The 6:20 Man(101)

“Your brownstone is owned by the Locust Group, not by you. They’re laundering and hiding money, Christian, on a global scale. We’re offering you an exit ramp. You just have to work with us.”

“Christian,” said Michelle, “we’re trying to help you.”

“I don’t need help. Everything will be fine.”

“Four people are dead and Cowl has done a runner,” said Devine. “He’s leaving people like you to hold the bag.”

Chilton walked away. They followed him outside.

Devine said, “If you work with us, we can help.”

Chilton whirled around. “Who are you? I thought you were working for Brad.”

“I am. And I’m not.”

“That’s as clear as mud.”

“If you don’t jump to the other side, this will not end well for you. Then who’ll look after your grandfather?”

“Fuck off.”

“Christian!” said Michelle.

He got into his BMW and left tire rubber on the asphalt as he sped off.

Devine looked at Montgomery, who was staring after the car.

“Like he said, you’re not little kids anymore, Michelle. You can’t save him if he doesn’t want to be saved.”

“I doubt I can save anybody, not even myself.”

“Well, for that, you’ve got me.”





CHAPTER





68


WHEN DEVINE RETURNED HOME IT was nearly eleven. He was surprised to see Tapshaw sitting on the couch eating a bag of chips along with a bowl of ice cream. She was almost always in her room, and he had never seen her eating chips and ice cream before.

“Hey, Jill, what’s up?”

She looked up at him. Her face was puffy, and it looked like she had been crying.

“What’s wrong?” he blurted out.

“Mayflower bagged on me.”

Oh shit. “What the hell happened?” said Devine automatically, although he knew very well what had happened.

“About an hour ago, Christian Chilton sent me a very curt email and said that their investment plans had changed, and that they were no longer interested in the dating platform sector. I mean, they go from investing fifty million to nothing?”

Devine sat down beside her. “I’m sorry. But maybe it’s for the best.”

“That money would have launched us into the stratosphere, Travis. I don’t think I’ll be able to find that good a deal anywhere else. The valuation was sky-high.”

“But you’ve overcome every challenge. You’ll get past this one, too.”

“But what the hell happened between him emailing me this morning and everything was hunky-dory and an hour ago when he told me to basically eat shit and die?” She looked at him. “Do you have any inkling?”

Devine couldn’t even look at her. “I don’t know, Jill. Crap happens in business, I guess. Maybe they ran into some funding problems,” he added lamely.

She perked up, wiped her eyes, and patted his hand. “It’s okay. I’ve got other irons in the fire. Our cash burn is under control. We can make it until new money comes in. And in two years I’ll look that jerk up and he can eat some crow.”

He smiled but still couldn’t meet her eye. “Now you’re talking.”

He went up to his room and fell asleep in his clothes.

*

The next morning, he took the 6:20 in. He knew Montgomery wouldn’t be at Cowl’s place, so he almost didn’t look out. But when he saw others in the train staring out the windows, he did, too. And his pulse rate spiked.

Oh God.

The police and a forensics team were by the pool. And they were pulling something out of the water. It looked like—

The train gave a jolt and picked up speed. Devine craned his neck back, but he couldn’t see anything.

The man next to him said, “Damn, man, was that a body in the pool? Please don’t tell me it was the bikini gal.”

Devine didn’t answer. His heart was racing so fast he thought he might be sick.

He took out his phone and punched in Montgomery’s number.

Come on, come on. Shit, please, please answer your phone. Don’t be dead, Michelle. Don’t—

It went to voice mail. He tried again. Same thing. He texted her and awaited a reply. Nothing. He went online and scanned the news about a body’s being found at Brad Cowl’s house.

There was nothing.

When the train pulled into the next station he jumped up and ran out the opening doors. He hoofed it outside the station and grabbed the first cab he saw. He gave the address and tried calling her the whole way.

By the time the cab dropped him off he had no hope left. Why did she come back here?

The area was blocked off, so Devine joined a group of other gawkers in front of the house. A black van waited, presumably for the body. Police were everywhere, keeping people away and securing the crime scene.

A sedan pulled up, and Ekman and Shoemaker climbed out. Devine ran over to them. “I saw them pulling a body out of the pool when we passed by on the train. Is it . . . is it . . . ?”

His phone dinged. He looked down as every bit of breath in his body left him.

Sorry, I was asleep and didn’t hear the phone. Everything okay?