Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 764(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
I sit down at my desk and pull up the information we’re supposed to review, then call him and settle back with my eyes closed. I can do this. I can’t let myself give in to paranoia. The man has no idea, and he never will. We’re safe. I haven’t jeopardized her in any way.
“It’s a little late for you, isn’t it?” he asks on answering the phone.
Not a great way to start out. A glance at the time confirms it’s barely past ten, even though he’s used to keeping early hours. So am I… but I’m normally focused. “I had a late night putting the finishing touches on these plans.” I had a late night fucking your daughter until she damn near passed out.
“I’m only busting your balls. Sorry if it came off the wrong way.” Busting my balls? Something is off. He doesn’t know, does he? How could he? I have to shake off my nerves – let’s face it, if he knew, there would be no game playing. He would leave no room for doubt. My balls would already have been detached from the rest of my body.
I swallow the strange lump in my throat and push through the fear brought on by guilt. “I’m happy to say we’re all set here. I’ve thought of every possible setback and prepared for it accordingly.” There’s something comforting about sliding into my usual role. Like putting on a favorite pair of old jeans that fit perfectly and make me feel comfortable. Like I know who I am.
“Lay it on me. You know I’ve been dying of curiosity.” But he stops himself. “First off, how is Tatum?”
A normal question. Don’t read too much into it. “She’s fine. On her way to the grocery store as we speak.”
“Alone?”
“She’s doing great. Feeling stronger, more confident. I don’t want to take that from her.” Even taking what was left of Amanda’s ashes to the lake to scatter them in the water didn’t seem to break her down. I was ready for it, prepared to comfort her and sit by the water’s edge through the night if needed. If anything, I think she needed that. She needed the excuse to remove her mother’s presence. She needed closure.
“Of course, you’re right. You’re more aware of her feelings now than I am.” Is that guilt I hear? I don’t doubt it. No matter what she thinks or how she interpreted the way he’s treated her for a decade, the talks we’ve had about her and her future proved to me a long time ago that he cares about nothing more than her – at least that was true before he got involved with Bianca. Tatum is still his pride and joy, whether she knows it or not.
I clear my throat, signaling a change in subject. I don’t trust myself to talk about her. “I’m going to send you the documents when this call is over, but the long and short of it is this: what I’ve prepared will prove to Jeff once and for all that Kristoff is dead.”
“I’m all ears.”
“Using my Italian contacts, I’ve put together a report on an unfortunate accident that occurred off the coast of Capri, three weeks after Tatum returned to the States. A young man identified as Kristoff Knight had much to drink and snorted a little too much up his nose while partying on a yacht, and unfortunately, he lost his balance and fell overboard.”
“And this is all documented?”
“Yes, in full. I had to grease many palms and call every favor, but we have three signed witness testimonies detailing Kristoff’s condition the night he went into the water. Rocky water, at that – so rocky, his body was badly battered by the force of the waves that washed him up on shore. It was difficult to identify him once they fished him out.”
“What a tragedy,” he mutters.
“My contacts located a body of Kristoff’s general size and physical description, and that’s the body described in the autopsy paperwork. Unfortunately, since there was no one to claim him, and things are so hectic around there, the medical examiner accidentally-on-purpose sent his body down to be cremated. Now he’s in some unmarked bag – at least, according to the report you’re going to give Jeff. You broke your back and went way out of your way to do this, but authorities out there don’t exactly give a damn about a tourist who got himself killed by his own stupidity.”
“There’s no way he could prove this is a lie.” That’s not a question. It’s an observation delivered in an almost hushed voice. “I know you, and I know you think of everything.”
“I’ve had a lot of time to think,” I remind him. “The witnesses don’t exist except on paper, so he could never find them. And, of course, the body doesn’t exist, so there’s no hope of him finding it. Of course, we’re very sorry we couldn’t get to the bottom of this before it turned to ash, but at least a grieving father can get closure.”