Page 38 of Near Miss

“Understood. Where are you headed now?”

“Patroon.”

“I should have guessed. Have Fred take the long way, and I’ll have a car following within ten minutes. I’ll message you when you can go eat.”

“Don’t take too long. I have two ladies here who might start gnawing on my arm, if you do.”

“That sounds like the kind of problem you enjoy.”

“I’d rather not test the theory.”

Dino was waiting for them at the bar when they arrived.

Carly took in Patroon with a sweeping glance. “Oh, my!” she said.

“Didn’t New Haven’s finest rank with this?” Stone asked her.

“I dismissed New Haven’s finest the first month of my freshman year,” she said. “This place has New York written all over it.”

“How discerning you are,” Stone replied, grinning.

“Oh, I am. I am.”

“I thought you said seven,” Dino said.

“Sorry,” Stone said. “We had to take a slight detour. But we’re here now.”

“And we’ve brought you a date,” Carly said. “Me.”

“Please, don’t tell Viv that,” Dino said.

“Why does everyone keep asking me not to tell people things?”

Chapter 22

That’s them.” Bozo pulled to the curb around the corner from Patroon, where two people stood waiting. The man, Reggie Hogan, was another trainer at the gym, and the woman, Candy Parker, was a waitress at a diner Bozo frequented.

Trench eyed the couple. “Are you sure you can trust them?”

“Stop worrying. They’ll be fine.”

“If you say so.”

“I do. Now, wait here. I’ll be right back.” Bozo hopped out of the car and approached the couple.

“You two ready?”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Hogan held out his hand.

“You get paidafteryou do the job.”

“How do we know you won’t stiff us?”

Bozo moved into Hogan’s personal space. “What did yousay?” They were the same height, but both knew Bozo would wipe the floor with Hogan if blows were exchanged.

“Nothing. Sorry.”

“That’s what I thought.” Bozo stepped back. “I ask again: Are you ready?”

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