Page 49 of Callan

I pick up the money.

Obviously not.

He’s hoping for more information.

However, I don’t know if the information that I have is helpful to him.

He already knows everything about Carmen.

She’s unfaithful to her husband and to him.

She’s probably seeing other men.

Her husband is a bit sketchy. The other guys are not that great, either.

What else is there to add?

My hands move over the gifts.

Maybe the gifts are real.

Maybe he thought about me when he bought them at the store. But why would he do that? Why wouldn’t he have someone else buy them for me?

As much as I like his gifts, I can’t fool myself into thinking he has developed an obsession with me.

He’s nice, yes. And he also pays me, yes. But as far as I know, I’m only working for him.Nothing more.

I put the goodies back into the box and slide the lid on when the recollection of that flashlight in Carmen’s apartment flickers in front of my eyes.

What if what I saw in her apartmentissomething he needs to know? What if it’s important to him?

What if it was him?

I doubt it.

Either way, he needs to know that I noticed something strange in the woman’s apartment.

If it was him, I could score some points with him and show him how trustful I am.

If it was someone else, he should know about it. Period.

Another idea pops into my head, and I go back to the closet.

I lose my robe, put on some warm clothes, return to the living room, and unpack his gifts.

This time, I put on the sweater and scarf and grab the matching gloves. I’ll go to that woman’s place–Beverly–and tell him personally about the new developments.

And if he’s not there?

I don’t know.

I’ll come up with something else.

8

MACKENZIE

I’m soconvinced I’m wasting my time when I knock on that woman’s door, and no one’s answering that I quickly spin around, choking on anger.

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