Page 68 of The Replacement Wife (New Hope 2)

“Adjusting, then.”

I nod. She can see this is not why I’ve come either.

“Those old neighbors of yours…” I start. I pause to pull my phone from my pocket. I need time to gage her reaction. “Do you have any way of getting in touch with them?”

She turns on her heel. “The Becks?”

“No.” I shake my head. “The other ones. Jude, I think his name was. And her name was—”

“Kate.” She finishes my sentence.

“That’s right.” I hold up my finger. “It’s coming to me now… Kate. Kate Anderson. Same as mine.”

“It’s a common name,” she tells me. Her expression gives nothing away.

“Yes. And you know…I always liked them. They say people like things that are familiar.”

Her brow raises.

“Remember they had that party that time, and that woman OD’d in the bathroom?”

“Yes,” she says.

Her memory makes me smile. It means success in getting what I’ve come for. “Man, they were interesting.”

“Trust me,” she tells me, heaving out a sigh. “They wouldn’t be good candidates for your church.”

“So you’re still in touch with them, then?”

“No, not really.” Her voice cracks.

“Do you have an address or a phone number? I remember Jude…didn’t he work for Maxicorp?”

“I don’t recall.”

“Well,” I sigh as I stand. Sometimes it’s important to get on eye level. This way she’ll know I’m as eager to get the hell out of here, as she is to see me go. “I’m in need of a contact there. And I thought of him.”

She seems to understand. Finally, she retrieves a number from her phone.

I look on, taking care not to appear too eager, as she scribbles it on a piece of paper. When she hands it to me I can see we both know I’m lying about the reason for needing it.

“Be careful,” she advises. I smile then. We have a secret, a bond.

“Thank you,” I say, and then I start for the door.

“Oh, and Tom…” Her voice stops me in my tracks. “Jude is a good guy. I bet he can help you out.”

I turn back. I know what she means. Her old neighbor is a contract killer. In effect, she’s saying with different words, that she knew all along. She wants me to know she understands why I’ve come.

“But you know the saying…never wrestle with a pig. You just get dirty, and the pig enjoys it.”

“Yes,” I tell her. “I’m familiar with it.”

A tight smile plays across her face. “Just wanted to make sure.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Melanie