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This time it was the swish of a switchblade that cut Weston short. His head jerked up, turning wildly, as if he could see through the blin
dfold.
"What's - " he began.
Jack bent and pressed the knife tip into the back of his neck.
"Hey!"
Jack dug it in farther. "Feel that?"
"Y-yes."
"Know what happens if I go another half inch?"
"N-no."
"You'll be paralyzed."
"P-par - "
"Not permanently. Just for a day or so. Full paralysis, though. Won't be able to move a muscle." A pause. "Do you know what lives in these woods? Black bears, wild dogs, coyotes, maybe even a wolf or two, wandered on down from Algonquin. Plus you've got your smaller predators like martens, weasels, rats, and the birds - the hawks and the vultures. Normally, humans are too big a challenge, but if you've got a few nice cuts leaking blood, and you're just lying there, not moving, they'll take a nibble. They won't bother killing you first. They'll just feed, while you lie there, unable to move, blink, scream..."
"I killed Janie, but it was an accident. I just got so mad at her, holding back, that I went a little nuts. I started whaling on her, and next thing I know, she's dead."
"Holding back. You mean she wouldn't give you her share from a job?"
He squirmed. "Well, no, it wasn't a job, so it wasn't really my share, but it'd been my idea. So I was entitled to a little advance, right?"
"So where'd the money come from if it wasn't a job?"
"From the house."
"Selling the house?"
"Right."
"That was your idea?"
"Right. With that kid of hers gone, Janie kept moaning about how she wouldn't have any money coming in. She didn't have a job... or so she said, though I guess she forgot about working for you. The bitch."
"The house...?"
"I said she should sell the place to that real estate guy who keeps bugging her, then move in with me. It was my idea, so I thought she should give me a little cash, you know, as a thank-you."
Jack glanced back at me. For a moment, I couldn't respond, seeing my theory - my only theory - shatter around me. Then I motioned for Jack to push, but didn't need to - he'd already returned to Weston.
"What do you know about Sammi Ernst's disappearance?"
"The girl pissed off. Left her mom in the lurch. Un grate ful brat."
Jack pressed harder, but it was clear Weston knew nothing of Sammi's fate and, apparently, neither had Janie, who'd been scrambling to make up for the lack of rent money.
"So you went to ask for a few bucks, had a drink, got into a fight, and accidentally killed her."
"Exactly. I swear that's how - "
"I believe you."
