Page 60 of Gideon

“Thank you,” Ryan whispered.

The father smiled. “We have more family waiting at home to see Walker.”

“I like his name,” Ryan said softly. “You might want to call him Jeramy sometimes until he gets used to it. Goodbye, Jeramy. I love you.” He handed them a small suitcase. “These are his things—he loves Spiderman.”

After they left, Ryan, Haley, and I sat in the living room. Haley sniffled quietly.

“Why are you crying, sweetheart?” I asked gently.

She wiped her eyes and looked at Ryan. “I just feel sad... but I’m happy you’re staying here.”

“Me too,” Ryan said with a small smile.

“How about we order pizza?” I suggested.

“Pizza sounds great,” Ryan agreed.

30

Gideon

When there wasa knock at the door, I was surprised. I opened it to find a young woman standing there.

“How can I help you?”

“Where is Gary?”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Letty. I need to talk to Gary.”

“Wait here,” I said, walking to the back of the house, where Gary always stayed hidden. Hey Gary, someone named Letty is here to see you.”

“Letty?” His eyes widened in panic. “What the fuck is she doing here?”

He muttered under his breath as he followed me to the door. Curious, I lingered close enough to hear their conversation.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

“You were supposed to call me!” Letty shot back. “I’ve been waiting and waiting and you wouldn’t answer your phone.”

“I threw it away. The insurance company thinks I had something to do with Pam’s death. I couldn’t deal with it anymore.”

“I don’t care about that,” Letty said angrily. You’re the one who hired the man to kill her. I want the money you owe me. You promised me a hundred thousand dollars if I found someone for you. Where is it?”

“I don’t have the fucking money yet!” Gary hissed. “I told you the Insurance company is holding the payout because they suspect me. If you even think about ratting me out, I’ll have the guy take care of you, too.”

“What about the money in Pam’s savings account?”

“I used it to hire a security company to protect me from Daniel. He’s after me, so you better keep your mouth shut.”

“Did you get all that on tape?” River asked quietly, stepping into the room.

“Every word,” I said, holding up a recorder. I signaled out the door, and Pam’s brother entered with three police officers.

Pam’s brother glared at Gary. “We have everything we need. You hired someone to kill my sister, and Letty here helped you. You’re both going to prison for a long time.”

Gary’s face twisted in fury. “You bastards! You were working for me!”

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