Page 14 of The Killer Who Kept Me

“He does pay you, Em, right?”

“Uhh…not in the typical sense.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? He pays you in buttons, ice cream?”

Em chuckled lightly, and I very much wanted to hear his laugh.

“No, I do things and he pays for me to live at his home, eat his food. He keeps me clothed, that sort of thing.”

A controlled type of payment. I glanced at Cosmo and judging by the expression on his face, he too saw that something was very wrong.

“Wouldn’t you rather receive money, so you could venture out on your own?”

Em opened his mouth a few times before actual words tumbled out. “May I please go now, sir?”

The man seemed to have a lot of fear in his life. I didn’t want to be another person he was afraid of or a thing he felt he must avoid. I knew where to find him now. I pushed the box closer to him.

“You may, Em. But I’d like to extend an offer to you first. I would like for you to work for me instead of Ramsey. I’ll do all the things he does for you and give you a paycheck so you can decide your own future. Just think about it. I have another package for pickup next week. Hopefully I’ll see you then, and you can answer me.”

He nodded, grabbed the package, and turned to leave. Cosmo was still blocking the door.

“Let him go, Cos.”

Cosmo moved to the side and opened the door. Em ran out of the office without another peek.

Cosmo faced me after we were alone. “Something isn’t right.”

“Don’t I know it.”

“What exactly did Ramsey need from you?”

In retrospect it wasn’t anything huge, but now I wondered what exactly Ramsey Brookes was up to.

“He needed some intel on someone. He wanted to do business with them, but his own deep dive didn’t tell him enough, so for a fee I agreed to get it for him.”

Cosmo took the seat vacated by Em. “Who was the person?”

“Lionel Cummings.”

“The disappearer?”

That was what everyone called him, because Lionel Cummings had a gift for making people disappear in a way that you didn’t know if they ever truly existed, or he could find anyone and gather their every move without you ever knowing he was even there.

“The very one.”

“And what package is he asking you for next week?”

I sighed. “Another background on a Dre Hopper.”

“Isn’t that the son of the governor?”

I nodded. “Sure is.” I cocked my head. “Cos?”

“Yeah, Saros?”

“I think it’s time we do some digging on Ramsey Brookes. I never questioned his needs, but I’m starting to think something is brewing there.”

“On it.”

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