Free Contract to Kill by Andrew Peterson Page A

look great.”
    “Thanks, you too.”
    Nathan was certain Mara and Toby had talked about his previous relationship with her. If not, Toby would’ve been curious, or even troubled by Mara’s intimate embrace.
    Everyone settled into the living room.
    Mara kept staring at Nathan with pleading eyes. It seemed he wasn’t the only one worried about being judged. Nathan offered her a friendly smile, which seemed to have a reassuring effect.
    He looked at Toby. “Start at the beginning and tell us where you were and what you saw.”
    “It happened at the baseball and soccer fields.”
    “You’re talking about Hickman Field?”
    “Yeah, I didn’t know the name of the place.”
    “What were you doing?”
    “I was on my way to work getting gas and I saw my boss’s SUV stop across the street at another gas station. It seemed funny because—”
    “Toby, please slow down. You’re still at BSI, right? Are you saying your boss is involved in a double murder?”
    “He’s the one who shot them!”
    Nathan looked at Harv, then back to Toby. “Who’s your boss?”
    “Tanner Mason.”
    “Tanner Mason?” Harv asked. “The chief of security? That Tanner Mason?”
    Nathan saw Holly visibly stiffen at hearing Mason’s name.
    “Yeah, a guy named Charlie Hahn was there too, and Darla Lyons.”
    “Who are Hahn and Lyons?” Nathan asked.
    “They work for Mason. Hahn’s his right-hand man. I don’t know what Darla does.”
    “How did you see them?”
    “Hahn pulled into the station across the street, but before he pulled up to the pump, he got out and sprayed the security camera with shaving cream. I thought it was weird, and he hadn’t seen me yet, so I followed him when he left the gas station. And then . . . ” Toby put his head in his hands for a moment, then looked up. “What am I supposed to do?”
    “Just tell us what you saw after you followed them.”
    “They drove into the middle of the soccer fields. They had two cars. Everyone got out, and there were two guys with them and their hands were tied behind their backs. They yelled at Mason and tried to fight, but Mason punched them around. Then he shot them in the head. There wasn’t any sound, but his arm shook. One of them didn’t die right away.”
    “How far away were you?” Nathan asked.
    “I don’t know, maybe about fifty yards. I’m not sure.”
    “No sound probably means small-caliber subsonic rounds,” Harv said. “Did you see any muzzle flashes?”
    “No, I mean yes. I had my night-vision scope.”
    “Did Mason pick up the spent brass?” Harv asked.
    “Yeah, he did. He also replaced the lock at the gate. I think they took pictures of the bodies before they left. I saw camera flashes.”
    “What kind of cell phone do you have?” Nathan hoped it was a fairly new smartphone. He was in luck—Toby’s phone was identical to his own. “Now here’s what I want you to do. Use your phone’s video feature like a dictation device and record everything you can remember about what you saw. Mara can record you. Start at the gas station and be as detailed as you can. Remember what I told you way back when about noticing details?”
    “How could I forget?”
    “Well, put that to good use. No matter how small or insignificant it may seem, don’t leave anything out. If you remember Hahn scratching his head at the gas station, include it in your report. If your phone doesn’t have enough memory for the video, just use the dictation feature inside the notes app, but only record a sentence or two at a time.”
    “I can do the video thing. My phone has lots of memory. I don’t keep any music in it.”
    “After you make the video, stay put. We’re going to take a look at the crime scene and then come back.”
    “What if somebody saw me? I don’t think anybody did, but what if they did?”
    “You mean someone from BSI?”
    “Anyone.”
    “At the risk of sounding blunt, we wouldn’t be talking right now if Mason knew you’d witnessed the