Page 52 of Tell Me All Your Lies

“Okay,” she says with a slight shrug.

I let Cara lead the way into the all-white living room. The chairs are white, the throw blankets are white, and even the throw pillows on top of the sectional sofa are white. It’s just frankly clean-looking and doesn’t feel homelike at all.

“I know this is pretend, but maybe we can redecorate here. It could even be a bonding activity for you and one of the wives.”

Cara looks around the room, perplexed as to what I’m referring to.

“It’s a blank canvas… literally. It’s so alarming.”

“Or it’s refreshing?” she offers.

“Keep the idea in your back pocket at least.”

“Right,” she says, confused.

I hold onto my knees as I sit across from her on the other end of the sofa.

“Let’s hear it,” she says.

“Our next-door neighbor is going to be our way into the Kingpin’s underground deals. His name is Brad Covington. I know him as Brad the Bull.”

Cara gets serious as she waits for me to continue.

“Maybe five or six years ago, I was hired by someone anonymously.”

“It’s common enough.”

“He hired me to get information on his client who had gone rogue. That’s when I found myself meeting Brad for the first time. It wasn’t here in Charlotte but in a smaller town, maybe fifty miles north of here.”

Cara nods to encourage me to continue.

“I had to get answers, so that’s what I did. It took me weeks, but eventually, Brad came around to me. He helped me without ever realizing it.”

“What does he think happened?”

“Someone else got blamed for the information leaking. I was an outsider but had covered my tracks.”

“Of course.”

“Brad will welcome me. He thinks I’m from Las Vegas. That I’m an expert at gambling and beating the odds.”

“Are you?”

“I know enough for the jobs I get offered.”

“Wait, does this mean that’s what you did for his boss? You got in and got the information you needed?”

“I won’t lie to you.”

“Then don’t.”

“I’m telling you information on an as-needed basis.”

Cara sighs and leans back into the fluffy sofa, frustrated.

“Come on, Sinclair. Where is all that hype saying how great of a contract killer I am?”

“Need to know, Collins.”

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