Page 75 of The Sea-Mist Cottage Inn
I was ninety-eight-percent sure he was the guy in the video. One of the assholes who’d tried to destroy my home.
But I couldn’t say that. My capacity for speech had been fried by my utter shock that Finn hadbeaten and kidnapped somebodyand brought them to my home. I could only stare at Finn, and then his captive, and then Finn again. I think my mouth had come completely unhinged.
“This is Chad Howard. You recognize him?”
My brain was spinning, but it wasn’t gaining any purchase. “Uh ...”
Dissatisfied with that response, Finn ripped the tape from Chad Howard’s mouth. A significant amount of beard came away with the tape, and he howled. Red spots began to emerge around his mouth and cheek, growing larger as the blood began to seep out.
Finn shook Chad brusquely. “I think you’ve got something to say to Miss Leo here. Say it.”
“I’m ... I’m sorry! We were here last night. We fucked up your place.”
“We?” Roman said. He took an aggressive step forward, and Chad cringed.
“Yeah, we—but I don’t know the other guys! I just ... I answered ... it’s a thing. It’s like ... It’s like TaskRabbit, but for ... I don’t know! For shit you’re not supposed to do, I guess! Some guy hired us, told us what he wanted, gave us half the cash up front, half when we finished.”
“What guy?” Roman asked.
“I don’t know his name. Some fat old asshole with a crewcut. We didn’t share names. That’s not how it works.”
‘Some fat old asshole with a crewcut’ narrowed it down nicely. I knew exactly one person who fit that description, and he fit it exactly. My buddy Darryl Manfred.
But there was aTaskRabbit for crime? My words came back online. “Are you telling me you used anappto get a job to come and destroy my home?”
“It’s not an app,” Finn answered. “It’s a website. Dark web shit.”
“How do you know that?” I challenged Finn. “How do you knowhim?”
“Same reason for both. My ex lives in Crescent City. She has a moron troublemaker for a brother. I bailed him out a handful of times—and this asshole was with him most of those times.”
“Didn’t bailmeout,” Chad groused. Finn hit him hard enough that his head bounced off the side of the truck.
“OW!” Chad yelled. “Fuck, man! I came clean!”
“Not yet you didn’t.” Finn looked to me. “I’m gonna take him to the sheriff. Sorry I can’t help with the other three—but maybe the cops’ll be able to do something with the website.”
“Was one of the others your ex’s brother?” Roman asked.
We all looked at Chad, who stared sullenly back. If it was true, he obviously meant to protect his friend. For now, at least. Chad didn’t look like he’d hold up great under an actual interrogation.
I could think of only one thing to say: “Thank you, Finn.”
He nodded. “Wish I could do more.”
I laughed and set my hand on his arm. He seemed surprised by the contact, but he didn’t pull away. “I think you just did more than all the rest of us combined—but try not to hurt him anymore before you hand him over. I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble, too.”
I didn’t point out that he might already be in trouble—you know, for the assault and kidnapping.
“I’ll be fine,” Finn said. “I’m gonna go ahead and take this trash where it belongs.”
“Okay. Thank you,” I said again.
Looking uncomfortable, Finn only nodded. But when Roman offered his hand, he shook it willingly.
Finn slapped the tape back over Chad’s mouth and climbed in behind the wheel. Roman and I stepped back. Roman put his arm around me and we watched Finn pull out and away, like we were watching a kid leave for college.
When we turned around, we saw we had the attention of everyone still helping out at Sea-Mist Disaster Day.
