Page 103 of Secret Squirrel

“That’s not true. I read somewhere that to be more personable, you should offer something about yourself to people. You know, so they get to know you. So, I brought this…” He shoved a jar of what looked like fingers soaking in some liquid.

“What the fuck is that?” I asked.

“Oh, it’s the last guy I boiled in acid. I cut off his fingers first and kept them as a reminder to myself that not all people need to be boiled. See, Anna was telling me that I need to look for a different release for my anger. So, I thought about it and decided I needed a visual technique to curb that anger. I carry this around with me and when I look at it, I remind myself that boiling people is not the only answer.”

It actually made sense in a very sick and twisted way.

“Yeah, I’m not sure showing people fingers is going to make them more comfortable around you.”

“Really? I think you’re missing the bigger picture here. See, I hand this over and say, ‘This is what I used to do, but this isn’t who I am anymore.’ See?” he grinned. “It made you think differently of me, right?”

“No,” Rae said instantly. “You’re still a psychopath. You know how I know that?”

“No,” Fox answered.

“Because you’re carrying a fucking jar of fingers around with you. Stay,” she said, shoving her door open.

I followed, not only because I wanted to be there for the interview, but also because there was no way I was sitting in the car with a guy that carried around fingers as a reminder not to boil people.

We crossed the street and approached the gate in front of the house. “What are the chances we’ll find out anything?”

She sighed, looking around. “I don’t know. It’s a nice neighborhood. With this much space between the houses, she might not know anything.”

“But she’s a woman, and women are nosy.”

Rae shot me an evil look. “Normal women,” I corrected, which only made it worse. “I mean women in general are busybodies. Trust me, I live in town. The gossip spreads like a wildfire. You’re not a normal woman.”

She cocked her head at me. “Are you trying to make sure I never sleep with you again?”

I started to sweat under her intense glare. “I just wanted to explain what I meant, which is that you’re not like other women. Catty women,” I corrected. “You’re…simple.”

“Simple.”

Okay, that was the wrong thing to say. “As in, not complicated. You’re easy.”

Her head swung in the other direction. “That better not mean what I think it does.”

“No!” I practically shouted. God, it was hot out here. I’d never sweat so much in my life, and I’d served in some of the hottest places in the world. “What I meant was that…” I swallowed hard. I couldn’t think of a damn way to say what I wanted to without insulting her further. “You know, I think I’ll shut up now.”

A sly grin came over her as she relaxed. “And that’s why Cash sends me in to do the hard jobs.”

“What?” I asked in confusion.

“I know exactly what you were saying, and I agree with it all.”

“But…you were playing me?”

“I was showing you my strengths. Men always underestimate me because I’m a pretty woman—just like you did the first day we met. You just imagined I was freaking out on you because of some random comments. But let me tell you, I don’t take those things to heart. I trust your actions a lot more than your words. Keep that in mind, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.”

I blinked at her. “So, crisis averted?”

She ignored me and shoved through the gate. As we approached, I let her take the lead. Clearly, she was good at her job. Everyone at OPS said it, but now I was beginning to see the same things she saw. She knew how to make people nervous, how to draw out their fears and weaknesses. She really was very good.

I stood behind her as she rang the doorbell. I itched to get ahead of her and demand to know everything possible about what this lady knew. Then I realized I didn’t even know her name.

The door swung open and an older lady sneered at us. “Whatever you’re selling, I don’t want it.”

“We’re not selling anything, Mrs. Kranski. My name is Rae. I’m here because of Carolyn, your next-door neighbor.”

---