Page 88 of Golden Touch
“Pussycat, I had a great time tonight. But thirty minutes from now you are going to set a trap for your asshole ex, and I don’t like it one bit.”
“Oh.”
Oh.
“Worried that this is too dangerous,” he says with a sigh. “I’d feel better right now if you were out of state. Maybe I was selfish.Need to keep you safe. That’s all that really matters. Did I help fuck this up?”
I’m so stunned that I can’t reply for a moment. “You didn’t,” I choke out.
He sighs. “You want me sitting there when you make the call? Or would it be easier if I weren’t around?”
Maybe someday it will seem normal for me when a man takes my feelings into consideration. But today must not be that day, because I’m caught off guard. “You can be there. It’s fine.”
“Not what I asked,” he says, putting on his traffic signal to turn into the brewery. “What’s your preference?”
“You should be there to listen,” I say quietly.
“All right.” He pulls into the lot and steps on the brake. “Office, or apartment?”
“Apartment,” I say. “Benito wants everything to look normal. And I’m never in the office at night.”
“All right.” He pulls through and parks beside the pumphouse. “Let’s do this thing.”
We set up in the living room on the coffee table. At a quarter till ten, I answer a video call from Benito on my laptop. “Hello, star witness,” he says cheerfully. “How was dinner with my brother?”
Sometimes I forget how small this town is. “Nice. They seem exhausted but content.”
“Don’t we all. You got the burner phone? You feeling steady?”
“Steadyish,” I say with uncharacteristic honesty.
He grins. “You’re going to do great. When you’re ready, I want you to mute this Zoom call, but leave the chat open, so I can talk to you. That burner phone I sent you is bugged, so I’ll be able to hear and record the call right here…” He picks up an ear bud and puts it in his ear. “Try this—mute me now and call Nash’s phone for a second? Let’s test our equipment.”
I follow these instructions, and Nash’s phone rings a second later.
Sitting beside me on the sofa, he answers it. “Bob’s Junk Shop. What can we do you for?”
“Aren’t you funny,” I mumble.
On the computer screen, Benito gives me the thumbs up, and I unmute him. “Could you hear us?”
“Loud and clear,” Benito says. “And this is your reminder that the state police are recording this call with the intention that any and all proceedings may be used in a court of law.”
My stomach rolls. “Got it.”
“Any last questions? Are you clear on the plan?”
I nod my head with a nervous bob.
“And if he tries to change the plan?”
“Then I’ll agree to whatever I have to, with the understanding that we might not go through with it if it’s too dangerous.”
Beside me, Nash puts his head in his hands.
“Right,” Benito agrees. “But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Anything else?”
I shake my head, because Benito can’t really answer the biggest questions that I have—am I a good enough actor to pull this off? And does it even matter? Razor is probably too smart to get hustled by the cops.
