“Twelve,” she whispered as she tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
“You can hardly be at fault,” I reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You were just a little kid.”
“Anyway, he was my best friend and we spent our weekends together at the racetrack.”
“You know you aren’t at fault, Race, right?” I asked, concerned about her change of attitude.
“In my heart I know it, but I can still hear the words coming out of my mama’s mouth.”
“Sometimes parents say shit they don’t mean,” I said, knowing that my ma had said more than a few things I knew she wished she could take back.
“I know,” she said, keeping her eyes on the road.
She weaved in and out of traffic, and I couldn’t look. “It’s quite a leap from race car driver to the corporate world,” I said before I swallowed hard, trying to get the lump out of my throat.
“I wanted something challenging and cutthroat, but I never expected what’s happening now.”
As she pulled into the IKEA parking lot, my phone rang and Thomas’s number scrolled across the radio.
“Let me grab this. Thomas may have some news,” I said as I pulled my phone out of my pocket and took it off Bluetooth.
“Yeah?” I asked, hoping he had a lead.
“I think I found him,” Thomas said, the excitement in his voice evident. “Come to the office this afternoon and we’ll work out a game plan.”
Chapter Eighteen
Problem
Race
“We’ll be in shortly. Thanks, man.” Morgan glanced at me as I pulled my phone from my purse, needing to check my messages. “He has a lead,” he whispered, covering the phone with his hand.
“Thank God,” I mumbled, glancing down at my screen.
My hands began to shake as I checked my messages. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to slow my breathing. I swallowed down the bile that had started to rise in my throat.
Race,
The time is coming. Meet me tomorrow at 7 p.m. if you want your tape back. Come alone or I’ll email it to your boss. I bet he’d like to hear you moaning like a whore.
I couldn’t read any more.
I couldn’t breathe.
“We’ll stop in the office later. We’re doing a few things today.” There was a long pause. “Yeah, I have her with me. You told me to keep an eye on her.” More silence. “Don’t worry, man. I got it.”
I turned my phone off and tossed it back in my purse.
“Looks like we’re a step closer to solving your case,” he said.
“Thank God,” I replied, knowing that either way, it would be over tomorrow night.
“Ready to do some shopping?” Morgan asked.
Pulling at my lip, I stared at him as he spoke but didn’t hear the words.
“Race,” he said, touching my leg as his forehead scrunched.
