Leave Her Hanging: A Noir Thriller

Chapter Thirty-One

I kicked my heels in Taylors Park, sitting on the wooden staircase right next to where I’d beaten the shit out of Jo Kim. When I used my cell phone to light up the evening, I could still make out the scuff marks in the dirt.

I didn’t have to wait long. At eleven on the dot a sleek, clean sedan pulled up on the road outside the park. The glare of the car’s headlights burned my eyes. Sweat trickled down my back. Let’s see how stupid you really are, Spade.

I’d worn my red t-shirt under my jacket when I went to the coffee shop with Stephanie. Now, like Jo said, I unzipped my jacket so whoever was in the car could see the red. Not that they could mistake me for anyone else. The park was so empty there wasn’t even a cat in sight.

The headlights went dark and the engine stopped rumbling. The driver’s door opened. I stood up, tensed and ready to run like hell.

The figure that got out was slim but curvy. A woman. Her hair flowed down around her shoulders like something out of a shampoo commercial. She came closer, sure-footed even in high heels. It was the woman from the bar, one of Malcolm’s friends. Cassandra Lambert. Remember, you’re fourteen, I told myself. Stay in character.

“Hi, sweetie,” she said, stopping in front of me. She gave me a wide smile, trying to be reassuring. I wasn’t buying it. “Are you Peter?”

That was the fake name I’d told Jo to give them. “Yeah. You’re who Jo told me to meet?”

“That’s right. You’re as handsome as Jo said. My name’s Cassie.” She smiled. “There’s no need to be nervous. Did Jo tell you what to expect?”

I nodded.

“Good.” Her eyes gave the park a quick sweep. “Are you ready to go now, sweetie?”

“Okay.” I slung my backpack over my shoulder.

She took my hand and led me towards the car. Her palm was smooth and soft, not sweaty like mine. Her grip was firm, gentle, comforting, motherly. Oh, you are good at this, I silently said to the back of her head. She was wearing tight-fitting black pants and a long-sleeved purple top. Simple clothes, but she didn’t need to dress herself up to show what she had.

I committed the car’s plate number to memory. Cassandra opened the passenger-side door for me and closed it once I’d slid in. If my heart beat any faster it was going to go flying out of my chest and splatter on the windscreen. Cassandra got in the driver’s side and started the engine. I didn’t usually get carsick, but as soon as we pulled onto the road I wanted to throw open the door and spew my guts out.

“So, where do you go to school, sweetie?” she said in that silky voice of hers.

“Mount Eden. Same as Jo.”

She smiled and nodded, like I was confirming what she already knew. “Do you like it?”

I shrugged.

“I never enjoyed school much,” she said. “I got bored too easily. It’s worth it, though, when you grow up. I’m sure your parents tell you that all the time.”

She was fishing for information, so I told her what she wanted to hear. “I haven’t seen my parents since I was ten.” I stared into my lap, giving her my best abandoned kid act. “My foster mum doesn’t talk to me much either.”

“Oh, poor thing,” she said. “You don’t have any other family?”

I shook my head.

A flicker of satisfaction passed across her face. “Poor thing,” she said again.

She drove around for a while, taking side streets, looping back. Eyes always darting to the rear-view mirror. Traffic wasn’t heavy at this time of night. Finally, she seemed satisfied that no one was following us. She turned down a side street off Karangahape Road and pulled into a private parking area.

“Jo said you prefer girls,” she said. “Is that right?”

“Prefer…? Oh, yeah.”

“Then I’ll be the one working with you tonight. Is that okay?”

She was beautiful. But everything about her made my insides want to squirm out my mouth.

“Yeah, that’s okay.”

“Do you still want to do this, sweetie?” she asked as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

No. I wanted to go home. My stomach was tied in knots, my fingers were starting to tingle. I wanted to get out of the car and run until morning came.

“I’m a bit nervous,” I said. “But yeah. I want to do it.”

She gave me another of her smiles, turned off the engine, and got out of the car.

Show time.

~~~

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