Free Hush Money by Susan Bischoff Page B

the Employees Only door at the back of the store. Standing
behind me, no one could see him. He wasn’t as tall as I am and even
though he kind of had a wrestler’s build, as long as he stood
sideways, he was covered. Unlike Rob who was going to have to
crouch down somehow—if I didn’t get us out of this.
    The door swung open, a guy came out wheeling
a pallet of cardboard boxes, and Marco and I leapt through the door
before it swung shut again. If there had been someone in there,
Marco would have to think fast, but I think he liked the
possibility of getting to lie when there was no chance of getting
into any real trouble.
    I grabbed him by the shoulder and walked us
over behind a row of pallets stacked high with boxes so I could
phase back. As soon as I felt the shift I turned on him.
    “That’s bullshit—you’ve always looked out for
me. We always looked out for each other. But right now, you’re only
out for yourself. If this was just gonna be a few cases of beer,
we’d get it from Casey’s, and then we’d go down to the river and
drink it. Old man Casey loses a few cases of beer he wouldn’t sell
us, but it’s not going to ruin him or anything and it’s nothing to
the amount of crap his own employees steal from him. No big deal.
But you’re talking about a truck, disabling security, all this
crap. It’s not shoplifting anymore, it’s honest to God
robbery.”
    “I know.”
    “Then why are we doing this?”
    “Because we can.”
    I looked into his face, into that meanness in
his eyes that had been growing steadily, and let myself process
that. Really think about what it meant. It wasn’t going to stop
here. It was just going to keep getting worse. And so was Marco. He
just kept getting meaner and less like someone I wanted to be
around.
    That was it. The decision was made. I
couldn’t stand by him anymore. My gratitude and my patience were
all used up.
    Friendship over.
    “I’m not doing this.”
    He smiled at me. Actually smiled. “Oh, yes
you are.”
    “No, I’m not. I’m—”
    “You’re going to do this for me, and anything
else I tell you to—”
    “Or what? You’ll tell my secret? Turn me
in?”
    “Maybe. Eventually. But before that, I’ll
tell Joss’s.”
    That got my attention. At first, I didn’t
even know what he was talking about, and it was just the threat
itself. Then I thought about Joss and secrets and I remembered. How
was I always underestimating what he was capable of?
    “The fuck you will!”
    “She already freaks out if you try to talk to
her—or even look at her funny. Imagine what it’s going to do to her
when everyone knows her dad’s batshit crazy. That they had to put
him away for it.” He chuckled. “Then everyone’s gonna
be looking at her funny. Which is just what the freaky bitch
deserves.”
    “Look, you can’t do that, ok? That’s too
fucked up—even for you.” It wasn’t just about Joss, either. What if
this got out and damaged her dad’s reputation? What would that do
to their business? They didn’t have anything else. And while I
didn’t agree that Joss “freaks out” when people look at her, it was
true that she didn’t want anyone to notice her. I kinda thought she
could handle it if it came down to it, but then, I just didn’t want
her to have to.
    “It’s really not. So here’s the deal: you and
I go on like this conversation never happened. You do what I tell
you to do until this thing is done, and quit giving me shit about
it. And I’ll keep my mouth shut about your girlfriend’s crazy dad.
Deal?”
    I didn’t answer him. He knew the answer.
    “Now get me out of here. I’ve got stuff to
do.”

Chapter 8

    Joss

    Tuesday was family dinner night. Dad closed
the store around six, and we were usually eating by seven. Part of
what Jilly used to like about it was that meant she could stay up a
little later on Tuesdays. Now that it was all old hat, she had been
campaigning that family dinner night become family pizza