Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“The video?” I cut him off. If he keeps talking, we’re never going to get out of here. “Sorry, we’re a bit busy.”
“Oh, right, right. Let me see… the afternoon of the fifteenth… yep, here it is.”
Matt clicks a file, and it pulls up the surveillance footage from the afternoon of the murder.
It’s strange to be watching the tape knowing that it ends in tragedy. So many people go about their lives without a clue about what happens in a few minutes. There are a ton of cars in the parking lot, but the one I care about is the Rolls-Royce Phantom parked just at the bottom of the video.
Mason doesn’t take long to appear. He saunters into frame a few seconds later, on the phone with someone before he ends the call. Maybe whoever was on the other end has answers. Too bad getting phone records is much harder than faking a warrant and that his phone burnt to a crisp with his body. Maybe Fiora will have an idea.
He steps into the driver’s seat and pulls out of the lot, making it to the exit. Just as he’s about to turn left out of the lot, his car explodes. It’s so bright it makes my head jerk back in surprise. Usually, car explosions have a telltale sign before it happens, some kind of leak or smoke as a precursor. This was so sudden and so quick it’s shocking.
Even more shocking is another vehicle that appears next to Mason’s burning car and squeals out of the parking lot, veering off to the right before disappearing out of frame.
What the fuck?
“Go back,” I demand.
Matt goes back a few seconds, and I watch Mason’s car burst into flames one more time. This time, I’m not focused on the explosion but on the car that appears right after. Everyone else visible on the screen is screaming and panicking, with some people already on the phone calling for help. The car that appears is extremely out of place and immediately raises my suspicions.
It could be a coincidence, but I highly doubt it. Either the perp is extremely stupid and detonated the bomb manually, or they stuck around to see their work in action.
I tell Matt to pause the video just as the strange car starts to turn right. The video is decently grainy and a bit far away, but with a few clicks back and forth for better freeze frames. I’m able to make out a license plate number. I just need to hope that the number is in the system and my contact to find the owner.
“Thank you. We’ll be in touch,” Louisa says, stuffing the warrant back into the pocket of her blazer now that it’s not needed anymore.
“Yeah, any time. And, uh, I mean any time. If you’re free, I can get really sweet tickets for cheap. We get a discount.”
“We’re not,” I answer for Louisa with a forced smile, “but I do want to thank you for your help.”
Matt holds up his hands and grins. “Not necessary. Just following the law, you know?”
“Of course, but if you give me your address, I can send you that ball. As a gift.”
“The signed ball?” He lifts his eyebrows in surprise. “No way. You’re serious?”
I nod. “Since you were a big help today.”
Matt eyes me from his computer chair. Unlike the previous meeting, this threat doesn’t go over his head. I keep the smile on my face, arms at my sides so he doesn’t see me as menacing. I can’t bring my guns into the stadium, but I don’t need a gun to take on this scrawny kid. There are plenty of ways to keep him quiet. This one is just the easiest.
He considers my bribe for a second before he nods, turning back to his desk to scribble his address down on a Post-it note. I tuck the note into the inner pocket of my jacket, give him a knowing nod, and leave the truth behind.
I send Louisa off with my thanks and a large stack of bills, then head back to where Jasper parked the car. He stands in front of my car talking on the phone. As soon as he sees me, he ends the call and bows his head.
“She left Heathens Hollow three hours ago, sir.”
I exhale through my nose. Fiora. Ever since she showed up at my club, I’ve had eyes on her every move. I don’t trust a few things about this situation. One, that she’s meeting with another man beneath my nose, especially a damn cop. Two, that she isn’t the next target. We don’t know whether this perp will stop at Mason. It’s been a week, but they could be plotting their next move.
And three, that she isn’t getting finger fucked by someone who isn’t me.