was not long before she jumped ship and started her own company, planting her offices on bustling Beverly Boulevard. The business was always humming with only one obstacle ever in her way – Matt Weatherly. The man seemed to always be a step ahead of her in sniffing out the next client.
As Ashley swirled the last sip of her espresso, she rose from her outside table and headed back in the direction of her office. She had finally arrived at a conclusion for Weatherly’s mysterious behavior. If he gave up TekStar, she mused, he must have something even bigger on the hook.
And Ashley was going to find out what it was.
Eight
“L ook in your glove compartment,” the voice on the phone instructed Matt. Since he had answered a few moments ago, there had been nothing but commands. The first one had been to exit the house.
“I’m not doing one damn thing for you until you tell me what’s going on!” Matt roared.
“Relax,” came the answer.
If his blood was not boiling, Matt would have laughed. “How dare you tell me to relax after what you’ve done. You killed two of my friends – two innocent people! And I want to know why.”
“Let me begin by telling you that Colin Nemec was not so innocent. He has been hiding clients and commissions from you for six months, most likely to fuel his addiction to expensive alcohol and prostitutes.”
“How could you know something like that?” Matt found himself asking.
“As far as you are concerned, Weatherly, I am omnipotent. Now, go outside to your car.”
“I’m done following orders.” Matt hung up the phone. He took Luke by the shoulder, guiding him to the front door.
“Where are we going?” Luke asked.
“The police. We have to-”
The phone rang again. Matt hesitated, then punched the button to answer. “I told you I’m done-”
The smooth male voice on the other end interrupted, “Right now, I am looking through a sighting scope at a little girl riding her bicycle on your street. She is wearing a yellow shirt, orange ribbon in her hair. If I used words such as ‘adorable,’ it would be appropriate in this instance.”
Matt stepped to his front window. Outside, he saw the girl the man was describing. It was the younger daughter of his neighbors, the Rabins, pedaling furiously on a bike with training wheels. She began to tip over but was saved by her father exiting the garage and righting her.
“Oh, here comes Daddy,” the killer continued. “I wonder what he would think if his daughter suddenly did not possess a head.”
Frigid cold shot through Matt’s veins.
“I have the gun trained on her right now. Pretty easy shot, actually. You no doubt remember how accurate a Barrett 50-caliber rifle is, correct, Captain Weatherly?”
Matt remembered. If the man was telling the truth, then it would be as simple as plucking off a tin can from a nearby fence. “What do you want?” he whispered.
“Right now, I want you and Luke to get in the car. We will get to the rest after that.”
“My son stays here,” Matt replied. “He doesn’t need to be involved.”
“Afraid not. He goes, too. Besides, do you really want to leave him all alone with some murderous maniac on the loose?”
Options pulsed through Matt’s head but he arrived at the same conclusion: Luke was safer for the moment at his side. There was no way he could leave him here alone with Ana’s body and the killer so nearby. Whatever this man’s plan was, he would have to follow it for now.
He stepped out the front door with Luke and walked to his car. As they did, the Rabin daughter and her father called out hello and waved. Matt nodded and waved back, silently praying for them to get back in the house. As Luke climbed into his Porsche, Matt was relieved to see his neighbors enter back into the safety of their home.
Swinging his car door shut, Matt’s eyes surreptitiously scanned the surroundings. Although he was nearly positive that whoever was orchestrating this nightmare was a
As Ashley swirled the last sip of her espresso, she rose from her outside table and headed back in the direction of her office. She had finally arrived at a conclusion for Weatherly’s mysterious behavior. If he gave up TekStar, she mused, he must have something even bigger on the hook.
And Ashley was going to find out what it was.
Eight
“L ook in your glove compartment,” the voice on the phone instructed Matt. Since he had answered a few moments ago, there had been nothing but commands. The first one had been to exit the house.
“I’m not doing one damn thing for you until you tell me what’s going on!” Matt roared.
“Relax,” came the answer.
If his blood was not boiling, Matt would have laughed. “How dare you tell me to relax after what you’ve done. You killed two of my friends – two innocent people! And I want to know why.”
“Let me begin by telling you that Colin Nemec was not so innocent. He has been hiding clients and commissions from you for six months, most likely to fuel his addiction to expensive alcohol and prostitutes.”
“How could you know something like that?” Matt found himself asking.
“As far as you are concerned, Weatherly, I am omnipotent. Now, go outside to your car.”
“I’m done following orders.” Matt hung up the phone. He took Luke by the shoulder, guiding him to the front door.
“Where are we going?” Luke asked.
“The police. We have to-”
The phone rang again. Matt hesitated, then punched the button to answer. “I told you I’m done-”
The smooth male voice on the other end interrupted, “Right now, I am looking through a sighting scope at a little girl riding her bicycle on your street. She is wearing a yellow shirt, orange ribbon in her hair. If I used words such as ‘adorable,’ it would be appropriate in this instance.”
Matt stepped to his front window. Outside, he saw the girl the man was describing. It was the younger daughter of his neighbors, the Rabins, pedaling furiously on a bike with training wheels. She began to tip over but was saved by her father exiting the garage and righting her.
“Oh, here comes Daddy,” the killer continued. “I wonder what he would think if his daughter suddenly did not possess a head.”
Frigid cold shot through Matt’s veins.
“I have the gun trained on her right now. Pretty easy shot, actually. You no doubt remember how accurate a Barrett 50-caliber rifle is, correct, Captain Weatherly?”
Matt remembered. If the man was telling the truth, then it would be as simple as plucking off a tin can from a nearby fence. “What do you want?” he whispered.
“Right now, I want you and Luke to get in the car. We will get to the rest after that.”
“My son stays here,” Matt replied. “He doesn’t need to be involved.”
“Afraid not. He goes, too. Besides, do you really want to leave him all alone with some murderous maniac on the loose?”
Options pulsed through Matt’s head but he arrived at the same conclusion: Luke was safer for the moment at his side. There was no way he could leave him here alone with Ana’s body and the killer so nearby. Whatever this man’s plan was, he would have to follow it for now.
He stepped out the front door with Luke and walked to his car. As they did, the Rabin daughter and her father called out hello and waved. Matt nodded and waved back, silently praying for them to get back in the house. As Luke climbed into his Porsche, Matt was relieved to see his neighbors enter back into the safety of their home.
Swinging his car door shut, Matt’s eyes surreptitiously scanned the surroundings. Although he was nearly positive that whoever was orchestrating this nightmare was a
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