Page 21 of To Die For

Over Mick Jagger’s vocals coming from the radio, Devine glanced at Odom and said, “That’s quite an allegation about the police.”

“It’s thetruth, Travis. And you need to prove it.”

“Ido?”

“Yeah, isn’t that your job? To find the truth? And you were asking all those questions yesterday.”

“To which you gave almost no answers.”

“That’s because I don’t know much. Now shut up and let me get ready for myaudition.”

“You really think you need to work for this? He clearly wants you in his life.”

“In my world, you have to work for everything. And you still never get what you really want.”

She sat back and stared out the window while Devine watched her.

CHAPTER

10

MS. ODOM?”

The man greeted them at the front door of the Four Seasons Hotel. He was in his fifties, gray-haired, and his thickened torso was sloppily housed in an off-the-rack navy blue suit with a starched cream shirt buttoned to the top and absent a tie. The loose skin on his neck flopped over the high collar and looked none too comfortable to Devine’s eye.

“I’m Betsy Odom.”

“I’m Dennis Hastings. I work for your uncle.” He shook her hand, aimed a dismissive glance at Devine, and said, “Right this way. Your uncle is really looking forward to seeing you, young lady.”

On the way, Hastings dropped back to walk next to Devine and whispered, “You armed?”

“Are you?”

“Just asking.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it,” said Devine.

“You have no need of a weapon.”

“Does the phrase ‘cold, dead hand’ mean anything to you?”

Hastings moved away, muttering what sounded to Devine like “asshole.”

He followed the pair to the dining room, where he could see Danny Glass sitting alone at a table with his back to a wall. His black suit stood out starkly against the brilliance of the white tablecloth. Devine noted that his shirt was also buttoned to the top with no tie in sight. Hastings had clearly copied his boss on that detail. However, Glass had no fat hanging over the collar and no bulging love handlesbench-pressing his jacket. Also, the suit looked to be a custom job molded precisely to the man’s lean and wiry five-feet-nine-inch frame. His shaved head revealed a perfectly shaped cranium with nary a blemish to be seen. A precisely folded white pocket square completed the picture of a successful businessman, albeit one who would have you chopped to pieces and stuck in a garbage bag if you crossed him.

Devine also noted the two large suited men hovering nearby. Their gazes and with it their focus swung around to him.

“Betsy,” said Glass, rising and giving her a hug. He did not look at Devine. “I’m Uncle Danny. It’s so great to finally meet you. I hope you’re hungry.”

They sat down and Devine stayed right where he was.

Spurred on by a meaningful glance from his boss, Hastings hurried over to Devine and said, “Hey, bud, let’s give them some privacy, okay?”

Devine retreated twenty feet to a wall where his line of sight was dead-on.

Hastings again approached and said, “Come on, is that the best you can do? They’re family.”

Devine gave him a look as an answer. He settled himself to stand guard for the next two hours and engaged a timer on his phone.

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