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Andrew and my father try to call me on the ride to Mark’s house, which can mean nothing good. I don’t answer either. Right now, I need to be in my zone, focused, and clearing a path to an end to the killings. Of course, Andrew shoots me a text: Pocher is trying to send a team of people down here early for the party. We’re talking filling up the hotels and restaurants. That’s going to create chaos Elsa and Ghost can use to hide.

My brother is not a dumbass after all. I call him back. “You’re right.”

“I know I’m right, and I wish like hell I would have thought of this when we first started talking about it. The press is obsessed with him, as is the party, who sees him as a future president.”

“I’ll kill him before I let that happen and I hope that’s recorded. He’ll know I mean it. Convince them to stay in the city.”

“I tried. That’s going to require information you might not want to release and probably your badge and Adams’ together.”

“I got it.” I hang up on him and call my father back.

“Lilah,” he greets. “I assume you’ve heard my security wants the election night events to move to the Hamptons?”

“Yes, and that’s not going to happen. There’s a hit list. People attending your party are on it.”

“Who is on it?”

“Names won’t matter if I end this before the party. If you swarm the Hamptons with your people, not only will this person get lost in the crowd, they might just decide to take out a couple extra targets. That doesn’t seem like a good way to start your Governorship.”

“My team—”

“My badge, and if you want to know how much that means right now, I’m working at the president’s discretion.”

“ You are working with the president?” He laughs, the sound pure arrogance. “I find that doubtful.”

“Why don’t you call him? I’m sure you have a direct line. You are almost the governor.”

“I do, actually.”

“Good. After you hang up with him, tell the dweeb running your security team, Paul, or whatever his name is, to call me.”

“Paul happens to be the best of the best.”

I laugh, a real laugh, I have to force myself to stuff. “I don’t even want to know what your policy decisions will be if you believe that. He needs to be replaced after election night and I’m only telling you that because Andrew has been roped into working for you and I don’t want him to end up dead.”

“But it’s okay if I get hurt?”

“I guess it would just be the hard lesson you need, Dad, on hiring the wrong people. Kind of like me on the beach that night, right?”

He’s silent a beat and then, “Lilah—”

“Don’t say anything except, I understand, Agent Mendez.”

“I’ll handle it,” he replies, sounding like he has a stick up his ass and then the line goes dead.

He hung up.

Oh how he must hate having to be submissive to me. There’s no way Pocher believes my father won’t become power hungry. He has a plan to control him, perhaps some sort of ammunition, on him. I make a mental note to figure out what, later, when I don’t have two assassins running around my small town.

I text Andrew: Call him now. He should do whatever you tell him to do.

We are talking about the man we call father, right? he replies.

I call him because I don’t have a choice. “What happened?” he asks when he answers.

“I told him I’m working for the president.”

He snorts. “And he believed that?”

“I am working for the president, Andrew. Ellis took me to see him after Murphy was murdered.”

“Do I even want to know how that went?”

“He likes to say hogwash. I like to say fuck. It’s a relationship destined to fail.” Kit pulls up to the Walker house, or as close as he can with the police tape. “I need to go.”

“Wait. I think I should go back to the city and make sure we know what Dad’s up to.”

“Agreed.”

“That leaves you with Taylor to contend with.”

“If I can’t handle a sourpuss chief, I can’t handle you and we both know you’re my little bitch.” I hang up and exit the back door to find Kit already there waiting on me.

“My father’s event will remain in the city. I don’t want the extra press to scare off my targets, and I damn sure don’t want to give Ghost or Elsa extra places to hide.” I don’t wait for his reply. I head toward the unmanned yellow tape with Kit falling into step with me.

There’s one stoney-faced uniform at the door with a bald head and a bit of a belly, with a badge that reads “Berg”. Maybe I should invite Berg to the gym with Jay. I cannot stand a cop who doesn’t stay fit. It’s a sore spot for me. He’s risking people’s lives. One second too slow and someone dies. Kit’s right. The police academy is not the proper place to train Jay. Exactly why I need to start sparring with Kane again. Now. Today.

I flash my badge from where it hangs around my neck. “FBI Special Agent Love,” I say, as the name is well known in the town. “Anyone inside right now?”

“No one all day.”

“Someone is covering the back door?”

“Yes.”

I’d say good, but I’m not sure it matters. The crime scene has been exploited for evidence at this point. “I’m going to take another look inside.”

He immediately reaches for his phone.

“What are you doing?” I snap. “Nothing about what I said requires your phone.”

“Chief Taylor said to call him if anyone wants in the house.”

“Stay with him,” I order Kit, “and make sure no one, including Chief Taylor gets in until I say he gets in.”

Kit steps forward and takes the phone from the shocked uniform. I open the door and step inside, shutting the door firmly behind me, before I glove up and then lock the door.

But I don’t move. There’s a slight shift in the air, not even a creak of wood, just a shift. I’m not alone.