Page 64 of You'll Never Know
“I can handle it.” My stomach lurches. I have no idea if I can—the thought of being intimate with the man who killed Ethan and Noah makes me physically sick—but that’s a problem for future Bailey to solve. Right now, I need to focus on getting Zane onboard.
“I’m not so sure about that,” he says. “And even if you could, we’re talking about a man who manipulates women for a living. It’s hard to con a con.”
“Not when they’re rusty. Reed hasn’t done a job in two years, right?”
Zane crosses his arms. “Not that I’m aware of, no.”
“Exactly. He thinks he got away with it. He’s retired.”
“Guys like Reed don’t get rusty, and they don’t stop. He’ll be back at some point.”
I shake my head. “I don’t think so. According to the file you gave me, he’s been stringing these jobs together for what, close to a decade now? At most he goes dark for a year. That’s it. That’s as much time as he ever takes. Then he’s back at it. He’s never been out this long before.”
“He’s never killed people before.”
I flinch.My people.
“And that right there is why this will never work,” Zane says, taking note of my reaction. “If I can read you, he’ll be able to as well. The second he triggers you it’s over. You aren’t ready for something like this.”
“I can get ready.”
“I seriously doubt it. And even if you could, you’d still have to find a way to connect with him. A way to give him something none of these other women ever could. He doesn’t operate like other people. He’s a narcissist. He only loves himself. And you’re talking about making him fall in love with you. You won’t be able to do that.”
“Yes, I will.”
Zane groans and rubs his temples. “Okay, I’ll bite. Tell me how, then.”
I pull the yearbook photo out of my purse and place it on the coffee table, tap it once. “I becomeher.”
Zane picks up the photo and studies it. “Taylor White. Why?”
“Because she was important to him.” I retrieve another picture from my purse—this one of Reed and Taylor standing next to a bank of lockers, Reed gazing at her as she laughs—and slide it over. “Look at his face. That’s no act. He’s capable of love.”
Zane studies the photo, rubbing the corners of his lips with his thumb and forefinger. “Maybe, but this was a long time ago. It won’t be enough.”
“It will if I pair it with a story.Mystory.”
Zane sets the picture down, his eyes clicking back to me. “I’m not sure I follow.”
I cross my legs. “You’re right. I won’t be able to hide my emotions. Not fully. So, I’ll use them. I’ll tell Reed I was in a wreck and I killed someone. I won’t be able to talk about it without breaking down. Reed won’t be able to tell me he did the same thing, but he’ll see himself in my story. It’s why he’ll bond with me. Even a narcissist has feelings.”
“You sure?” Zane asks. “Remember, this guy pulled a dead girl into the driver’s seat after draining her bank account. And besides, you still haven’t addressed the biggest issue.
“Which is?”
“You. He killed your family. What if he recognizes you?”
I’d considered this. I don’t know if Reed looked into me after the wreck. If he did, he wouldn’t have found much. Besides a few photos on the corporate website that were deleted after I left Pricewaterhouse, I don’t exist. In my previous life, I was too busy to focus on social media. I never saw the point of sharing images of what I had for dinner. But I know therearepictures of me on the Internet. Oldphotos from yearbooks. A few pictures of me out with friends. Shots of me with Ethan and Noah on Ethan’s Facebook page, which Ethan kept private.
Despite my low public profile, it’s likely Reed’s seen me online at least a few times. But would he recognize me if he saw me in person? I doubt it. Someone like Reed who makes a career out of ruining other peoples’ lives probably doesn’t spend a lot of time regretting his actions or living in the past. And if for some strange reason he does, I have a plan for that, too.
“He won’t,” I say. “I’ll change my appearance.”
Zane steeples his fingers and places them beneath his chin. “You’ve certainly thought this through, haven’t you?”
“It’s all I’ve thought about. But I can’t do it alone.”
“Well, you won’t be doing it with me,” Zane says. “It’s too risky. And it would take too much work. I have other clients to consider.”
