“I don’tcarewhat you told me,” he says. “I don’t care what you have to liquidate. Liquidate it! Two million or else.”
“Or else? Or elsewhat, Fin?” I don’t hide the exhaustion in my voice.
“Or else that video goes viral,” he says.
I pop off the couch, nearly tangling my foot in the blanket.
“Hello?” he sings. “Still there, wifey? You sure got quiet all of a sudden.”
“What…what video—”
“The ‘school security video’?” he says. “Are you familiar with it? Boy, what a show!”
A slow burn works through my chest. Luke made good on his threat. He showed Finley that video. “Finley, please—”
“Oh, youdoknow what I’m talking about. So I imagine it’s worth quite a bit to you. Say, two million dollars?”
It was one thing if Luke had these videos. Luke, I could contain; I could hurt him right back with that audio recording. Mutually assured destruction would deter him.
But Finley? He’s a wounded animal, nothing to lose.
My mind racing, trying to imagine every angle, pushing away the panic, I fumble for words. “Finley…”
“Not sounding so confident now, are you? Not so in control?”
“We—we need to discuss this. Let’s talk in person.”
“Oh, she wants to talk in person! Sure, honey, let’s talk! How about tomorrow afternoon at the condo?”
“Um…sure.” I have no idea if I’m free. But I’ll have to make it work.
“Yeah, tomorrow. April Fools’ Day! Only for once, the fool won’t be me, princess.”
“Finley,” I say.
“Yes, sweetheart? Dearest? Yes?”
“If I do this…if I can…get two million—”
“You meanwhenyou get two million.”
“Will we…be done? Will this be the end?”
“You bet, babe.”
“No,” I say, feeling something sink inside me. “How will I know this willreallybe over? Once and for all?”
“I’ll give you my copies of the video.”
No. He’ll burn extra copies. He’ll always have this to hold over me. Hitting Marlow with my car and driving away? That’s prison time. The end of my legal career. The end of everything.
“You mean can you trust I won’t keep a copy?” Fin says, reading my thoughts. “Hmm. Well, I guess you’ll never be sure, will you?”
The connection goes dead.
I look at the phone, as if there is an answer contained in there. But I already know the answer. Finley now has something on me, and he won’t ever let it go.
I will never be sure, is the answer.
