Crimson Eve Read Online Free PDF

tone. Spitting curses, Tony snapped the thing open. “Yeah.” The word sounded like a sick bark.

    “What kind of a way is that to answer a phone?”
    Hello to you too. Tony bit back a retort. This voice covered his bills — and then some. This voice had agreed to pay him a half million to take out Carla Radling. What he could buy his family with that money.
    “Sorry, I was coughing.”
    “Well, cough on your own time. Is it done?”
    “Not yet.”
    “Why?”
    “She didn’t show for our appointment.”
    A long breath seeped over the line. “Think she’s onto you?”
    “No way. She just got held up at her office. We’ll probably meet tomorrow morning.”
    “ Tomorrow? This was supposed to be done tonight, Tony. I was all set for a peaceful night’s sleep.”
    “Don’t worry, I’m working on it.”
    “What is this, a crocheted sweater? I didn’t agree to pay you a fortune so you could ‘work on it.’ ”
    Tony’s jaw clenched. Someday he was going to pop some teeth right down that pompous throat. “I am taking care of it. You know these things don’t always go as scheduled. If Plan A doesn’t work, I’ll get her in Plan B. I’m always prepared.”
    “I do not want this left hanging until tomorrow. Put a bullet in her head while she’s sleeping tonight.”
    “You wanted her to disappear, remember? Pretty risky getting a body out of a house on a residential street. Better to have her meet me at the estate as planned.”
    The caller grunted. Tony wondered if his lie had been believed.
    He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “I went through her house. Took some photos I found. Nothing personal, though.”
    “Sure you got them all? Could make a real mess, leaving something behind.”
    Yeah, no kidding. Despite what he’d told Carla Radling, after finding those photos Tony could make a pretty good guess why he’d been sent here. Wouldn’t be the first time something like this had happened in America. Sometimes powerful people were powerfully stupid. “I told you I’ll take care of everything.”
    “Watch your tone; who do you think you are?” The voice hardened to stone. “ Nothing you have ever done is as important as this job, Tony. So let me make this clear to you, in case you’re not getting it. This doesn’t go down as planned, you’re as good as dead. After I get through with your son. Do you understand?”
    Tony’s blood turned to water. His mouth hung open, fingers crushed against the cell phone. Knowing this person the way he did, the driving ambition involved, he didn’t dare doubt the threat.
    “Derrat?”
    “I hear you.”
    “Good.” Breathing sounded in Tony’s ear. “Tell you what, now that we’ve had our heart-to-heart, I’m feeling especially generous. I think you’re right about the hit at night. I’ll give you until . . . three o’clock tomorrow afternoon. That’s more than enough time.”
    Three o’clock. Timmy would be at preschool. Robyn would pick him up at five. Nobody would bother his son at school. Right?
    “No problem; I’ll call you by then.”
    “Be assured if you don’t, I’ll be calling you .” A pause, followed by a satisfied sigh. “Beautiful sunset over here. Hope yours is equally pretty.”
    The line clicked in Tony’s ear.
    Slowly, he lowered the phone and slid it into his pocket.
    More coughing shook him. Tony hacked and spat, his brain already spinning desperate plans.

    When the coughing ceased, he forced his feet toward the rental car. No matter that he could hardly see.
    Nineteen hours. No matter what it took, Carla Radling would be dead in nineteen hours.

EIGHT
    In Tanya’s house, every light burned. In all bedrooms, all baths, the dining and living and family rooms, even the garage. Outside every porch light beamed, plus the powerful front and back spots at the house’s four corners.
    All doors were locked and bolted. All windows shut and double-checked.
    Tanya felt anything but safe.
    The violation of her home