Chapter 43

She stepped behind him, rudely pulling his collar down to look at the nape of his neck. “What? Was there an all-you-can-eat Jesse buffet?”

“No,” he said, ducking away from her and straightening his shirt. “How much is this book?”

“I’m not selling that book to you.”

Jesse frowned. “Why not?”

“Because you’re lying to me, and I don’t sell my books to liars,” she announced, spinning on her heel. “Put that back where you found it.”

“I need this book.”

“I need a million dollars.”

“It’s a matter of life and death.”

“Whose?”

“A lot of innocent people.”

Michelle waved her hand. “There are no innocent people in this world.”

“There are people who don’t deserve to die the way Toby Richards did.”

She eyed him over her glasses. “Are you saying there are people in this world who do deserve to die that way?” She sniffed. “Oh, wait, look who I’m talking to.”

“Michelle, that’s not fair.”

“So, what did you do to deserve that?” she asked, gesturing at his neck.