Page 81 of Death is Familiar

To top it all off, I didn’t even know why they had done it. If they wanted me dead, surely, they could have stabbed me somewhere more lethal.

There were eighteen stab wounds across my abdomen. It wasn’t like they slipped and accidentally shanked me eighteen times. Whoever did it, had a reason, and I was beginning to think they did it because of Mads. Out of spite.

Acting on instinct, I clutched my still flat stomach.

From what Mads had said about bets and ‘doubling down’, my guess was money was exchanging hands about my role as the key.

Whoever stabbed me must have been betting against me. But why?

What were they betting on? And how was it possible that I was worth such a staggering sum?

Another laugh bubbled up. Even I wouldn’t have paid eight million dollars for me. That was ridiculous.

My thoughts were cut short as Todd gave me another pointed look above the crop. He probably thought I was losing my mind.

At least he had the decency to not point it out, instead he held up the gun we’d been searching for in his gloved hand and said, “Come on, troublemaker,” before parting the stalks and heading back towards the road.

†

Red and blue lights twirled atop the cop cars.

I caught glimpses of myself in the sedan windows which now lined the street, and I looked like a mess. Truth was, I felt like a mess, and was in need of a good long soak in a tub. Preferably, at home, in my apartment.

But that was just a dream. We were nowhere close to done dealing with Mads, and a day away from D.C.

“The first twenty-four hours are crucial,” Jack looked back at me in the rearview mirror I’d been avoiding so I wouldn’t catch sight of my reflection. “But I’ll use every tool in my arsenal to ensure he is held in custody without bail.”

Jack’s words were kind, but I could still feel the frosty edge of the trust I’d betrayed by not telling the agents about Mads earlier.

At first, when I’d revealed what I’d done back at the motel in Huntington, and why I needed to go to Eureka, they were angry. Very fucking angry that I’d kept Mads, and his unannounced visits, from them. And they were even more fucking angry that I had agreed to put myself in an unnecessarily compromised situation, just to get some information.

There were a lot of “how are we supposed to help if you keep secrets?” and “how can we trust you when you go off and put yourself in danger?”

Pushing through the discomfort, I had told them everything.

Showed them the pictures of the steam mirror messages. Told them about the confrontation in my apartment after returning home from the Almeidas.

How I’d been told not to trust the red-tape.

Once they’d gotten over the initial shock of what had been going on right beneath their noses, I told them about the letter, the safety deposit box, and Mads’ self-professed connection to my brother.

Which did not go over well.

Todd actually considered revoking my apology ginger ale. The nerve. Instead, Todd left the motel room, slamming the door shut behind him.

His departure, however, only lasted a minute before he returned, his breathing controlled, his response measured, “Is that everything?”

After I confirmed I’d purged all the Mads-related secrets from my system, and gave what felt like a thousand more apologies, Todd and Jack shared a look.

“Then we’d better get going,” Jack sighed, as he began packing away the few belongings he’d taken out of his bag. “We’ll need another car if we want the Muffin Man to think Delilah made the trip herself. We’ll hatch a plan while we’re on the road.”

“Delilah drives with me,” Todd declared. It made sense, we needed a voice in the car if we were driving over separately while working through the logistics, but it felt like our friendship had taken ten steps back. He wanted to keep an eye on me.

And I was about to press my luck. “An hour or two out, you’ll need to swap cars so I’m seen driving into town alone.”

While Todd just stared, Jack nodded, giving Todd a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he brushed past. “I’ll inform the motel we’ll be checking out.”

With Jack’s exit, I didn’t want to deal with any more emotional fallout, so I made to collect my belongings from the adjoining room. My intent, however, was cut short as Todd grabbed ahold of my arm, just firm enough to get my attention. “This means I’ll be checking your phone. Not just location.” He raised his brows. “No more funny business.”