When she’s done snickering, her pretty blue eyes widen as if challenging my assertion. “You sure you aren’t upset about it, though? It’s okay to have complicated feelings.”
I shrug. “It’s possible I’ve buried how I’msupposedto feel about taking a human life down in the abyss of my psyche with all my other trauma. But until my first therapy appointment, it can stay down there and keep the rest of my woes company. And to be honest, he was barely human. More like a snake in human skin.”
She nods, finally shrugging off her misplaced regret. “But wait. Did you sayCasablanca?”
My explanation is cut off when another hunk comes strutting down my sidewalk, which might as well be a fashion runway at this point. Only, instead of the hottest styles, it’s the hottest people.
“Honk, honk,” a deep voice bellows, heralding the arrival of another helper. “Truck is here. Giddy up!”
“Hi, Luke!” I wave at Agent Cowboy. “Thanks for helping.”
He winks at me, fully turning up his charm. “No problem, little lady. Anything for the sweet thang who eliminated Carnage for us.”
I’m too young for hot flashes, right?Right?
Every time I’m reminded of what I did, I’m trampled with renewed fear I’ll be hauled off in cuffs. If not for taking him out, then for what I did in the casino.
But nope.
According to SSA Chase and her boss and his boss and her boss, no charges will be filed against little old me. The investigation is still ongoing due to all the red tape, but based on the witness statements and my cooperation, the assistant US attorney has already stated that I’m free and clear.
Poof! Done.
Not only did I get the guy. I got away with cheating in a casino, concealing a bogus kidnapping, and...?well, I guess I got away with murder.
Reed says it isn’t murder, though. Not by the definition of the law. He said it’s a non-criminal homicide.That’ll look better on my resume. Still no job offers, if you can believe that.
As an aside, he also said he jabbed the razor deeper into Jabali’s dumb neck when he pounced on him. I guess we killed him together.
Nothing says love like joint noncriminal homicide.
Oh well.Soon, it’ll all be a blur in the rearview.
Just like this apartment and my old life.
Between Sawyer’s Redleg buddies and a pair of Reed’s fellow agents, Luke’s pick-up and the trailer hitched behind it are loaded in an embarrassingly short amount of time. My car is stuffed, and so is the back of Sawyer’s SUV.
I return to the apartment to sweep for any remaining items I can shove onto the floorboard of my car before we journey across town.
After wiping my feet one final time on the welcome mat, I survey the boxless, furniture-free space. And instantly wish I didn’t.Sheesh.
You know how in movies, when someone moves out, they have that moment of reflection while standing in the middle of a sparkling-clean room? Did those filmmakers never move out of a home or apartment?
This place is one step away from a crime scene, which I can attest to firsthand.
On cue, a parade of hairballs blows through the living room while someone whistles an ominous tune in the background. Probably Sawyer.
I stroll deeper into the apartment I used to share with my former best friend. Instead of battling nostalgia and longing for the good times, I’m fighting nausea.
I swear I’ve cleaned before. Honest.
Based on the amount of fur lining the corners of the living room, Kenzie smuggled a pet in here at some point. Random bits of paper and envelopes defy all rational explanation, making it seem as if we were running a side business in the lucrative paper-shredding industry.
Shockingly, the random candy wrappers didn’t attract bugs. And why, oh why, is there a pile of uncooked macaroni noodles on the carpet where the couch once stood? Was someone doing noodle art?
I’m disgusted. And frankly, mortified that my volunteer movers, most of whom barely know me, had to see my squalor. They said they’d help me move my crap. Not get an allergy flare-up from ingesting untold levels of dust.
Unfortunately, I’m soon-to-be far too broke to sacrifice my deposit. I’ll need to return tomorrow to clean this dump before I turn in the keys. Hopefully, I’ll do a better job than I did when the furniture concealed our filth.
