It shows your potential.’
‘Potential for what?’ Sam asked carefully.
‘Have you thought about the money?’
‘Can I talk to my family?’ Sam interjected. ‘How do I know they’re alive?’
‘If they were dead, you would know,’ said the voice. ‘I don’t want to disturb them, but if you choose, I could make them scream.’
‘No!’ Sam blurted. ‘No, just let them be. Please.’
‘As you wish.’ A pause. ‘Now, as I asked before, have you thought about the money?’
‘Yes. I mean, I’ll get it, I just don’t—’
‘I know you can work it out, Sam. You’ll hear from me soon.’
The caller hung up.
To deliver a million, Sam still needed to come up with two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The thought of it made him want to weep.
He had left a message for Hannah’s parents, but they were travelling without cellphones. If they mortgaged the house, they could maybe raise that much. But how long would that process take? His own parents were useless. They had sold their house and bought that stupid RV. As for friends, that was something he had failed to nurture. The last true friends he could remember had vanished from his life a long time ago.
When he’d suffered moments of despair in the past, usually over something that now seemed meaningless like blowing an audition or being insulted by a director half his age, Hannah was always there to offer comfort. He had depended on her.
Christ, he missed her.
The door opened before Sam could sink any further, and Zack entered the room bearing hot Vietnamese subs and chilled cans of Diet Dr Pepper. Sam accepted the food with a nod of thanks and sat on the edge of the bed to eat. His mouth worked on autopilot, but he didn’t notice the taste.
‘He called again,’ Sam said after a few bites.
Zack stopped chewing. ‘What did he want?’
‘Asked about the money.’
Zack nodded slowly. ‘I’ve been thinking onthat, too,’ he said. ‘I need to make a few calls first. See if I can locate someone.’
Sam’s eyes widened. ‘I appreciate that because I’m drawing a blank.’
‘Don’t get excited yet,’ Zack cautioned. ‘It’s just an idea.’ He went quiet. ‘Did he mention your family?’
Sam’s face grew hard. ‘Yeah.’ He exhaled through his nose. ‘Said if I really wanted proof, he could make them scream.’
37
‘You’re going the wrong way,’ protested Detective Preston. ‘I live in the other direction.’
‘I just want to check something,’ Hogan said.
‘And you can’t check it after you drop me at home?’
‘Relax.
Jeopardy
is over. You’re not missing anything.’
‘The wife tapes it.’
‘You’re kidding.’
‘What?’ Preston protested. ‘We like to watch it together. See who can answer the most questions.’
‘How do you know she doesn’t cheat?’
‘Cheat?’ Preston furrowed his brow. ‘What do you mean?’
Hogan grinned. ‘How do you know she doesn’t watch the show while she tapes it? Then when you get home, she already knows the answers.’
Preston thought about that for a moment. ‘No, she wouldn’t do that.’
Hogan laughed. ‘You’re the one who’s alwaystelling me how deceptive women can be.’
‘True, but . . . nah! You really think she’d do that?’
‘Why not?’
‘So the nights when I win,’ Preston pondered.
‘She’s just letting you . . .’
‘So I don’t get suspicious,’ Preston finished.
‘Exactly. If she won every game, you’d be bound to twig.’
‘The sneaky . . .’ Preston shook his head and left the sentence adrift.
Hogan turned the car on to Sam’s street and parked in front of the crater where the two bodies were recovered. He switched off the engine and climbed out. With an irritated sigh, Preston joined him.
Hogan walked to the edge of the crater and looked around. Broken pipes, electrical wires, chunks of concrete, burned timbers, twisted metal, bricks and the occasional bright sparkle of something that could have been a
‘Potential for what?’ Sam asked carefully.
‘Have you thought about the money?’
‘Can I talk to my family?’ Sam interjected. ‘How do I know they’re alive?’
‘If they were dead, you would know,’ said the voice. ‘I don’t want to disturb them, but if you choose, I could make them scream.’
‘No!’ Sam blurted. ‘No, just let them be. Please.’
‘As you wish.’ A pause. ‘Now, as I asked before, have you thought about the money?’
‘Yes. I mean, I’ll get it, I just don’t—’
‘I know you can work it out, Sam. You’ll hear from me soon.’
The caller hung up.
To deliver a million, Sam still needed to come up with two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The thought of it made him want to weep.
He had left a message for Hannah’s parents, but they were travelling without cellphones. If they mortgaged the house, they could maybe raise that much. But how long would that process take? His own parents were useless. They had sold their house and bought that stupid RV. As for friends, that was something he had failed to nurture. The last true friends he could remember had vanished from his life a long time ago.
When he’d suffered moments of despair in the past, usually over something that now seemed meaningless like blowing an audition or being insulted by a director half his age, Hannah was always there to offer comfort. He had depended on her.
Christ, he missed her.
The door opened before Sam could sink any further, and Zack entered the room bearing hot Vietnamese subs and chilled cans of Diet Dr Pepper. Sam accepted the food with a nod of thanks and sat on the edge of the bed to eat. His mouth worked on autopilot, but he didn’t notice the taste.
‘He called again,’ Sam said after a few bites.
Zack stopped chewing. ‘What did he want?’
‘Asked about the money.’
Zack nodded slowly. ‘I’ve been thinking onthat, too,’ he said. ‘I need to make a few calls first. See if I can locate someone.’
Sam’s eyes widened. ‘I appreciate that because I’m drawing a blank.’
‘Don’t get excited yet,’ Zack cautioned. ‘It’s just an idea.’ He went quiet. ‘Did he mention your family?’
Sam’s face grew hard. ‘Yeah.’ He exhaled through his nose. ‘Said if I really wanted proof, he could make them scream.’
37
‘You’re going the wrong way,’ protested Detective Preston. ‘I live in the other direction.’
‘I just want to check something,’ Hogan said.
‘And you can’t check it after you drop me at home?’
‘Relax.
Jeopardy
is over. You’re not missing anything.’
‘The wife tapes it.’
‘You’re kidding.’
‘What?’ Preston protested. ‘We like to watch it together. See who can answer the most questions.’
‘How do you know she doesn’t cheat?’
‘Cheat?’ Preston furrowed his brow. ‘What do you mean?’
Hogan grinned. ‘How do you know she doesn’t watch the show while she tapes it? Then when you get home, she already knows the answers.’
Preston thought about that for a moment. ‘No, she wouldn’t do that.’
Hogan laughed. ‘You’re the one who’s alwaystelling me how deceptive women can be.’
‘True, but . . . nah! You really think she’d do that?’
‘Why not?’
‘So the nights when I win,’ Preston pondered.
‘She’s just letting you . . .’
‘So I don’t get suspicious,’ Preston finished.
‘Exactly. If she won every game, you’d be bound to twig.’
‘The sneaky . . .’ Preston shook his head and left the sentence adrift.
Hogan turned the car on to Sam’s street and parked in front of the crater where the two bodies were recovered. He switched off the engine and climbed out. With an irritated sigh, Preston joined him.
Hogan walked to the edge of the crater and looked around. Broken pipes, electrical wires, chunks of concrete, burned timbers, twisted metal, bricks and the occasional bright sparkle of something that could have been a
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