Page 61 of Business or Pleasure

“I won’t get in this deep again, Harlee. I promise.”

I glanced at him but didn’t respond. What would I say? That I didn’t believe him? That he was still the same man who once gave me a sling and walked me around the mall at Christmas so he could tell some sob story about I needed surgery? That he was the same man who left me behind to save his own skin?

“You’re a good girl,” he said quietly. “You’ve turned out really well.”

No thanks to him, I thought, though I kept the words silent.

“You’ve made yourself a good life.”

“I have.” I put as much pride as I could in those two words.

“Are you still friends with that girl? Jane?”

“Jin,” I corrected him. “Yeah, we’re still friends. Before you ask, she doesn’t have any money.”

A glance at him showed guilt, but I didn’t know if that was guilt because he was thinking about asking or because his past behavior made me believe that he would.

“What about a boyfriend?” he asked. “You have someone to take care of you?”

“I take care of myself,” I snapped, feeling that twist of pain again. “And no, I don’t have a boyfriend. I got involved with a guy I met through work but it’s over since my job’s obviously fucked now. Not that it matters because he was going home to Scotland anyway so it’d been stupid of me anyway…” I suddenly realized that I was talking too much.

“I’m sorry if I caused you trouble at work,” Franklin said.

“You said you didn’t get anyone else to steal from MIRI, right?”

“Right.”

For some stupid reason, I believed him. “Then that part isn’t your fault.”

“Thanks.” He smiled.

I pointed at him. “That part might not be, but this sure as hell is your fault.”

“You’re right,” he agreed as I pulled up to a small brick building with thick bars on the windows.

Lovely.

“Don’t you forget it,” I said as I turned the car off. “Now, let’s get this money and get this shit over with.”

Twenty-Nine

Baylen

I sent Alec a message to ensure that he was home before I went over and was relieved to find that he was. I didn’t want to wait any longer than necessary to break the news to him. I just needed it all to be done.

Not knowing how long that would take, and needing the distraction, I used a rental service and drove. Concentrating on where I was going, as well as driving on the opposite side of the road, kept my mind occupied enough that I didn’t dwell on what had happened or what was to come. For the first time since I saw those pictures, I was able to keep Harlee out of my mind.

As soon as I punched in the gate code Alec had given me and drove up to the house, however, it all came back, the weight of it settling on my shoulders. It must have been written on my face because the moment Alec opened the door, his expression changed from one of happiness at seeing me to concern.

“What’s wrong?” He stepped back to let me inside.

“We should speak somewhere private.”

Once he closed his office door behind him and we both sat down, he gestured for me to speak.

“I went to see Harlee last night,” I began with something he knew, and then moved on.

Fighting to keep my voice even and unemotional, I explained what had happened from the time I found the envelope until she kicked me out, including as many of the details from the papers as I could remember, including the article that gave evidence of her criminal past.

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