34
ANSON
“So you broke in and stole the security camera tape?” Stash frowned at us from behind an ancient, battered desk in the small room that served as his office.
“Twill, you know I can’t condone that type of behavior.
I’m still trying to make that mess at the hospital go away.
Do you know the police have come by here three times looking for you?
” His wary eyes held on her for a moment, then shifted over to me. “All of you,” he added.
I slumped a little lower in my seat. Maybe Father was right. Maybe it was time I left.
Twill did not back down. “If we don’t figure out who’s doing this, do you seriously think the cops will?
They don’t care about any of us. They’ll conduct some half-assed investigation and drop it in a few days.
The second the press loses interest, they’re gone.
That’s if Andy’s death even makes the news. ”
Stash glanced down at the screen of his laptop for a brief moment before closing the lid. “Where’s this tape now?”
“My friend Paul has it.”
“He’s with Ruddy,” Twill added. “They needed some special machine to play it, and Ruddy said the one they use at the parking lot would work.”
Stash went quiet for a very long time. Finally, he said, “I don’t want any more of this.
The Quick exists—the Quick has been allowed to exist—because we stay under the radar of the local authorities.
For the most part, they consider our indiscretions to be victimless.
As long as nobody is getting hurt, they turn a blind eye.
Something like this, though? Breaking into a business? That fires up the locals.”
“Nobody knows it was us,” Twill told him. “Nobody saw us.”
“That you know of.”
“Nobody saw us,” she repeated, firmer this time.
“We didn’t take anything, either,” I said. “Just the tape.”
Stash shook his head and let out a frustrated laugh.
“Maybe you should have—did you consider that? If a couple of bottles go missing along with the security tape, it looks like someone broke in to steal alcohol. How do you think it looks when the only thing missing is the security tape? Cops get wind of that, and they’ll think whoever killed Andy grabbed the tape. ”
I hadn’t thought of that. He was right, of course, but there was nothing we could do about it now. “I doubt the owner will even report it.”
“You’d better hope you’re right.”
In the chair beside me, Twill’s leg started to bounce. She did that when she got restless. She wanted out of this room. I did too.
Finally, Stash let out a long sigh. “Don’t tell anyone else about this. Let’s hope it all just blows over.” He faced me with a forced smile. “Your friend’s awake. You can see if him if you’d like. Vincent’s in with him now.”