Page 139 of The Last One to Let You Down

“Because dear ol’ Junior decided to have a change of heart at the last fucking second and tried to stop me,” Aaron drawled. “I couldn’t tell him how much it was worth or else he would’ve tried to take it for himself.”

“You left it on the body… but how did you know we were going to get the call?”

“Who do you think first contacted the family to let them know he was dead?” Aaron smirked. “Once I found out they were out of state, all I had to do was tell them we would be getting the body, and those idiots didn’t question a thing.”

“There’s still no way you could have known he’d come back with the watch,” Tom pointed out, glancing at the door anxiously. “It was evidence.”

Come on, Cypress. Please. You know it’s been too long. Please call the cops. Bang on the door. Do something! Anything!

“You’re really that naive?” Aaron scoffed. “It’s actually sad how easy it was to bribe an autopsy tech at the medical examiner’s office to make sure the watch came back with the body.”

“Christ,” Tom whispered. He was running out of things to ask, and he knew he didn’t have much time left.

There was no way Aaron would let him leave here alive.

“Now, I’ve already spent my last fuckin’ dime making sure I could get my hands on that watch,” Aaron said, “and you’d better tell me—”

The door keypad behind Aaron began to beep.

“Shit.” Aaron backed away, scrambling against the counter. “Who the fuck—”

“Hello, babies!” It was Miss Edie, strolling in without a worry in the world. She stopped short when she saw the gun in Aaron’s hand. “Oh, my word! Babies!” She clutched her big purse to her chest. “What is going on here?”

“Miss Edie, turn around and go home,” Aaron snapped, lowering the gun warily.

“Aaron Jeremiah Stutz! Is that a gun?” Edie gasped. “Come on now, baby. What are you boys doing?”

“Edie, please just go home,” Tom pleaded. “I don’t want you to get hurt. It’s okay. We’re just talking.”

“What kinda talkin’ needs a gun?” Edie demanded, standing up to her full height and puffing out her chest. “Aaron, you put that thing down right now.”

“Miss Edie,” Aaron cautioned, “you really need to go.”

“Edie, please,” Tom begged, trying to take a step toward her.

Aaron raised the gun at him, clicking his tongue sharply. “Don’t move.” He looked back at Edie, and he now aimed the gun at her. “And you, you really need to go. Right fuckin’ now.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” Edie bit back as she started to dig around in her purse. “I can’t believe how nasty you’re talkin’ right now. What the hell has gotten into you, baby?”

Aaron growled in frustration. “Miss Edie, for fuck’s sake, you fuckin’ stupid old hag. Just fuckin’ go already.”

“That is no way to speak to your elders, young man!” Edie shouted defiantly. “I can’t believe you’d say that to me. You need to wash that hateful mouth out with some soap. What is wrong with you?”

“Miss Edie, please,” Tom urged, clasping his hands together. “Listen to me. We’re both okay, but you need to go now.” He tried stepping closer but jerked back when Aaron pointed the gun at him again. “Please!”

“You heard him, Miss Edie,” Aaron barked, keeping the gun trained on Tom. “You need to fuck the fuck off, right fuckin’ now.”

“Like hell I do,” Edie declared, pulling out a gleaming silver revolver from her giant purse and aiming it dead at Aaron.

“What the fuck?” Aaron stared stupidly, clearly stunned. He was so shocked that he actually lowered his weapon. “Why do you have a—”

Edie squinted and shot, the bullet catching Aaron in the knee and sending him to the ground with a howl of pain. He dropped his gun, and it clattered across the floor.

“Holy shit,” Tom hissed, watching blood gush down Aaron’s leg. He couldn’t move, and he watched in amazement as Edie calmly used her foot to slide the gun out of Aaron’s reach.

He could hear banging from the door down the hall, but his brain didn’t register what the noise was.

“Oh, dear Lord, please forgive me for shootin’ little Aaron, but he sure as hell had it comin’,” Edie recited quickly as she glanced up at the ceiling. Her gun remained fixed on Aaron as she asked, “Tom? Would you please be a dear and call an ambulance for him?”