Page 146 of Thick as Thieves

Lisa was standing at the sink, gazing out the window. “It’s really coming down.”

Arden shut the door forcefully. “That’s what we’re going to talk about? The weather?”

Lisa turned, looking defensive. “Weren’t you better off not knowing?”

“No.”

“What difference would knowing have made?”

“I would have been free of doubt. I would already be well past this stage that I’m in now.”

“What stage is that?”

“Infuriated.”

Lisa shook herself as though throwing off a cloying garment. “We have a lot to talk about. Most of it will be painful for both of us. But it would be beneficial if we presented a united front when we take all this to the attorney general, or whomever. Don’t you agree?”

Arden turned her head aside, raked her fingers through her damp hair, and murmured, “Ever practical.”

“And you’re ever impassioned.”

Coming back to Lisa, she said, “Yes. I take things to heart, I feel deeply, and I refuse to apologize for it.” Having reached an impasse, she turned way. “I’ll pack.”

“I haven’t been upstairs since you’ve been back. I’m going to take a look around.”

Not caring if she sounded snide, Arden said, “Make yourself at home.”

She went into her room, took her suitcase from the closet, and opened it on the bed. She packed only what she would need for several days, not by any means intending to stay with Lisa indefinitely.

After folding several changes of clothing into the suitcase, she opened the closet and bent down to get a pair of shoes. When she straightened up and turned around, she came face-to-face with Rusty, who was leering at her.

Before she could make a sound, he raised his hand to the side of her head, and the lights went out.

Chapter 40

Ledge drove at a speed that would have been incautious on dry pavement. It was suicidal on wet. His windshield wipers were on high, and it was still like driving through a car wash. He steered with his left hand while using his right to place a call to George’s cell, holding out little hope that he would get an answer.

He was shocked and relieved when George answered with, “Yo. Cap’n. You all right?”

“Yes, but how are things there?”

“Under control.”

“You caught him?”

“Caught who?”

Ledge’s heart bumped. He braked, causing his truck to hydroplane and fishtail. He maneuvered it onto the shoulder and stopped. “Somebody from the center called the bar, said that you were chasing a guy from the building, that—”

“Cap’n, I’m sitting here with your uncle Henry. We’re watching a rerun basketball game on ESPN.”

“Fuck! I mean, damn, I’m glad you’re both okay. But, oh, fuck, George.”

“You were suckered.”

“Big time. The dude got to somebody there on staff to fake an emergency call.”

“I’ll find out who and make them cry for their mama.”