Morgan says, standing. He moves a step closer to Roddy. The detective’s eyes are intense, unblinking. They’re only a few inches apart. Roddy holds his stare, though it feels like the mad dog wants to burst out of him.
“Yeah?”
“What’re you gonna do when they come for you? And what’re you gonna do when they come for your wife and kids?”
Chapter 11
T he kids are upstairs in their rooms. Dinner was over a while ago, and the dishwasher is going through its last cycle. Sitting with Tracy in the den, Roddy feels his throat closing off, but he knows he must start explaining some things now. He’ll be serving up a medley of half-truths and distortions, and all the while, he has a revolver in the console of his car.
“Trace, we need to talk about something.”
She looks up from the American Library Association newsletter. Her green eyes glitter in the glow of the gas-lit fireplace. Her honey-blond hair is pulled back in the ponytail he’s adored since the first moment he saw her. Her eyebrows arch as she leans forward. “About what, Roddy?”
“About what happened to Danny,” he says, as tension builds in his legs. He feels like he wants to move them, but he doesn’t want to look as nervous as he feels.
Her lips part as though she’s about to say something, but she remains silent.
“Danny’s getting shot may have something to do with McLaughlin’s.”
Her breath sucks inward in a near gasp. Her eyes widen and she stares at him. “Roddy, what are you saying?”
“It may be related to what happened with Kenny.”
“Kenny? Kenny Egan? Isn’t he in Las Vegas?”
“We don’t know where he is, Tracy.”
She blinks repeatedly. “But … but you told me after the restaurant closed, Kenny went back to Vegas.” Her eyes look wider than he’s ever seen them. Her fingers begin trembling.
“The truth is, we assumed he did, but I don’t … we don’t really know.” It feels as though gauze covers his tongue, and his throat closes.
“I don’t understand. What does Kenny have to do with Danny being shot?”
“I’m not sure it does, but I can’t take a chance.”
“Take a chance? What are you
talking
about?” Tracy’s hand goes to her chin. The newsletter drops to the floor.
“Listen, Trace, I didn’t tell you everything.”
Her chest heaves and her eyes narrow into slits. “Okay, Roddy, what happened?”
“You know the restaurant was losing money.”
“Yes. Kenny was mismanaging it.”
“And we got out. We—”
“I know all this, Roddy.” Her foot begins tapping on the carpet.
“Well, there’s more to it than I told you.”
“There’s
more
? Okay, Roddy, tell me.” She leans forward and stares intently.
“The truth is, after the restaurant closed, Kenny disappeared.”
“
Disappeared
?” Tracy’s head shakes imperceptibly from side to side. Her eyes grow wide.
“Yes. He vanished.”
She blinks a few times. Her lips form a severe line. Her face reddens. “Why did you tell me he’d gone to Vegas?” There’s more blinking; her mouth drops open.
“Because I had no idea where he was, and I couldn’t imagine where else he’d go.”
She stares at him and then looks off to the side as though she’s focused on some distant object. She turns her head and exhales.“People don’t just disappear, Roddy. These days, anyone’s traceable. He
can’t
be unreachable.”
“Honey, believe me, Kenny vanished.”
Her eyes look hard and steely, and her chest heaves. She lets out a breath and says, “Okay, Roddy, so why are you telling me this
now
?”
“Tracy, you remember last April, that night when I went into the city to meet with Kenny and Danny, when we decided to end the partnership?”
“And …”
His thoughts stream recklessly as he searches for words; he tries sorting them into some linear progression.
“And
what
, Roddy?”
“We discussed ending the partnership. Kenny was upset, but he understood why we were pulling out. Afterward, he had a
“Yeah?”
“What’re you gonna do when they come for you? And what’re you gonna do when they come for your wife and kids?”
Chapter 11
T he kids are upstairs in their rooms. Dinner was over a while ago, and the dishwasher is going through its last cycle. Sitting with Tracy in the den, Roddy feels his throat closing off, but he knows he must start explaining some things now. He’ll be serving up a medley of half-truths and distortions, and all the while, he has a revolver in the console of his car.
“Trace, we need to talk about something.”
She looks up from the American Library Association newsletter. Her green eyes glitter in the glow of the gas-lit fireplace. Her honey-blond hair is pulled back in the ponytail he’s adored since the first moment he saw her. Her eyebrows arch as she leans forward. “About what, Roddy?”
“About what happened to Danny,” he says, as tension builds in his legs. He feels like he wants to move them, but he doesn’t want to look as nervous as he feels.
Her lips part as though she’s about to say something, but she remains silent.
“Danny’s getting shot may have something to do with McLaughlin’s.”
Her breath sucks inward in a near gasp. Her eyes widen and she stares at him. “Roddy, what are you saying?”
“It may be related to what happened with Kenny.”
“Kenny? Kenny Egan? Isn’t he in Las Vegas?”
“We don’t know where he is, Tracy.”
She blinks repeatedly. “But … but you told me after the restaurant closed, Kenny went back to Vegas.” Her eyes look wider than he’s ever seen them. Her fingers begin trembling.
“The truth is, we assumed he did, but I don’t … we don’t really know.” It feels as though gauze covers his tongue, and his throat closes.
“I don’t understand. What does Kenny have to do with Danny being shot?”
“I’m not sure it does, but I can’t take a chance.”
“Take a chance? What are you
talking
about?” Tracy’s hand goes to her chin. The newsletter drops to the floor.
“Listen, Trace, I didn’t tell you everything.”
Her chest heaves and her eyes narrow into slits. “Okay, Roddy, what happened?”
“You know the restaurant was losing money.”
“Yes. Kenny was mismanaging it.”
“And we got out. We—”
“I know all this, Roddy.” Her foot begins tapping on the carpet.
“Well, there’s more to it than I told you.”
“There’s
more
? Okay, Roddy, tell me.” She leans forward and stares intently.
“The truth is, after the restaurant closed, Kenny disappeared.”
“
Disappeared
?” Tracy’s head shakes imperceptibly from side to side. Her eyes grow wide.
“Yes. He vanished.”
She blinks a few times. Her lips form a severe line. Her face reddens. “Why did you tell me he’d gone to Vegas?” There’s more blinking; her mouth drops open.
“Because I had no idea where he was, and I couldn’t imagine where else he’d go.”
She stares at him and then looks off to the side as though she’s focused on some distant object. She turns her head and exhales.“People don’t just disappear, Roddy. These days, anyone’s traceable. He
can’t
be unreachable.”
“Honey, believe me, Kenny vanished.”
Her eyes look hard and steely, and her chest heaves. She lets out a breath and says, “Okay, Roddy, so why are you telling me this
now
?”
“Tracy, you remember last April, that night when I went into the city to meet with Kenny and Danny, when we decided to end the partnership?”
“And …”
His thoughts stream recklessly as he searches for words; he tries sorting them into some linear progression.
“And
what
, Roddy?”
“We discussed ending the partnership. Kenny was upset, but he understood why we were pulling out. Afterward, he had a
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