Page 60 of The White Picket Fence

Cliff sobered. “Tino, I read about the murders in Rittenhouse. I know about Charlie’s aunt. My mom told me. I know what this guy is capable of doing. I also know that you’ve had my back since we were kids. I’m returning the favor.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I know. I’m going to anyway.” Cliff set his phone into the holder attached to his dash. The map said they were six minutes out.

Vito would be organizing his troops to surround Hale’s house and...negotiate.

Hale wouldn’t negotiate. Tino knew that like he knew his own name. He also knew that the longer Hale held Charlotte and Kayla captive, the more likely it was that the bastard would hurt them. Both had been through too much. Poor Kayla had seen the man who’d shot her father. She had to be so terrified right now.

And Charlotte...God, Charlie. Just hold on.

“So,” Cliff said easily. “You and Charlie?”

Tino nodded, his heart racing as he contemplated what he was about to do. “Yeah. We’re giving it our best shot.”

“Good. It’s about time. Tell me about the guy who has her.”

So Tino did, not caring when his voice broke or when tears leaked down his cheeks. This was Cliff he was talking to. His friend had seen him cry before. Not many times, but definitely when Charlotte had left twenty-four years ago.

“I remember him,” Cliff said. “Vaguely, anyway. Weird kid. Watched Charlie all the time back then.”

Tino stared at him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Sonya said that Charlie wasn’t interested in him, and that the guy had a crush, that was all. Didn’t seem worth getting you upset over it. You would have punched the kid’s lights out and gotten yourself expelled.”

Tino hated to admit that Cliff was right. “Probably,” he said grudgingly.

“Definitely. We were all a little hormonally crazed back then. Going all caveman over our girls. I would have punched him if he’d looked at Sonya that way. Sonya knows where I am, by the way. I needed to give her the chance to speak, to tell me not to help you. But she told me to go, and that I’d better not get hurt.” He gave Tino a wry smile. “I’m to stay with the minivan and be your getaway driver. I’m not to go into the house.”

Other people might have been surprised at Sonya’s approval, but Tino had known the woman for more than a quarter of a century, so he wasn’t surprised at all. “That’s fine. I’ll go in through the back window into the basement. From the photos on Zillow, it’s just big enough for me to get through.”

“I brought my tools in case you need them. They’re in the back. What are you going to do once you’re inside?”

“Disable him.”

Cliff lifted his brows. “And how will you do that?”

“I have my gun. I won’t use it unless I absolutely have to,” he added when Cliff winced.

“You don’t have a license to carry that thing, dude.”

“I do. I have a concealed carry permit. Because of my job.”

Cliff’s eyes widened. “You’ve had threats?”

“Yeah, from family members of the assholes who’ve been arrested based on my sketches.” And there had been many of them. Vito had been right. Tino’s work told the cops who to look for.I’ve done something good with my life.

And if Kevin Hale’s was the last face he ever sketched, Tino would be okay with that, as long as he got Charlotte out safely first. It was possible that Hale would kill him. The man had known where Charlotte was, had sent a taxi to Tino’s house to fetch her. Hale had to be angry that he and Charlotte were back together.

But again, as long as Charlotte was safe, Tino was okay with whatever happened to him.

* * *

Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Thursday, March 31, 12:30 p.m.

Charlotte’s gazehad swept through the neighborhood as they’d driven toward the house, trying to look simply curious and not desperate to find an escape route. But she saw no one out in their yards. And she didn’t see any sign of Philly PD.

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