hid behind her legs. The man stood up and glared at her.
“Put the knife down,” he ordered.
“Get out, or I’ll kill you,” his mother growled.
“You couldn’t hurt a fly.” He lunged forward and screamed as she cut him. He grabbed his right hand with his left as blood ran down his arm.
“You won’t be the first man I’ve killed,” she confessed.
The words froze Jack, and everything began to slow. He watched as she waved the knife in front of her, and a large drop of blood fell off the blade and then splattered on the grimy floor. She turned to look at Jack, and her lips trembled. Jack fell backward, and the floor seemed to disappear from underneath him as he tumbled downward…
Jack sat up, gasping for air. He panted as he listened to the silence. He heard Replacement roll over, but her steady breathing told him she was still sleeping. He lay back on the floor and stared up at the ceiling again. His right hand kept shaking, so he grabbed it with his left.
It’s over. In the past. I’m good. I…
Jack looked up and made sure the door to the room was locked and bolted.
Four hours later, Jack was reading over the reports Cindy had sent him. Replacement was taking a shower. He’d already read through the first three reports, but curiosity got the better of him and he went on to read Replacement’s background check. Instead of the standard report, there was a note from Cindy.
“I went to run her file through DYS, and it was still sealed. That doesn’t make sense, but after what you told me about her ‘undercover’ identity, I thought I shouldn’t look deeper until getting your okay. Let me know. Love, Cindy.”
Damn. Replacement hacked the Department of Youth Service computer when she was younger, but did she do something to her own file? Of course she would have…
Jack flipped back to the first Terry on the list; Replacement rushed out of the bathroom. She wore her new “I Love Hope Falls” shirt and hat.
“You look like crap,” she said as her lip curled up.
“Thanks. Are you ready?” They’d already eaten breakfast, and Jack wanted to get moving. Kristine had been nowhere in sight this morning, but Jack had been jumpy the whole time.
He looked into the mirror in the bathroom and he had to admit that Replacement was right: he looked like hell. His skin was pale and there were dark circles under his eyes. He walked toward the mirror as he looked at his reflection. Even his pupils seemed black.
“Let’s go.” He spun around and stormed out of the room. Replacement chased after him.
“What’s the first stop?” She had to jog to stay beside him.
“Terry Bradford. He’s working at K and K Construction. It’s a ten-minute drive.”
“How did you find that out?”
“Cindy got me his information. Guy has bounced from one low-level job to another. One DUI. Married three times. Divorced. Four kids. Three mothers. Two bankruptcies.”
“Boy, he’s a keeper. Do you want me to drive?” Jack shot her a crooked frown so she headed for the passenger side. “Do you have a plan?” she asked hopefully.
Jack started the car and sped out of the little parking lot.
9:04. Construction. They’ll be there now. Do I have a plan?
“No. I’ll play it by ear.”
Replacement pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows. “Well…shouldn’t we come up with a plan first?”
Jack’s hands rubbed the steering wheel, and he pushed his shoulders back. He hit the accelerator while he forced himself to keep his eyes open.
Don’t scream. Don’t yell. What the hell do I say? I’m going to ask him if he had anything to do with Steven, and if he gives me a sideways glance, I’m going to beat him to death.
“I have a plan.” Jack punched it.
The Impala slid into the parking lot at K and K Construction. The mini-mountains of gravel, sand, dirt, and stone behind the structure dwarfed the lot and the building. Giant machines loaded large trucks while a group of men gathered out
“Put the knife down,” he ordered.
“Get out, or I’ll kill you,” his mother growled.
“You couldn’t hurt a fly.” He lunged forward and screamed as she cut him. He grabbed his right hand with his left as blood ran down his arm.
“You won’t be the first man I’ve killed,” she confessed.
The words froze Jack, and everything began to slow. He watched as she waved the knife in front of her, and a large drop of blood fell off the blade and then splattered on the grimy floor. She turned to look at Jack, and her lips trembled. Jack fell backward, and the floor seemed to disappear from underneath him as he tumbled downward…
Jack sat up, gasping for air. He panted as he listened to the silence. He heard Replacement roll over, but her steady breathing told him she was still sleeping. He lay back on the floor and stared up at the ceiling again. His right hand kept shaking, so he grabbed it with his left.
It’s over. In the past. I’m good. I…
Jack looked up and made sure the door to the room was locked and bolted.
Four hours later, Jack was reading over the reports Cindy had sent him. Replacement was taking a shower. He’d already read through the first three reports, but curiosity got the better of him and he went on to read Replacement’s background check. Instead of the standard report, there was a note from Cindy.
“I went to run her file through DYS, and it was still sealed. That doesn’t make sense, but after what you told me about her ‘undercover’ identity, I thought I shouldn’t look deeper until getting your okay. Let me know. Love, Cindy.”
Damn. Replacement hacked the Department of Youth Service computer when she was younger, but did she do something to her own file? Of course she would have…
Jack flipped back to the first Terry on the list; Replacement rushed out of the bathroom. She wore her new “I Love Hope Falls” shirt and hat.
“You look like crap,” she said as her lip curled up.
“Thanks. Are you ready?” They’d already eaten breakfast, and Jack wanted to get moving. Kristine had been nowhere in sight this morning, but Jack had been jumpy the whole time.
He looked into the mirror in the bathroom and he had to admit that Replacement was right: he looked like hell. His skin was pale and there were dark circles under his eyes. He walked toward the mirror as he looked at his reflection. Even his pupils seemed black.
“Let’s go.” He spun around and stormed out of the room. Replacement chased after him.
“What’s the first stop?” She had to jog to stay beside him.
“Terry Bradford. He’s working at K and K Construction. It’s a ten-minute drive.”
“How did you find that out?”
“Cindy got me his information. Guy has bounced from one low-level job to another. One DUI. Married three times. Divorced. Four kids. Three mothers. Two bankruptcies.”
“Boy, he’s a keeper. Do you want me to drive?” Jack shot her a crooked frown so she headed for the passenger side. “Do you have a plan?” she asked hopefully.
Jack started the car and sped out of the little parking lot.
9:04. Construction. They’ll be there now. Do I have a plan?
“No. I’ll play it by ear.”
Replacement pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows. “Well…shouldn’t we come up with a plan first?”
Jack’s hands rubbed the steering wheel, and he pushed his shoulders back. He hit the accelerator while he forced himself to keep his eyes open.
Don’t scream. Don’t yell. What the hell do I say? I’m going to ask him if he had anything to do with Steven, and if he gives me a sideways glance, I’m going to beat him to death.
“I have a plan.” Jack punched it.
The Impala slid into the parking lot at K and K Construction. The mini-mountains of gravel, sand, dirt, and stone behind the structure dwarfed the lot and the building. Giant machines loaded large trucks while a group of men gathered out
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