Page 72 of The Hard Way

“Stay still,” he said.

Another soft thud and then another. Somebody climbing. Could he not see who it was? Was he going to shoot the person off? Push them off?

“Is it Denko?”

“Shhh.”

“Talk to me.”

“I’m not sure what to…”

“What to do?” I wished I had a gun now, too. “Don’t be a cowboy.”

“Come here. Look for yourself.” He pointed to a bare spot where it was just the metal lattice. “Look through that hole.”

I crawled over and put my eye to a spot not covered by the wood. The guy coming up wasn’t large. A local? He wore a winter cap, the hipster kind of hat that was fashionable two years ago in L.A. I wouldn’t have known things like that when I lived here. I would’ve thought that cap was cool and cutting edge now. There was something strangely familiar about the form. Maybe the corduroy work jacket. Did I have a jacket like that once?

“What are you going to do?”

“You don’t recognize her?”

My heart jumped into my throat. “Her?”

Just then the climber peered up. Brown eyes. Red hair. Fine, pretty features.

My sister Vanessa.

I rolled back onto the wooden plank part. “Fuck!”

Odin studied my face. “Your call.”

“What?”

“How we play it. How we play any of it.”

I grabbed my glasses, but I didn’t put them on. “She’ll know me. Even in this disguise…”

“I could distract her and rattle her while you climb down.”

“One glance and she’ll know me.”

“There’s always a chance. You look very different.”

I shook my head. “She’ll know my eyes. She suspects I’m still alive. Here I am at the ski slope. I’m in my fucking habitat. And no, you’re not going to rattle her.”

“Is it so bad?”

“Her knowing that I’m here in town?” I asked it hotly, but it was a fair question. “God, when I think of how I let her down. I abandoned them.”

“You feel guilty facing her—”

“Iabandonedthem! I wanted a funner and more exciting life, and I left them.”

“You never meant to stay away. That was out of your control. I see you paying for that.”

“Candy-coat it all you want. I decided to help you guys rob the bank instead of being a good fucking sister who keeps her eyes on the prize.”

“Do you really think that, goddess? Would you go back and do it differently?”

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