Mitch nodded. “I can respect that.” He twisted the top off the bottle and took a sip.
Angelo came out in shorts and a T-shirt, hair damp. “Mitch.” He pointed at Lucas. “Can I get one of those?”
Lucas got another beer out and handed it to his brother.
Angelo popped the top and drank, then set it on the counter. “Have a seat in front of that laptop.”
Mitch did as he asked. Angelo came over and ran his finger across the touchpad to wake up the screen. The laptop asked for identification. He pressed his finger to the fingerprint scanner, and it let him in. A paused video waited.
“As you know,” Angelo said. “I recorded the interaction on two cameras. I’ve got both feeds on a memory stick for you to take with you. I’d suggest you make copies of the videos and keep them in safe places, should the need arise for you to prove this was all on the up and up. Or maybe, sometime in the future, Addison needs a little reminder that she did this willingly.”
Mitch nodded. “All right. But did she sign the paperwork?”
Angelo smiled and spread his hands out. “Did she sign. I told you I’d get the job done and I did. You watch this and I’ll be back with everything you need.” He tapped the touchpad and the video started. He left.
Mitch leaned in.
For a moment, there were just random people walking through what looked like a coffee shop.
Then a young blond woman appeared. Addison. Angelo, who wasn’t visible because he was wearing the camera—in a buttonhole, if Mitch had to guess—stood. Maybe something clipped to his lapel. Hard to tell from the angle. The audio was decent, meaning he must have had a microphone on him, too.
Angelo held his hand out, but his hand was all that was visible. “Addison?”
She turned and nodded, expression wary, but then a quick, tight smile as she shook his hand. “Yes. You’re Angelo?”
“That’s right. Do you want something to drink while we talk?”
Quick shake of the head. “No, I’m fine.” She took a seat. “You said you had a deal for me? Is it a product you want me to endorse?”
Angelo sat back down. “Something like that.” A brief pause. “How does twenty thousand dollars sound?”
Addison blinked, then smiled and gave a little laugh. A real smile this time. “Sounds great. What’s the product?”
“No product.” The camera shifted slightly and something briefly blocked the picture, then Angelo’s hand appeared with a check in it. He laid it on the table. “Here’s the money.”
She picked it up and looked at it. “So what’s the catch?”
“No catch.” Again the camera was obscured, then Angelo laid more papers on the table between them. “All you have to do to leave with that check is sign these papers.” After blocking the camera a third time, he added a pen to the paperwork.
Mitch’s heart thumped harder in his chest. Angelo returned from the bedroom with a manila envelope and laid it on the counter next to the laptop, but Mitch kept watching the screen.
Addison had picked up the paperwork and was looking it over. Her gaze returned to Angelo. “This is a custody agreement.”
“It absolves you of any responsibility for the kid. I know you didn’t want her. Kyle knows that, too. It’s no big deal. Kids are a lot of work, am I right?”
Her smile was gone, but she didn’t look angry. More…irritated. She set the paperwork down. “He told you that?”
Angelo seemed to shrug. “I was made aware of the situation. This way, you both come out of the situation with your needs met. One hand washes the other, so to speak. You’re good with that, right?”
She looked at the check again. Touched the edge of it.
Angelo spoke again. “Twenty Gs. All yours. No question. No fuss. No bother. Just sign.”
Addison glanced up at Angelo, her fingers remaining on the check. “And there’s no catch? I sign and the money is mine? I don’t have to do anything with the baby?”
Mitch frowned. Couldn’t she remember Ruthie’s name or didn’t she care?
“No catch. Just sign and the money is yours and you never have to hear from Kyle again. You don’t have to worry about that. Just sign and I’m outta your hair. Unless…” Angelo’s hand inched toward the check.
