Page 59 of Be Very Quiet

No answer.

“I need tracker information,” he told Luca.

“On it. What happened?”

“Ed caused a massive accident, and he got away with Audria.”

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Pounding in Audria’s skull woke her up. She tried to rub the ache, but her wrists were tied with some kind of cloth. She blinked her lids open to see Ed sitting in the driver’s seat, holding the wire that had been tucked into her bra. Part of the padding had come out, probably bringing the listening device with it. There was no chatter in her ear, so the comms must’ve jarred loose when her head slammed against the window.

“You’re a cop?”

Audria shook her head and winced, regretting the move. “I’m not a cop, Ed, but I know who you are.”

“She hired you, didn’t she? I knew that was her behind me,” he muttered.

“She who?”

“My wife.”

“You think your wife was following us?”

“I thought I saw her car.” His brows scrunched. “She knows my type, but what are the odds I would pick you up after she hired you?”

“Your wife didn’t hire me,” Audria informed him as she worked the binds free. She now realized it was the red tie Ed had been wearing. He wasn’t much of a killer if he hadn’t confiscated her purse. If she could get her hand free, she would be able to light him up with fifty thousand volts. “The jig is up. You confess now, and I’ll put in a good word for you.”

“Okay, fine! I confess. Happy? Yes, I picked up a hooker!”

“I prefer the term courtesan,” Audria informed him haughtily. “It sounds classier. Or maybe pleasure procurer.”

Ed gawked at her. “Who are you?” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter what you tell my wife, she’ll castrate me anyway. Probably with those rusty scissors she refuses to throw away.” He winced and covered his crotch.

Sheesh, Ed was positively pathetic. She was starting to feel sorry for him. Audria’s instincts were usually spot-on, and she was certain this guy didn’t have it in him to carry out a complex murder spree. Still, she had to be sure. “Where is your kill kit, Ed? In the trunk?”

“Kill kit? What are you talking about? Is that some newfangled term for a condom? Because that’s in my pocket.”

“A condom?”

“What? You didn’t want to be called a prostitute, so I figured you came up with different names for a rubber too. It stops sperm from fertilizing an egg, so a kill kit fits.”

Despite the situation, Audria almost laughed out loud. “I was talking about the materials you use when you murder the women.”

His mouth gaped. “Mur . . . are you serious? Shit. Get out of my car.” He tried to push her, but she resisted. Before, she’d wanted out. Now, she wasn’t the least bit afraid of him, so leaving wasn’t as much of a priority.

“Why won’t you get out?”

“How am I supposed to do that, Ed, when you tied my hands?”

“I’ll take care of that.”

Her eyes snapped to where he’d reached a hand into his pocket. For a gun?

“I can’t believe—ah!”

She jabbed Ed with the taser a second before the door whipped open, and Christian yanked him out of the car. Good thing he’d unbuckled, or the seat belt would’ve strangled him.

Audria popped her door open . . . or she tried to. It was stuck. Using her shoulder, she shoved at it until it shuddered and creaked open. She winced at the damage. The entire side was scratched and dented by his wannabe racecar driver moves.

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