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"He hate me because I figure out his tell. For poker. He is no good liar."
"Nico. Be clearer." My head is spinning with worry for Porter.
"Mr Freddie has just lied to you. I know his tell." Nico explains. He ducks down to pick up something from the floor, pocketing it as the sight of ten cars turns our attention to the drive.
"Outside, now." I pull him by the arm to meet my father at the door.
"Son," Dad calls.
"Nico arrived with me. Freddie is the only man standing."
"I understand," Dad nods.
"Porter is gone. I'm too close. I trust you to deal with this."
Dad looks so proud as I admit love makes me weak.
Nico is sitting in the car, opening his scrap of paper, as I get in.
"This was by the telephone. I do not know who wrote it, but this is the words that haunt me." He hands me the sheet of paper and it suddenly all makes sense.
"Car turn. Turn bridge. Bar stood. Sun. Rich man." I turn to the boy, so quickly, he startles back. "Does Carter Turnbridge have a bastard son?"
"Is Carter Turnbridge a person?"
"Yes. He runs a… He's like Dad, a few hours north from here." I turn the engine on and pull away so fast I leave tyre tracks in my beautiful gravel drive. "Are you Carter Turnbridge's bastard son?"
"Mama say father is man on corner. I do not know Carter Turnbridge and I do not know what a bar stood is."
"You've never been called a bastard?"
"Is it a mean name? I gut anyone like a fish if they say mean names."
A small slice of my Nico returns in those words.
"A bastard is a child whose mum isn't married or living with the father."
"Oh. Then I am that."
"You are Carter Turnbridge's bastard son, and I am the rich man."
"But that is too hard. And not a question. What did they want me to answer?"
"Nothing. They weren't asking, they were telling. They were telling you who you were."
"And that is why they killing me? To hurt father who does not know me?"
"I'm sorry." I gesture to my phone. "You need to tell my father."
"You think who wants me dead now has Porter instead. You think they want to swap his life for mine?"
"Yes. Which is why we need Carter Turnbridge to help. We need to know who wants revenge on him."
Chapter thirty-five
Nico
KnoxhasjustsaidCarter Turnbridge is my father. I feel no emotion at the name. I always knew, whoever my father was, he would have a name; knowing what it is changes nothing.
