Page 55 of The Ghost Assassin

I unbuckle and shoot off a text to Kit: I’m here. What is happening?

My next text goes to Tic Tac: Where are Pocher and my father right now?

I exit the chopper, and Jay falls into step with me. Once we’re inside the airport, my cellphone rings with Tic Tac’s number. “There’s a car waiting,” Jay informs me.

We start walking and I answer the call to hear, “I told them to wait on you.”

“Told who, what, Tic Tac?”

“Your brother and your cousin went to talk to your father about the murders.”

I halt. “What? Seriously?”

“I really don’t joke with you, Lilah. You’re way too intense.”

“I’m not that intense, Tic Tac. You’re just scared shitless right now, but stop worrying. You’re not a target.” I motion to Jay, and we start walking again, covering the phone to say, “We’re going to my father’s place,” before I return to Tic Tac, and ask, “When did they leave?”

“Five minutes ago. I’m not a target? Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’ll call you back.” I disconnect and dial my brother.

“Don’t try to stop me,” is how he answers. “Dad has resources.”

“I met with President Arden. He forbid us to talk to anyone about the murders.”

Jay opens my door and gapes. “You did what?” he asks, at the same time as Andrew.

“That’s right. I sat right there in the Oval Office and talked to President Arden.” I climb into the back of the SUV but keep talking. “And you need to hear this. Even the room itself feels powerful, Andrew. We cannot allow Dad to ever get there. I need to prep you before we see him.”

“And what happened?”

“Later. Just wait until later.”

“I can’t do nothing. A sitting duck drowns. Dad says that.”

“Is that supposed to win me over?” I ask. “I confirmed we aren’t targets, so if you want to help, go to the diner and find out if anyone has seen Murphy there in the last few weeks. Then bring pie back. I work better that way.”

“Fine. I need to take care of things at work anyway. I’ll go and come back tomorrow afternoon but if you want pie, be nice. Otherwise, I’ll eat my slice in front of you.”

“That would be a bad decision, brother. A very, very bad decision.” I hang up on him.

Enrique is in the driver’s seat. “Why are you not with Kane?”

“He didn’t need me, but you do,” he says over his shoulder.

Normally I’d snap back and claim otherwise, but this time, I do not. I just might need him. Jay climbs in beside me and I call out to Enrique to get moving. Even before he complies, I dial Pocher. He answers on the first ring. “Took you long enough.”

“Then you know what’s going on,” I say.

“Of course, I know what’s going on, but I have no idea who did it.”

“Oh, come on,” I reply. “You have an ear to everything.”

“There’s no one talking but everyone is scared.”

“Does my father know?”

“He’s got enough on him with the election.”

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