playing here, Foster?”
I turn to him, anger boiling over. “You’re the one playing
games, making out like you’re operating a respectable business
when really you’re a bunch of crooks.”
It’s as if the air has been sucked out of the room.
Ned’s face now turns white as the wall. Smith stares at me.
“I know what you’re trying to do to my uncle,” I go on,
emboldened. “The threatening letters. The late-night visits
in old cars. It’s extortion, and we’re not going to stand for it
another moment.”
“Lawrence.” Ned’s voice is hard.
“It’s the truth, Ned,” I insist. “You may have a faint idea of
the kind of people who you’re dealing with, but I’ve looked
into them. I’ve learned terrible things—”
“This is all entirely amusing,” Smith says without a shred of
mirth in his face. “The kid here thinks we’re the crooked ones.”
I snap my gaze to his. “What do you mean by that?”
“Leave it, Smith,” Ned says, his eyes burning.
“The boy’s going into law. He ought to learn the meaning
of extortion.”
“Not another word,” Ned growls.
Smith continues, talking over him. “In fact, I’m starting
to wonder if you have more double-crossing tricks up your
sleeves, Ned.”
“What is he talking about?” I demand.
Smith scoffs loudly. “Your uncle never explained the terms of
this lovely little merger we have going on tomorrow?”
A coldness creeps into me, snuffing out the anger. Ned is
breathing hard. He avoids my gaze.
“What’s going on?” I ask, my voice broken.
Smith shakes his head. “Your uncle has been so deep in
debt for so long that he can’t see up from down anymore.
And it’s gambling debt no less. Pathetic. His coming to us is
the only thing keeping him from being eaten alive by collection agencies.”
My head’s spinning. The ringing in my ears has returned.
“Ned?”
“He’s as much of a crook as I am,” Smith sneers. “We’re only
taking him on because he’s made big promises. Put some big
collateral on the line. He’s apparently made some patched-up,
shady deal with unnamed entities. He won’t even tell me who.”
“A vicious lie,” Ned says, tearing his hand across the table.
His glass of water flies through the air, smashing against the
wall with a tremendous crash.
Smith points a threatening finger at Ned. “Don’t you dare try
to deny it.”
“I will deny it. You can’t bring your lies and filth into this
home any longer.”
“You’re a fool,” Smith growls. He shoves his chair to the side.
“I’m not staying here another minute. As of this moment, you
can consider the merger off.”
Ned’s eyes widen. “Wait.”
“Forget it. I’m not going to be played as a fool, Foster. I don’t
know what you’re up to, but I sure as hell don’t like it.”
He storms out of the room. Ned flies after him. “Smith! Wait!”
I’m stunned, but rush after them.
The front doors are open. I can hear Ned screaming at Jenkins
to start his car.
I’m alone in the center of the grand entryway. It’s dark, and
a cold wind from the open front doors blows in. Chills prickle
all over my body. The room seems to be spinning, but I know
I’m standing still. The threat on my life has never felt so real.
So raw.
And then, from the grandfather clock in the study, the chimes
of midnight ring out.
It’s Saturday. August 5. The day I will die.
Chapter 3o
Cassandra
t’s here. Saturday. August 5.
I
Watching the clock on my phone turn to midnight,
I feel a part of me break inside.
Maybe I believed it would never actually come. That somehow, just by loving each other and creating something beautiful in this world, we’d cheat the past. We’d cheat destiny.
But now, we’ll cheat nothing.