pocket. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
She started for the door.
“Wait, weX away., Matt. have to finish this.”
“Oh, right.” Roach reached into her pocket and took out a prepaid cell phone. She tossed it to Jay. “Wait until I get back. Let him stew for a while longer.”
“You got it.”
Roach blew Jay a kiss then walked out.
Once she was gone, I turned to him.
&# covering half
12
After an hour, I looked down at my watch and said, “Where the hell is she?”
“She’ll be here.”
“He’s going to call the police,” I said. “If he hasn’t already.”
“He won’t.”
“We have to make the call, now.”
Jay was sitting at the desk, leaning forward with his head resting on his arms. He didn’t say anything.
“Did you hear me?” I asked. “We’re running out of time. We’ve waited long enough.”
Jay exhaled long and slow, then pushed himself up and paced the room, ignoring me.
I watched him for a minute, then shook my head and said, “Jesus, look at you.”
It was hot in the warehouse, but Jay was shaking. His arms were folded tight in front of his chest, like he was trying to stay warm, and there were tiny beads of sweat on his skin, running down his face.
“I’m fine,” he said. “Just cold.”
“Goddamn it.” I leaned against the workbench. “I knew it.”
“I said I’m fine.”
I turned and slammed my fist against the top of the bench. The sound was loud, and Jay jumped.
The woman in the corner didn’t flinch.X want to “How do you know that?”
“I’m done waiting,” I said. “Give me the phone.”
“Hold on.” He held up his hands. “We’re on schedule. It’s just now starting to get dark. We can’t do anything until then anyway, so—”
“I can’t believe I trusted you,” I said. “I knew you’d find a way to fuck this up, but I bought into it anyway.”
“Once Roach gets back, we’ll make the call. Everything will work out, you’ll see.”
“She’s not coming back.”
“She’ll be here.”
“If you think I’m just going to sit here and wait for the cops to show up, you’re out of your mind.”
Jay stared at me, his eyes darting back and forth between mine. “You want to make the call?” He reached into his pocket and took out a white business card and held it out. “The phone’s on the desk.”
“No, you call and I drive. Like we agreed, remember?”
Jay slipped the card into his pocket. “I’m not calling until Roach is back.”
I bit down hard on the insides of my cheeks to keep from screaming, then looked over at the old woman. She hadn’t moved in a while, but I knew she was listening to every word we said.
I turned to Jay and shook my head. It took every bit of self-control I had to walk away.
“Where are you going?”
I didn’t answer, and I didn’t look back. I was afraid if I did, if I had to look at Jay’s face one more time, I’d end up killing him.
I walked down the hall to the front door and kicked it open. Once outside, the cold wind coming off the river cut through me, clearing my head.
I had a decision to make.
The longer we waited, the more dangerous the situation became. If the driver didn’t call the police from the scene, it was safe to assume the cops weren’t involved, at least not yet. That meant the old man was expecting a call.
He was waiting, but for how long?
I crossed the lot to the van and leaned against the far side, out of the wind, and cursed myself for not seeing this coming. Every part of me had known signing on with Jay was a bad idea, but I went along anyway. I gambled with my life and my freedom, but worse than that, I gambled with Anna.
If I got caught, I wouldn’t see my daughter again until she was an adult, a completely different person. They’d take her childhood from me, and I’d only have myself to blame.
No matter what, I couldn’t let that happen.
I stayed outside for a while longer, fighting the urge to climb in the van and drive away. In
She started for the door.
“Wait, weX away., Matt. have to finish this.”
“Oh, right.” Roach reached into her pocket and took out a prepaid cell phone. She tossed it to Jay. “Wait until I get back. Let him stew for a while longer.”
“You got it.”
Roach blew Jay a kiss then walked out.
Once she was gone, I turned to him.
&# covering half
12
After an hour, I looked down at my watch and said, “Where the hell is she?”
“She’ll be here.”
“He’s going to call the police,” I said. “If he hasn’t already.”
“He won’t.”
“We have to make the call, now.”
Jay was sitting at the desk, leaning forward with his head resting on his arms. He didn’t say anything.
“Did you hear me?” I asked. “We’re running out of time. We’ve waited long enough.”
Jay exhaled long and slow, then pushed himself up and paced the room, ignoring me.
I watched him for a minute, then shook my head and said, “Jesus, look at you.”
It was hot in the warehouse, but Jay was shaking. His arms were folded tight in front of his chest, like he was trying to stay warm, and there were tiny beads of sweat on his skin, running down his face.
“I’m fine,” he said. “Just cold.”
“Goddamn it.” I leaned against the workbench. “I knew it.”
“I said I’m fine.”
I turned and slammed my fist against the top of the bench. The sound was loud, and Jay jumped.
The woman in the corner didn’t flinch.X want to “How do you know that?”
“I’m done waiting,” I said. “Give me the phone.”
“Hold on.” He held up his hands. “We’re on schedule. It’s just now starting to get dark. We can’t do anything until then anyway, so—”
“I can’t believe I trusted you,” I said. “I knew you’d find a way to fuck this up, but I bought into it anyway.”
“Once Roach gets back, we’ll make the call. Everything will work out, you’ll see.”
“She’s not coming back.”
“She’ll be here.”
“If you think I’m just going to sit here and wait for the cops to show up, you’re out of your mind.”
Jay stared at me, his eyes darting back and forth between mine. “You want to make the call?” He reached into his pocket and took out a white business card and held it out. “The phone’s on the desk.”
“No, you call and I drive. Like we agreed, remember?”
Jay slipped the card into his pocket. “I’m not calling until Roach is back.”
I bit down hard on the insides of my cheeks to keep from screaming, then looked over at the old woman. She hadn’t moved in a while, but I knew she was listening to every word we said.
I turned to Jay and shook my head. It took every bit of self-control I had to walk away.
“Where are you going?”
I didn’t answer, and I didn’t look back. I was afraid if I did, if I had to look at Jay’s face one more time, I’d end up killing him.
I walked down the hall to the front door and kicked it open. Once outside, the cold wind coming off the river cut through me, clearing my head.
I had a decision to make.
The longer we waited, the more dangerous the situation became. If the driver didn’t call the police from the scene, it was safe to assume the cops weren’t involved, at least not yet. That meant the old man was expecting a call.
He was waiting, but for how long?
I crossed the lot to the van and leaned against the far side, out of the wind, and cursed myself for not seeing this coming. Every part of me had known signing on with Jay was a bad idea, but I went along anyway. I gambled with my life and my freedom, but worse than that, I gambled with Anna.
If I got caught, I wouldn’t see my daughter again until she was an adult, a completely different person. They’d take her childhood from me, and I’d only have myself to blame.
No matter what, I couldn’t let that happen.
I stayed outside for a while longer, fighting the urge to climb in the van and drive away. In
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