Page 42 of Hard to Kill

“Sorry,” he says. “I mean it.”

“By the way? I don’t suppose the friend you phoned was my sister.”

He frowns. “Not exactly.”

“Don’t tell me you two crazy kids have broken up again.”

“See, that’s the thing, Janie. We might not have ever really gotten back together.”

I stare at him, knowing I shouldn’t be remotely surprised.

“So you lied to me about that.”

He puts out his hands. “What can I tell you? It’s like with women. Sometimes I can’t stop myself.”

“How do I know you’re not lying about being shot at?”

I have slapped him in the past. He reacts as if I’ve just done it again.

“I’m not lying, goddamnit! Somebody tried to shoot me in my goddamn back!”

I’ll never be sure when he’s lying and when he’s telling the truth. Still not sure, in my heart, whether he’s capable of murder. But the same way I suddenly found myself caring about his wife, I also care about him.

And I’m scared right along with him.

“Any theories about who would want to take some shots at you? Or hire somebody to take them?”

“It would take too long to list all the people I’ve screwed in my life. Or screwed over. Or both.”

“You need to be careful, Rob,” I tell him. “Whoever came for you once might come again.”

“See, Janie, you do care about me.”

Slipping back into character, as if he can only stay serious—or act scared—for so long.

“Believemeon something,” I tell him. “I’m as surprised about that as you are.”

Before I head home, I drive up to Indian Wells and check theEMERGENCYVEHICLESsign in front of the fence between the parking lot and the start of the beach. There’s no sign of a bullet hole anywhere on it, or on either of the other two parking signs.

As I pull into my own driveway, I see Brigid sitting on my front porch.

Before I can even apologize about believing Rob Jacobson when he told me they were back together, she says, “My cancer is back.”

THIRTY-FOUR

Jimmy

DANNY ESPOSITO, THE STATE cop who annoyed Jane in almost record time at the murder scene, takes a seat next to Jimmy at his bar.

“I feel as if maybe we got off on the wrong foot,” Esposito says.

“No wonder you made detective as fast as you did.”

Esposito tells Kenny the bartender that he’ll have what Jimmy is having. Kenny walks over with a Montauk Ale for Esposito and places it in front of him.

“Cheers,” Esposito says, raising his glass.

Jimmy leaves his glass where it is.

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