Donovan Creed 11 - Because We Can! Read Free

Because there are things I don’t want you to take.”
    “No. People get in trouble when they try to stage a crime. I’m just going to shoot him, wipe the gun clean, put it back in the drawer, and leave.”
    “It’ll look like a hit.”
    “I doubt a hit man would use the victim’s gun to kill him. But in any case, if there’s no motive, and no evidence, it’ll be hard for the police to build a case against either of us. Just stay strong, freak out when they tell you he’s dead, and don’t say anything that could implicate you.”
    “Like what?”
    “Like, ‘I can’t believe someone shot him!’”
    “What’s wrong with that?”
    “Nothing, if they tell you he was shot. But they probably won’t. So try to pretend you know nothing about it.”
    “What if they ask me to come to the station?”
    “Tell them to set it up with your attorney. And Faith?”
    She looks at him.
    “You can shout, ‘Oh my God!’ or scream the word, ‘No!’ several times, or say those things quietly, while crying, but add nothing else, and don’t overdo it. Because if you say things like, ‘That’s impossible!’ They’ll ask you why it’s impossible. If you say, “But I just heard from him!” They’ll ask you what time, and what you talked about. They’ll try to engage you in conversation, but don’t fall into their trap.”
    “What should I say?”
    “Stare at them blankly, as if in shock and say nothing. Their best shot at tripping you up is the moment they tell you he’s dead. They’ll study your reaction and pepper you with questions that seem harmless, but can hang you later.”
    “I can’t just tell them to talk to my attorney the minute they tell me Jake’s dead.”
    “No. But you’re well within your rights to be in shock. If you’re in shock, it makes sense you can’t be responsive. If you feel stuck or cornered, simply pretend to faint. But don’t answer any questions. Offer no details. Confirm nothing.”
    “Won’t that make them suspicious?”
    “Who gives a shit?”
    “Good point.”
    “Okay,” Milo says. “You better get moving.”
    “Apologize.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “Apologize.”
    “For what?”
    “Spying on me.”
    “Oh. Look, I’m really sorry about that, Faith. I hope you can forgive me.”
    “I’ll try.”
    She turns to leave.
    Milo says, “Don’t forget to call my cell at seven-thirty.”
    “I’m not an idiot, Milo.”
    “Sorry. You know me. I’m anal.”
    He follows her to the garage, waits a few minutes to make sure she’s gone, then heads to her closet and goes through her underwear drawer.

5.
    IT STARTED WITH the wives.
    Faith, Gracie, and Wren were high school friends turning thirty. Lemon and Lexi were recently married workout buddies, twenty-four. The three met the two at yoga, and became close as sisters within months. The shopping dates, luncheons, and golf outings turned into birthday celebrations and vacations, and by then the husbands were involved. It was one of those rare situations where everyone got along, and it continued, because when you’ve got a group of ten, and two of the couples have kids, there’s always an excuse to get together.
    It takes Milo twenty minutes to go through Faith’s dresser drawers and bathroom cabinets, and another ten minutes to look through her prescriptions and feminine products. He makes a mental note of her perfume, makeup, and hair products. Not because he anticipates purchasing these items for her in the future, but because…well, just because.
    He’s not a pervert.
    At least, not the way she implied. In other words, sure, he’ll stare at a beautiful naked woman if he gets the chance, but he has no interest in trying on her bra and panties, or anything like that.
    Except that it’s on his mind now, the disgusting things perverts do. Milo wonders what type of satisfaction they could possibly derive by wearing women’s underwear.
    He’d look it up on the Internet if he had the time, or had a computer handy.