Chapter 7
Tomás
Juniper being in the possession of a CNC Fraternity member is either the best of luck or the worst, I decide, as I roll and slide Nathan onto the tarpaulin.
I’m not stupid. I always did wonder who else was in that video, even if I ignored all the fuss about the trial.
Years ago, I checked with Karsten and got the reassurance I expected, and that is the end of it.
“Burning you is next.” Getting a furnace to myself that could turn a body to ashes is not simple at such short notice. As long as nothing goes wrong, this man is disappearing into history and ash.
Now, I could still report her to the cops here in Australia, but the roll-on, domino effect might be drastic. Being a quadruple murderer and more, myself, I prefer to avoid speaking to the police in any country.
I think some more as I roll down the road in the truck I’ve acquired for this job. I’m not doing that. Loxland is a friend, and he wants to play with her? This is good and likely to mean good times for me too. That she might do something bad to him or me? Unlikely.
Everything you do has a risk of something bad happening. That includes me driving this truck. And Nathan is dead. Whatever I do, it won’t bring him back.
That Aaron might track down the other men involved in the Riley girl’s case? That is more of a concern. Still, this way I get to watch them both. I can make sure Aaron keeps me in the loop, and if he gets too close to the truth…
I’ll have to do something. I’m still not sure how she found out there were others. Did this girl…Riley, talk to her? Did she remember? The trial only mentioned Nathan De Brit.
I might have to send a message up the chain. Not yet. I’ll wait. I can wait a long time. Karsten Drummond is not a man I’d wake if his own house was on fire, and I’ve already asked him once. Whoever he’s protecting, that is his business.
When those sorts of men gather too much money and power, the world kneels for them.
Besides, friends…real ones, are uncommon in my line of business. Aaron sponsored me into the fraternity.
I should find out how she discovered there was more than one man involved. Maybe before this party happens, because a surprise in the middle of that could ruin everything.
Yes, I should. Aaron wanted me to meet him at his house. I was planning on lunchtime but is that enough time to get some facts from her?
Hmmm.
I’m almost home when an encrypted text comes through from Aaron. I pull over to read it, twice.
“Shit.”
AARON: You might want to see this vid. Those men she wants to find? This is it. I’m getting her to play it now.
She has that? I cannot think of another video he’d be talking about, that she could have. I tap my fist on the steering wheel. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, Aaron. This is bad.”
Also, great minds think alike—I do need to be there.
Tomás: Ok. Be there around 5.30
I flick on the indicator and spin the wheel, crossing the road to turn the car around and head for his place. It’ll be dusk when I get there, so I should keep an eye out for kangaroos straying onto the road.
Roos. One of those things you don’t get much in Venezuela. Or women who stay alive when they threaten to drop a powerful man into a pile of mierda.
The road hums under the tires. “No…no, Tomás. Mistake. Those are rare anywhere in the world.”