AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m not killing the girl,” I say. “And you aren’t either.”
“How do you want to play it?”
“She’s not his niece. You know that. And I know that.”
“We all know that. So what? It changes nothing. She’s a witness at best, a liability at worst.”
“I don’t—”
“You take him,” he quips. “I’ll handle her.”
My palms start to sweat. I think it over and then shake my head.
The captain pops by, and Henry’s nastiness vanishes. Once he leaves, Henry shifts gears and, trying to offer something kind, he leans in, his eyes radiating sympathy. “I’m sorry, Liv. We don’t have a choice.”
Placing the drinks on a tray, I maneuver around him before briefly turning back. Thinking of my father, I say, “We always have a choice.”
Chapter Eleven
Charlotte
We land early enough that I am home in time for the take-out Michael has ordered for dinner. We made good time today, even considering how long it took to get Henry off the plane and safely into bed. Rohypnol is a powerful drug. Good thing I’d only slipped a fraction of the required dose into his coffee.
Something, no doubt, I’ll have to answer for later. Something I’ll deny, but still. I put it on my list of problems I need to figure a solution for. I trust Henry. But not enough to bet my life on it. There are limits, even for me, when it comes to breaking the rules.
In my defense, I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time. Not only was I tired, but I didn’t have all the facts. Henry will see this as weakness, as will the higher-ups, even though that’s not what it was at all.
I didn’t feel up for the extra work that a double kill takes. By the time I was aware we’d be transporting not one, but two passengers, I’d already dosed Henry up. The last thing I wanted was to have to argue about what happened at Estero the entire flight home.
Enclosed spaces and all, we were in a metal capsule hurling through the air. There’s really nowhere to go.
Thankfully, Henry shouldn’t remember too much of the details. His memory will be foggy, and I’ll help fill in the dots. Also, I found out where Dunsmore is staying. Plan B—knowing I’ll get to make a late night excursion helps lift my mood, if only slightly.
This way, I can get both Henry and the agency off my case. When all is said and done, I’ll have taken care of Dunsmore and spared the girl’s life.
I play the scene out in my mind, over Thai food, which I pick at but don’t eat. Looking at my own daughters is distracting. I’m thinking about what that girl is going through when Hayley exclaims she is supposed to take brownies for Home Ec class tomorrow.
I may be preoccupied but not enough to miss how counterintuitive this seems. Michael comments, saying as much. When she claims it’s for a taste test, to see who can tell which brownies are store bought and which are homemade, I know without a doubt that it’s complete and utter bullshit.
“I’ll take her to the store,” Michael offers, sensing my agitation. “But you’re helping with the baking—otherwise I can guarantee the results of that taste test.”
“I was planning to go to the gym. It’s a box recipe,” I say. “How hard could it be?”
He glares at me over his Pad Thai. “Tough day?”
“Just long.”
“Well, at least you have a few days off.”
I rub at my eyes, silently detesting his unwarranted optimism. “Actually, I picked up a flight tomorrow.”
When I look up, his face says everything I need to know, so his words don’t have to.
“I’m sorry,” I tell him staring into my soup. “They’re desperate, Michael.”
He drops his fork and pushes away from the table. “I know the feeling.”
I don’t move to follow him. Space and time are powerful forces and often necessary ones when it comes to getting what you want. I know how this works. I know how he works. Years of experience have to count for something.
