Chapter 21

“Yeah, it was a good frame up,” I replied. “See, the thing of it is, by the time I got there I was beginning to wonder why you picked someone like me to deliver the message. So I peeked inside the envelope and guess what I found. A blank piece of paper. Weird, huh?” I shot him a look. “I may have hit bottom, but I still have a phone. So when I saw you in Pender’s kitchen window I took a picture. What I should have done was turned around and left, but I didn’t.” I was going to elaborate but he didn’t give me a chance.

“I want to see the photo,” he spat out, reaching across the island to grab my arm.

“You can, for a price,” I replied as calmly as possible under the circumstances.

“You’re trying to blackmail me? Do you have any idea who you’re going up against?”

“Yeah, a bodyguard who probably knows his business.”

“Exactly. Show me the photo, then maybe we’ll talk.”

I dug it out of my pocket with my free hand, telling him I had a copy I’d left with a guy I know. “For insurance.”