriously though, did I take you guys away from anything?”
“Nah, with The Vibe closed and Castor behind bars there’s nothing much happening.”
“Hey, don’t say it like that, it makes us sound boring,” Fitch said.
“You are boring,” Z said.
Ansel let out a pfft sound. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you had a camera in our bedroom.”
“Jesus, Angel,” Fitch said.
“What?”
“A little discretion?”
“Ansel doesn’t know the meaning of the word, Fitch. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”
“Fuck off, both of you.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Hey, just checking in.” Connelly had resisted calling her all afternoon but now that he was close to home he’d finally dialed her up. “How’d it go today?”
“The cops told me that John was released yesterday.”
“What?”
“They think he’s the one who slashed my tires. I’m so scared. I don’t want to go home.”
“Don’t. Take the boys to Mom’s or come here if you want, but don’t go home. Why the hell did they let him out?”
He could hear her tears now. “I don’t know. They don’t tell me anything.”
“Jesus, why didn’t you call me sooner?”
“I was trying to deal with things on my own, you know, like you said.”
Connelly swallowed his guilt as he parked. “I meant the little things, not potentially life-threatening things.”
“Do you think he’ll hurt us?”
He got control of his temper and did his best to calm his voice. He didn’t want to spook her any more than she was already spooked. “No, I’m sure he’s smarter than that. He probably just wanted to scare you, but you can’t be too careful. So take the boys to Mom’s, yeah?”
“I am. I already called her, she’s expecting us.”
“Good. Good.” As he exited the vehicle his mind was fully focused on the panic in his sister’s voice. “You did awesome today, sis. I’m really proud of you. How’d the insurance thing go?” He needed to distract her as much as himself.
Over the phone, Janie took a steadying breath. Connelly made his way up the stairs to the front door. The light above the stoop was out, which made the shadows darker than usual.
“At first she was bitchy, but I expected that, right?”
He made a halfhearted sound of agreement. It was difficult to see the keyhole and he missed it the first time he tried.
“I guess that’s just how insurance people have to be,” Janie continued.
Connelly wasn’t really paying attention to what she was saying, just happy she wasn’t close to tears anymore. There was a rustle behind him but he didn’t turn, figuring it was just a stray getting into the garbage cans again.
“But after I explained to her what happened she was really helpful.”
Connelly squinted at the lock, and just as it came into focus he felt something hard and cold press against his spine.
“Don’t move,” the man behind him whispered in his ear.
On the phone, Janie said, “So, yeah, they’ll take care of any repair costs as long as I send them a copy of the police report. That’s easy, right?”
He didn’t reply. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, making his heart pump too fast. He couldn’t believe John had caught him by surprise.
“Con?”
Without ending the call, he said, “John, what the fuck are you doing here?”
Janie gasped, then went quiet.
“Hang up the phone.”
“This is not smart. Think about it, I’m a cop.”