Prologue
Reno, Nevada, was known as the Biggest Little City in the World. During the holiday season, it became a winter wonderland when the snow flew. Everywhere Kennedy Daily looked, lights twinkled, lighting up storefronts and window displays. Most people loved the holidays. She tolerated them. No family to share them with, no boyfriend to speak of, so why celebrate? The holidays for her consisted of working extra hours to allow other employees with plans to enjoy themselves and frozen TV dinners. She hadn’t had a Christmas tree since the last year she spent in her mother’s house.
It was mid-November, and you’d think Christmas was tomorrow the way people acted. Six weeks until the fat man blew into town on that damn magical sleigh and disappointed some kid out there just like he’d disappointed her. Six weeks that she’d have to endure the music, lights, and obnoxious shoppers.
Driving home, she took her time, smiling occasionally as she saw children excited as they stared at the decorated trees in the park. Maybe her heart wasn’t completely hard.
Being a casino town, Reno was always hectic with tourists, but it became twice as hectic when Christmas season rolled in. Turning off the main road, Kennedy was thankful there were a few back streets she could take the rest of the way home.
Pulling up to her apartment building, she grabbed her purse and the work she brought home to finish. Digging out her house key, she didn’t see her phone. “For Christ’s sake, Kennedy, you’d forget your damn head if it wasn’t attached to your body.” Chastising herself out loud, she’d just have to drive back to the office and get it.
It was a shame her lifeline was a damn cell phone. Putting the car in gear, she headed back to Banks and Burrows Inc. Crossing her fingers that her boss would still be there, Kennedy made her way through the city, using the back streets to avoid the holiday shoppers and traffic.
The vintage Ford Falcon she was driving roared through the empty side streets. You couldn’t miss the sound or the car. Candy apple red with whitewall tires, it screamed ‘pay attention to me’.The things she did for friends.
If her friend, Tina, hadn’t asked for a favor, she’d be in her murdered-out Mini Cooper S. When she saw it on the showroom floor, all blacked-out like a gangsta ride, she had to have it. It was a choice Kennedy often berated herself over. The cost of the Mini had her taking a job she didn’t enjoy but that paid the bills.
Arriving back at the office building, Kennedy noticed her boss’s Town Car still parked in the lot. Sending up a silent thank you, she let out a sigh of relief and quickly got out of her car.
She hated walking around in the building after hours. The damn thing creeped her out with the hums of computers. There was one overhead light that had a bad ballast which made the light flicker.Can you say horror movie scene?
Hustling across the nearly empty parking lot, Kennedy punched in the keycode and entered the building. Crossing the lobby, she walked past the ten-foot Christmas tree that sat in the middle of the area. A random decoration had fallen off the tree, sighing, she stopped to pick it up. Holding the cloth decoration, she smoothed her fingers over the little angel, dusting it off. Glancing at the tree, she found the perfect spot for it and hung the little Christmas angel from the branch. Turning from the tree, she waved at the night watchman.
Hitting the button, she tapped her keys against her leg while waiting impatiently on the elevator to arrive. One number at a time lit up as it made its way to the lobby. Can this blasted thing be any slower? I’d make faster progress taking the stairs.
When the elevator arrived, Kennedy stepped in, hit the button, and watched the doors close with the speed of a sloth. Hitting the close button repeatedly did not help. She didn’t know why it mattered—it wasn’t as if she had a date or anything.
Her evening would consist of a frozen pizza, a bottle of Verdi, and work.I’m just living the dream.
Thanks to her dear old mom, Kennedy had issues with men. They either wanted what you had, what you could get, or what they could take. She’d seen enough of it with every man her mother, Valerie, dated.Thanks to the last deadbeat, Kennedy had been kicked out of the house at the age of sixteen. She’d lived the rest of her high school existence bouncing from friend’s house to friend’s house, sleeping on sofas or spare beds. She hated the looks of pity from the parents, but everyone knew if they called the cops or family services, she’d run.
That had been nine years ago. She didn’t even know if Valerie was alive or dead. She had a brother who’d left the same way when she was five. Even at that young age, she knew the deal. She’d been the one to tell Stephen to run. Three years back, she had a friend who worked for the government find him. She knew where Stephen lived, and she had his phone number.
In a move worthy of an eighteen-year-old on their senior trip, she’d gotten his phone number along with his date of birth and hers tattooed right below her arm pit. When asked why that spot, she replied if a serial killer cut off her extremities, the cops could still contact her brother. In retrospect, she should have added his damn name, but that was a level of commitment she wasn’t ready for. Her commitment issues ran so deep, she wouldn’t even have a pet, too afraid they’d run away.
Stepping off the elevator, she faced yet another oversized Christmas tree. Turning right, she headed to her cubical at the back of the floor. Every cubical, every single one but hers, was decorated with lights and garland. Some even had tiny Christmas trees. The woman who worked in front of her had an entire snow globe collection displayed on the top ledge of her cubicle. Kennedy stared at it every damn day. She’d never understand why people couldn’t enjoy one holiday at a time. Why not enjoy Thanksgiving before decorating for Christmas? She blamed it on the retail market. It was all about hurrying up to get to the next thing.
When she got to her cubical, she looked everywhere for her phone. She even crawled around under her desk but found nothing. Picking up the desk phone, she called her phone. When she felt the vibration in her jacket pocket, Kennedy pulled the phone out and turned it off. “Definitely glad my head’s attached to my body.”
Getting off the floor, she headed back toward the elevator, shoving her earbuds in so she could listen to the podcast she had started. It was calledHoliday Homicide, which was fitting for her mood.
The sound of raised voices caught her attention. Pulling out one of the earbuds, she recognized Mr. Angelini’s voice, and it didn’t sound like a friendly conversation. Worrying something might be wrong with the work she’d been doing, Kennedy stepped closer to the room.
She shouldn’t be worried as her work was impeccable. This was her being insecure, and she needed to get over it. Easing closer to the meeting room, she could barely see her boss.
Not being able to see without letting everyone know she was there, Kennedy used her phone so she could see what was happening.
Kennedy’s eyes went wide at seeing the men in the room. Her boss, Mr. Angelini, was pointing a gun at one of the three men as they argued. At seeing the gun, she tried to breathe. Reno was a gambling town, and lots of people had guns. There were security guards and bodyguards, but her boss wasn’t one of those. He owned an accounting firm.
“What are you talking about, boss? I ain’t skimmed off the top. It’s all there.” The man pointed to the black duffle bag on the floor.
“Do you think I’m stupid, George? Am I stupid?”
Wiping his forehead with a handkerchief, he shook his head. “No, boss.”
Covering her mouth, even terrified she couldn’t help but watch the scene unfold in front of her.
Her boss kicked the duffle bag, spilling the money. “It’s short.”
