Read Online High-Caliber Concealer by Bethany Maines - Free Book Online Page B

they would be by
later.”
    Nikki pulled some chopsticks out of the
drawer and opened a container that turned out to be Mongolian Beef.
“Jane, do you ever think that we ought to get out and meet other
people? Maybe associate with someone who isn’t Carrie Mae?”
    “We do. We go to the gym, and you go to the
linguistics group, and I have my Comic-Con friends. We see other
people.” Jane’s hand paused over the Moo Shu Pork. “Why?”
    “I’m not trying to break up with you, Jane.
I’ve just been thinking a lot about my life lately.”
    “You mean you’ve been thinking about
breaking up with Z’ev again,” said Jane rolling her eyes. “You’re
not going to do it. I don’t know why you keep talking about it. You
look into his big brown eyes and you go all gooey and you don’t do
it.”
    “Yeah, but I should,” said Nikki. “He’s kind
of incompatible with this job. He’s a real danger to Carrie
Mae.”
    Jane shrugged. “He is. But you’re making it
work.”
    “I’m making it work,” Nikki repeated. “But
my bigger question is: for how long? I keep thinking life would be
easier without him. And then I start to ponder what else life would
be easier without.”
    Jane stared at her, a worried crease forming
between her eyebrows. “And, um, when you have these thoughts, do
any particular names spring to mind? Do you have any ideas about
how you would like to get rid of the names on said list?”
    “I’m not going on a killing rampage,” said
Nikki.
    “OK, but if you decide to go all Val
Robinson on us, I’d like some prior warning.”
    Nikki thought about saying that sometimes
she thought Val Robinson’s lone wolf approach had some real merits,
but she knew Jane would blow a gasket if she so much as suggested
it. Also, Val hadn’t been an indiscriminate killer. She simply got
rid of the people in her way. It was just that at one point, Nikki
had unfortunately been in the way.
    “So have you decided what you’re going to do
with your two weeks off?” she asked changing the topic.
    “Jenny keeps saying we’re going to Cancun,”
said Jane, looking doubtful.
    “Won’t the tan interfere with your preferred
Goth lifestyle?”
    “It would, if all of my Goth friends hadn’t
moved to San Diego and started having babies. Plus, I do carry
sunscreen at all times.”
    Both their phones chirped and Nikki leaned
over to check the message.
    Coming in—don’t shoot me.
    “I wish Jenny wouldn’t text that every
time,” said Jane, sighing. “The mobile companies can look at those
texts if they want.”
    “They should get in line with the NSA,” said
Nikki with a shrug. “It reads like a joke.”
    Jane looked unconvinced.
    “Hey, y’all,” said Jenny, breezing in,
smelling faintly of Dolce and cordite. “I brought some really fresh
berries for dessert.” She plunked the bag down on the counter next
to the ice cream. “In case you want to try something healthy for a
change.”
    “Yeah, we probably don’t,” said Nikki. “But
they’ll go good on the ice cream.”
    Jenny shook her head and investigated the
Chinese food containers, selecting the grilled vegetables and
chicken option. “So what are we talking about?”
    “Breaking up with Z’ev and what to do on our
unpaid leave,” said Jane, making a sour face.
    Jenny wrinkled her nose. “Honey, I don’t
want to be mean, but it’s time to shit or get off the pot.” Then
she pointed her chopsticks at Jane. “Cancun.”
    “The problem is,” said Nikki. “that I don’t
know whether to… Can we use a different metaphor while we’re
eating?”
    “You had a perfect opportunity with Kit
Masters,” said Jenny. Being the son of an agent, he was covered
under the immediate-danger-family-clause. Z’ev had cancelled your
vacation plans at the last second, and you were even mostly broken
up due to that phone issue. It was the perfect opportunity. It
would have been like the break-up win of the century—dump Z’ev,
find someone new in