The Last Whisper in the Dark: A Novel (28 page)

“Who hired you to kill Danny? Was it Haggert o>“Of co

“I hope we meet again soon, Terrier.”

“Pardon me if I say that I hope we don’t.”

He smiled at me once more and was gone.

“Weird,” Chub whispered.

I fought to keep my voice steady. I tried not to let the rage out. But just as with all the times it had counted before, I cocontrol myself when it mattered most.

“What the hell were you doing?” I asked. “Why did you go with them on the score? And a bank heist? An armored car heist? Why?”

His teeth and lips were red but he managed another laugh. “It sounds so stupid when I say it out loud. But I wanted to make one final big score.”

“Why? You didn’t need it. You had plenty stashed. The garage was doing good business. I saw your books. Both sets of them. You could’ve given your family everything. What did you uldn’t

He sucked air and just looked at me. “I had to keep my girls.”

“They’re your girls.”

“And I had to keep them.” He sank deeper into the couch. I mopped his face. “It’s always been you, Terry. She still loves you.”

“You ass. I ran out on her. I during the worst time of her life. She hates my guts.”

“You’ve always had your head screwed on wrong. She loves you. She’s always loved you. It’s always been you. When you came back … the clock started. It was just a matter of time before she went back to you. I had to make one good score. I had to sell the shop. I had to move her away someplace safe. I needed to give her whatever she wanted.”

“All she wants is you, Chub.”

His own insecurities has been growing worse since I came home. I wasn’t the only one who was jealous and defensive. All this time I’d thought I was protecting him, saving him, and instead I’d been pushing him into making the biggest mistake o abandoned her

“You are not laying this on me, you selfish prick.”

“My cut’s in the back bedroom, top of the closet, stashed in a kind of vent. Get it to Kim.” He tried to grab the bag of heroin, but he couldn’t reach it. “Here, give me another tap of that.”

I handed it to him. He took a pinch, raised his fingers to his nostrils, and had a snort. “Nbefore,” he said. “Think I could develop a taste.” His eyes started to roll. He swallowed thickly. He cleared his throat. He was panting heavily. “Open a window, would you?”

I did. An icy breeze hurtled across the room.

“Is it snowing yet?” he asked.

“No.”

“Feels like it. Got that heaviness in the air, you know?”