Read Online The Girl with a Clock for a Heart: A Novel by Peter Swanson - Free Book Online
Authors: Peter Swanson
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any way I can reach you if I need to?” George asked.
“There isn’t. We’ll just have to trust each other. I’ll be at the store.”
“I’ll be there too.”
“If I’m not there, then just assume that for whatever reason I thought it was too dangerous. And if you’re not there, I’ll understand as well. It’s a lot to ask.”
But George, after another restless night and an aimless, jittery morning, had taken a long shower, shaved, and found something to wear that made him look like a midlevel executive on a casual Friday. He knew it wasn’t necessary to dress for his brief role as stolen-money deliverer, but if he was supposed to plead Liana’s case, he thought he ought to look presentable. He arrived at the upscale, overpriced grocery store early and wandered the aisles of organic gluten-free products, waiting for Liana. They’d neglected to figure out a specific meeting spot, so when the time came he went to the front of the store, where a number of small booths fronted the tall glass windows that looked out onto a small parking lot. Just as he took a seat he spotted Liana, dressed in the same skirt but a different shirt, casually weaving her way between the parked Priuses toward the entrance. George met her at the automatic doors.
“Come inside with me,” she said. She carried a small purse, plus a black gym bag.
“Everything okay?” George asked.
“Fine. I think. If anyone followed me here I didn’t notice, and I was looking pretty carefully. Let’s sit for a moment.”
They sat in one of the booths, and Liana put the gym bag on the laminated table separating them. George felt as though their every move was being scrutinized by everyone within shouting distance.
“There’s exactly four hundred and sixty-three thousand dollars in there. Ten thousand of it is on top of the bag wrapped in a newspaper. That’s for you to keep. Gerry knows he’s only getting four hundred and fifty-three, so don’t let him tell you otherwise. You know how to get there?”
“I do. I thought you’d wait to give me money when we met afterward.”
“It’s up to you, but I trust you.”
With one hand on the bag, George hesitated. It was a smaller bag than he’d imagined, but it felt solid, like it was filled with chopped wood instead of paper money. “Why don’t you hold on to it? I’d rather not have it in the car when I go to the man’s house. It’s technically his money.”
“That’s fine,” Liana said, pulling the bag toward her, unzipping it halfway, and pulling out a rolled copy of the Herald. George caught a glimpse of stacked green bills and quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking at them. Liana re-zipped the bag and pushed it back toward George.
“Thank you again,” she said. “This is a huge relief that you are doing this. I don’t think I could bear to see him again.”
“And you don’t think he’ll have the cops there ready to question me?” This thought had been preoccupying George since early morning.
“Not a chance. And if there are police there, then just tell them everything. I don’t need you to protect or help me any more than you are already doing. I really don’t think anything can go wrong. Just tell the truth and return the money. And if you feel okay about it, then please tell Gerry that I apologize. He won’t believe you, but I want him to hear it. In retrospect, I overreacted.”
She smiled, and George smiled back. Some of her calmness was rubbing off on George, who’d felt keyed up since morning. “I don’t think you overreacted. You’re definitely worth half a million dollars.”
“You’d think, right?”
Back in the car, George cranked the air conditioner and unbuttoned an extra button on his shirt. He wondered if he’d been foolish about leaving the ten thousand dollars with Liana. It would be so easy for her to take off with it, skip out on their planned rendezvous. But George somehow didn’t think so; in fact, he felt the
“There isn’t. We’ll just have to trust each other. I’ll be at the store.”
“I’ll be there too.”
“If I’m not there, then just assume that for whatever reason I thought it was too dangerous. And if you’re not there, I’ll understand as well. It’s a lot to ask.”
But George, after another restless night and an aimless, jittery morning, had taken a long shower, shaved, and found something to wear that made him look like a midlevel executive on a casual Friday. He knew it wasn’t necessary to dress for his brief role as stolen-money deliverer, but if he was supposed to plead Liana’s case, he thought he ought to look presentable. He arrived at the upscale, overpriced grocery store early and wandered the aisles of organic gluten-free products, waiting for Liana. They’d neglected to figure out a specific meeting spot, so when the time came he went to the front of the store, where a number of small booths fronted the tall glass windows that looked out onto a small parking lot. Just as he took a seat he spotted Liana, dressed in the same skirt but a different shirt, casually weaving her way between the parked Priuses toward the entrance. George met her at the automatic doors.
“Come inside with me,” she said. She carried a small purse, plus a black gym bag.
“Everything okay?” George asked.
“Fine. I think. If anyone followed me here I didn’t notice, and I was looking pretty carefully. Let’s sit for a moment.”
They sat in one of the booths, and Liana put the gym bag on the laminated table separating them. George felt as though their every move was being scrutinized by everyone within shouting distance.
“There’s exactly four hundred and sixty-three thousand dollars in there. Ten thousand of it is on top of the bag wrapped in a newspaper. That’s for you to keep. Gerry knows he’s only getting four hundred and fifty-three, so don’t let him tell you otherwise. You know how to get there?”
“I do. I thought you’d wait to give me money when we met afterward.”
“It’s up to you, but I trust you.”
With one hand on the bag, George hesitated. It was a smaller bag than he’d imagined, but it felt solid, like it was filled with chopped wood instead of paper money. “Why don’t you hold on to it? I’d rather not have it in the car when I go to the man’s house. It’s technically his money.”
“That’s fine,” Liana said, pulling the bag toward her, unzipping it halfway, and pulling out a rolled copy of the Herald. George caught a glimpse of stacked green bills and quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking at them. Liana re-zipped the bag and pushed it back toward George.
“Thank you again,” she said. “This is a huge relief that you are doing this. I don’t think I could bear to see him again.”
“And you don’t think he’ll have the cops there ready to question me?” This thought had been preoccupying George since early morning.
“Not a chance. And if there are police there, then just tell them everything. I don’t need you to protect or help me any more than you are already doing. I really don’t think anything can go wrong. Just tell the truth and return the money. And if you feel okay about it, then please tell Gerry that I apologize. He won’t believe you, but I want him to hear it. In retrospect, I overreacted.”
She smiled, and George smiled back. Some of her calmness was rubbing off on George, who’d felt keyed up since morning. “I don’t think you overreacted. You’re definitely worth half a million dollars.”
“You’d think, right?”
Back in the car, George cranked the air conditioner and unbuttoned an extra button on his shirt. He wondered if he’d been foolish about leaving the ten thousand dollars with Liana. It would be so easy for her to take off with it, skip out on their planned rendezvous. But George somehow didn’t think so; in fact, he felt the
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