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He’d spent his whole life listening to that little voice. Listening to it had saved his butt plenty of times. But he was starting to wonder if it was the best source of relationship advice.
Not to mention that in a few days I’ll have bankrupted my boss and cost forty men their livelihoods, all in commission of a felony that could land me in a backwoods super-max prison.
The thought put him in mind of Nolan, of the phone message that had shaken Karen up. Shit, shaken him up, more than he’d dared show.
“Da
What did that mean, things had come up? What things? His first thought was that Richard had panicked and gone to the police. But he couldn’t figure a way that made sense. After all, Richard shouldn’t have been able to co
Da
Even if Nolan’s call didn’t have anything to do with Evan, with what they were doing, he wasn’t sure he wanted to call the detective back. He didn’t need another factor confusing things. It was complicated enough trying to stay a step ahead of Evan and ensure that everybody got through this disaster unscarred.
Except Richard and every honest man that works for him. Every man just like Dad.
In the movies, ransom exchanges always went down in a parking deck, or out in the country somewhere. Two cars parked thirty yards apart, pleas to see the hostage, brusque orders to show the money. But he’d seen the way Evan acted in a private space. He’d pulled a gun on a startled twelve-year-old – how could he be trusted to keep cool faced with a murderously angry father holding a million in cash?
Hence Da
All of which added up to Union Station.
It took him another hour of wandering and watching. At first he liked a quiet hallway off the beaten path, but a sudden crowd debarking a train blew that one. Finally, he came on a dull antechamber at the top of a stopped escalator. An abandoned gift shop flanked one side. The other co
The only problem he could think of was how to conceal their identities. He didn’t dare leave the exchange to Evan, and of course he couldn’t walk up to Richard himself. But then, you could hardly wander around Union Station in a mask, could you?
The answer hit him like a slap, and despite everything, he found himself gri
One day a year.
After all, tomorrow was Halloween.
Da
What he would do when he got there was a bigger question.
The way Karen had stormed out on him last night, leaving him sitting alone at the table – she didn’t act that way normally. It had made part of him smile – what a woman, like an old-time movie star – but still, it was a problem. She’d had an intuition that something was wrong before Nolan called; now she was clearly sure of it. Worse, even if the call had nothing to do with the kidnapping, it had inadvertently pointed her in the right direction. She must be wondering if he had gone back to his old ways.
If he had backslid.
And she’d be right.
Da
“It’s only two more days,” he told his father. “Then I go back to the truth.”
His father stared at him, his face craggy and hard as stone, his eyes judging. Da
“I know,” he said aloud. “I know. Gold statues with clay feet. Can’t build truth on lies, right?”
Still. With a little care, couldn’t he get through the next day without Karen ever finding out? Once the job was done, Evan would be out of their life. He’d have protected Karen and Tommy both. Things could go back to normal.
“Tell the truth. Do the right thing. Be a man. It was always so easy for you to say.” But even as silence swallowed his words, Da
Da
What if he went home and told her the truth?
Would she understand?
Would she leave?
There was no way of knowing, not really. As much as she loved him, he knew her terror of that old world was strong. Maybe stronger. Telling her could go either way.
Only suckers played even money. Even money meant you won as often as you lost. With stakes this high, the smart play was to lie low.
In the passenger seat of his imagination, his father snorted with disgust and looked away.
And suddenly Da
Was he content to be just a thief with a better address?
“Okay,” he said. “You win. I’m going to drop these papers off, and then I’m going to drive home and bet everything that matters on your principles. Happy?”
His father was as silent in death as he had been in life. But as Da
Screw the smart play. He’d tell her the truth.