Page 99 of One Final Target

“First, you’re wrong. We’re not going to get caught. Second, even if they catch us, they have no proof of anything.”

“They have your whole house filled with incriminating evidence.”

Collins jerked toward him, angry. “You messed it all up. Jodie should have died last Saturday. My house would have exploded on schedule and no evidence would have been left!” He pointed the gun at Sam’s head, eyes wild with rage.

Then he took a deep breath and lowered the gun. Rolling his shoulders and tilting his head from side to side, he said, “No matter. I can explain everything. But I won’t have to. They have no direct evidence of anything. Once you, King, and her uncle are dead, we will be gone. We’ve committed the perfect crime.”

“Her uncle?”

Collins shot him a glare.

Sam got the impression he hadn’t meant to give up so much information. He moved on.

“No, your partner committed the perfect crime, because we don’t know who he is. You, on the other hand, your name is everywhere. You are the number one suspect.”

Collins stared at Sam. “I know what you’re trying to do. It won’t work.”

“I’m only telling you the truth. Didn’t you wonder why we found your house? Your fingerprints, buddy. They were on the bullets you left after you tried to kill Jodie.”

Sam could see he was getting to the kid. He certainly didn’t have a poker face.

“And at your house, all those photos. We have a map and it points right to you. He’s setting you up.”

“He wouldn’t.”

“Keep believing in the guy. How’d you hook up with him anyway? And why so much carnage just because you weren’t hired?”

“People needed to be paid back. People like you who think you’re so superior because you’re tall and athletic. People who don’t look out for their friends like they’re supposed to. We just exacted a little retribution. And we have a plan. Shut up and stop trying to get in my head. If I have to shoot you, I can think of a good excuse. You’re not the important one anyway.”

“Who is the important one?

“Your girlfriend.” Collins pursed his lips and made kissing noises.

Sam ignored him, not wanting him to see how worried he was about Jodie. He saw the anger as Collins talked about paying people back. He still didn’t see the impetus for murder. He also began to believe that whoever Collins’s partner was, he was using the kid. He was a gifted hacker, after all.

Collins’s phone rang.

“Are you here?” he said, stepping forward to peer out the window.

He stood up straight, listening to the call. His guard was down; he wasn’t paying any attention to Sam.

“What do you mean, setback?” Collins listened for a second. “Hurry up. I’m tired of watching this guy.”

The man on the other end was clearly angry. Sam could hear his voice raised but could not understand what was being said. Collins’s face turned bright red.

Sam realized something had gone wrong. He sat up slowly. The change in Collins’s demeanor could mean dire consequences for Sam. He needed to act now.

Collins ended the call, body language telling Sam the guy was stiff and furious. He turned toward Sam a second too late. Sam got up from the couch and in one smooth motion smacked Collins across the side of his face with an open hand. Collins slammed into the front door and went down hard, the gun flying from his grasp.

Sam grabbed the gun, stuffed it in his waistband. He was about to bend down and secure Collins when, as the day brightened, something outside caught his attention.

He stepped to the window. There in the drive was a Cadillac SUV. The same one he’d seen the morning he went to Estella’s house. The only person it could have belonged to was Jonah Bennett.

“King and her uncle...”

This was never about Jodie. It was about Gus, Mike, and Jonah. His whole body went cold as he realized a horrible truth: Jonah Bennett was someone Jodie trusted implicitly.

CHAPTER54

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