I’m quiet as he continues to unload on me. His words are like a knife to the chest.
“I watched you for a long while. You got as far as you did on your own because you are resourceful and can think on your feet. You also have that natural intuition that can’t be learned. Those are gifts. Gifts you almost squandered today. I understand you felt the need to call Matt for help when you found the safe, but calling in is a last resort. Asking for help becomes a crutch. I need people who can problem solve without outside assistance, because aid isn’t always available. That woman slipped up on you because you were more worried about rushing the job and leaning on Matt for help. You should have taken a step back. Done research on the safe. Determined how to get in without the code. Not break your identity by making a fucking phone call while his goddamn wife was soaking in the tub in the next room.”
The obscenities seem more vulgar coming from the mechanical voice. It’s not the pep talk I expected, but surprisingly it was the pep talk I needed. And he’s absolutely right. I was rushing the job. I didn’t want to spend another day getting more attached to Miles.
Going forward I have to do better. I will be better. This was a tough lesson to learn.
It’s crushing for him to lay the truth out like that. Even though I will remember Miles and this job for the rest of my life, he will no doubt forget about me. But Mr. Smith is wrong. I’m not just a ghost who passed through the Kingstons’ life.
I am a ghost passing through my own life.
The only one who cares about me is me. The only one who is going to make sure I survive is me.
I am on my own.
He finally says, “Money will be transferred to your account for the completion of this job. Instructions for your next job will arrive within the week. Take a few days to pack your things, since your next job will require relocating. I can’t risk you running into the Kingstons.”
“Yes, sir.”
“The ambulance has already taken Mrs. Kingston from the residence and the police are questioning Mr. Kingston as we speak. Next time I ask you to tell me every detail, don’t leave a single fucking thing out.”
I take a deep breath and hold it in until there’s a slight burn in my chest and my head feels a little fuzzy. Letting the air out in a quiet whoosh, I whisper, “I’ll be better. No mistakes.” Silently, I add, And I will never get attached on the job again.
“No mistakes,” he repeats.
Chapter 13
Present Day
This dinner party will be very different from the one we had a few weeks ago. I’m setting the table on the back patio rather than the one in the dining room since the weather is nice and the mosquitoes haven’t gotten bad yet. Ryan is icing down the beer and wine we bought earlier, placing it in the decorative galvanized tub with Sumner etched across the front. Sara gave him the tub on his last birthday; if there is one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that Southerners believe the best gift is a personalized gift.
James and that woman arrive just as Ryan is firing up the grill.
We both greet them as they make their way up the short set of stairs to the deck. Ryan takes one of the twelve-packs James is lugging while she hands me a foil-covered platter and says, “I know you said don’t bring anything, but James’s mom and I made way too many brownies this afternoon.”
I pull the edge of the foil back to peek. “Oh yum, these smell divine.” I’m already visualizing the Facebook post Mrs. Bernard has probably already uploaded.
“How’s your dad’s leg?” Ryan asks James as they shake hands.
“Getting better,” James answers. “Or at least getting better at not complaining about it.”
The woman lets out a laugh while nudging James with her elbow. “Stop. He’s a far better patient than his son would be.” She turns to me. “There’s a never-ending poker game now that he’s stuck at home. He’s running out of friends who are willing to lose money to him.” Her hand falls gently on Ryan’s arm. “I know he’d love for you to stop by for a visit. Maybe lose a hand or two to keep his spirits up?”
She’s got both men hanging on her every word within minutes of arriving.
“It’s not hard for Ryan to lose at cards!” James says.
I laugh just enough that it sounds genuine, then gesture for everyone to take a seat at the table while Ryan adds the beer James brought to the tub.
“I’ll just be a second,” I say, then step inside to grab the appetizers I made earlier. Once I sit back down, I take a deep breath and soak everything in. It’s a gorgeous night, with weather Louisiana is seldom blessed with—warm and breezy with no humidity. It’s a shame to waste such a perfect evening on work.
The conversation is easy, with the guys doing most of the talking. She seems to approach this sort of thing the same way I do: listen and learn.
“We’re hogging the conversation,” Ryan says with a laugh after a bit, then turns to the woman sitting next to James. “I’d love to learn more about the newest addition to Lake Forbing.”
“Yes, we didn’t get much of a chance to talk at the Derby Party . . . Lucca.” It’s hard to say her name out loud. My name. It felt as bitter on my tongue as I thought it would.
She shrugs and sends James a warm smile. “Not much to tell. James and I met a few months ago. We both were working in Baton Rouge. I’m an insurance adjuster and was there following up on a group of claims from the tornado that tore through last fall.”
“Yeah, that was a bad one,” Ryan says. “I have a couple of clients there. Lots of homes were destroyed.”
“It was tragic.” She reaches over and slips her hand into James’s. “Makes you really appreciate everything you have.”
It takes everything in me to keep my sweet smile and engaged expression locked into place.
“So, you just move from disaster to disaster?” I ask.
She cringes. “Pretty much. It gets hard sometimes. But there are breaks in between, like right now. There’s nowhere I need to be so I can handle the paperwork from anywhere.” Another loving glance at James and another squeeze of his hand, but he’s too busy downing the rest of his beer with his free hand to notice.
She’s good. The backstory is solid. Delivery is flawless. Facial movements match her emotions. I’m impressed.
James, on the other hand, needs some coaching, although I’m pretty sure he’s just a pawn. She’s polished while he looks to be hanging on by a thread. I can’t imagine any circumstance where this is actually a genuine relationship.
I’ve been in her spot before. Forcing something just for the sake of a job. The fact that she keeps looking at him like he’s hung the moon makes me respect her more than I want to.
She turns toward me and says, “James said you haven’t lived here long, Evie. What brought you to Lake Forbing?”
“Oh, I’ve been bouncing around for a while. My parents died in a car wreck a few years ago and I needed a change of scenery.” I bite down on my bottom lip and cast a glance at Ryan—my vulnerability making a quick appearance before I shove it back down. He scoots closer to me, resting his hand on my thigh. “Ended up here and fell in love with this place. I’m a sucker for a cute small town,” I say with a nervous laugh. “And for a cute guy who’s handy with minor car repairs.”
Ryan chuckles beside me. “Anything more than a tire change and I’ll need to call in reinforcements.”
She leans forward, grin stretching across her face. “Speaking of cute small towns, who is your college friend from Eden, Evie? I’m sure I know her or her family. It would be hard not to in a town that size.”
This bitch.