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Authors: Jaime Maddox
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names.” This was a lie, but Angelica didn’t need to know that. The truth would have pissed her off. Simon hadn’t planned to kill Billy, but when he met him at the bar, something he said had caught Simon’s attention.
“Katie told me she ran into you down at the beach. You workin’ on your suntan?” he’d asked. Simon had known at that moment he had to kill Katie. And to diminish suspicion, he’d make it look like Billy was the target. Normally, he was patient and calculating. He took his time and decided the best course of action only after weighing all his options. Tonight, he hadn’t done that, and he hoped he wouldn’t live to regret it.
Billy had also told Simon that Katie had just received the last of her inheritance. He knew Katie had gotten money in the past, and Billy had squandered every penny of it. Simon figured he’d take the money while he was there, as a sort of bonus for his troubles. All that money would be a nice addition to the nest egg he’d been accumulating, the money that would keep Angelica and him living in style for the rest of their lives. For the past two years, they’d been quietly smuggling money into the islands, using a chartered boat to haul the loot and taking along her young niece and nephew to lend the appearance of family and help avoid suspicion. It’d been Angelica’s idea to move the money—which he’d been stockpiling in a bank safe in his home—to an account where it could earn interest. In a few years, he’d have enough money transferred so he could live comfortably forever. He’d disappear to the islands and live a good life with the woman he loved.
He didn’t really need Katie’s money, but he wanted it anyway. Years earlier he’d heard Billy bragging about all the money Katie had coming, and Simon figured that was the only reason Billy kept her around. He’d never given much thought to stealing it, though, because with the drugs she was doing back then, Simon didn’t think she’d live long enough to see it.
But Katie had surprised him, cleaning up and getting a respectable job. And Billy had, too. He seemed to be like the proverbial cat with nine lives, avoiding shootings and police raids, often escaping out the back door as the police were coming in the front. And then it occurred to Simon that perhaps Billy really was a snitch. Simon wondered now about the many near misses Billy had over the years, thinking perhaps his luck had more to do with police information than the hands of fate. It all made sense when he looked at it from that perspective. He’d have to be more careful and review his staff of distributors, start looking for problems.
“Well, you don’t have to worry about him anymore, Si. KYW says a man’s dead in a North Philadelphia shooting. Police are looking for Kathleen Finan. Ha! They think she’d have the guts to shoot somebody?” Angelica laughed.
Simon didn’t share her lighthearted attitude. “She might have the guts to talk to the police. I need to silence her. Do they know where she is? Where are they looking for her?”
Scanning the article again before looking at him, she raised her blue eyes to meet his dark ones. “It doesn’t say specifically, just that they’re looking for her. But I can tell you where she is, without question.” Her eyes held many emotions—passion, hatred, anger—as she waited for him to ask.
“Oh, yeah? How would you know?”
He studied her beautiful face and she finally offered a teasing smile, just one corner of her mouth lifting. “I just do.”
“Okay, so where the fuck is she?” Simon was tired, he was stressed, and he was in no mood to play games, no matter how beautiful she was.
“Si, don’t go getting’ pissy with me. I’m only trying to help you.”
He looked at her again, but her eyes were now on the computer screen. He really liked her courage. She didn’t take any of his attitude and didn’t back down from him. Angelica had bigger balls than most
“Katie told me she ran into you down at the beach. You workin’ on your suntan?” he’d asked. Simon had known at that moment he had to kill Katie. And to diminish suspicion, he’d make it look like Billy was the target. Normally, he was patient and calculating. He took his time and decided the best course of action only after weighing all his options. Tonight, he hadn’t done that, and he hoped he wouldn’t live to regret it.
Billy had also told Simon that Katie had just received the last of her inheritance. He knew Katie had gotten money in the past, and Billy had squandered every penny of it. Simon figured he’d take the money while he was there, as a sort of bonus for his troubles. All that money would be a nice addition to the nest egg he’d been accumulating, the money that would keep Angelica and him living in style for the rest of their lives. For the past two years, they’d been quietly smuggling money into the islands, using a chartered boat to haul the loot and taking along her young niece and nephew to lend the appearance of family and help avoid suspicion. It’d been Angelica’s idea to move the money—which he’d been stockpiling in a bank safe in his home—to an account where it could earn interest. In a few years, he’d have enough money transferred so he could live comfortably forever. He’d disappear to the islands and live a good life with the woman he loved.
He didn’t really need Katie’s money, but he wanted it anyway. Years earlier he’d heard Billy bragging about all the money Katie had coming, and Simon figured that was the only reason Billy kept her around. He’d never given much thought to stealing it, though, because with the drugs she was doing back then, Simon didn’t think she’d live long enough to see it.
But Katie had surprised him, cleaning up and getting a respectable job. And Billy had, too. He seemed to be like the proverbial cat with nine lives, avoiding shootings and police raids, often escaping out the back door as the police were coming in the front. And then it occurred to Simon that perhaps Billy really was a snitch. Simon wondered now about the many near misses Billy had over the years, thinking perhaps his luck had more to do with police information than the hands of fate. It all made sense when he looked at it from that perspective. He’d have to be more careful and review his staff of distributors, start looking for problems.
“Well, you don’t have to worry about him anymore, Si. KYW says a man’s dead in a North Philadelphia shooting. Police are looking for Kathleen Finan. Ha! They think she’d have the guts to shoot somebody?” Angelica laughed.
Simon didn’t share her lighthearted attitude. “She might have the guts to talk to the police. I need to silence her. Do they know where she is? Where are they looking for her?”
Scanning the article again before looking at him, she raised her blue eyes to meet his dark ones. “It doesn’t say specifically, just that they’re looking for her. But I can tell you where she is, without question.” Her eyes held many emotions—passion, hatred, anger—as she waited for him to ask.
“Oh, yeah? How would you know?”
He studied her beautiful face and she finally offered a teasing smile, just one corner of her mouth lifting. “I just do.”
“Okay, so where the fuck is she?” Simon was tired, he was stressed, and he was in no mood to play games, no matter how beautiful she was.
“Si, don’t go getting’ pissy with me. I’m only trying to help you.”
He looked at her again, but her eyes were now on the computer screen. He really liked her courage. She didn’t take any of his attitude and didn’t back down from him. Angelica had bigger balls than most
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