Page 78 of The Hitman’s Final Job

She waves me off and turns to the next customer. I step away from the stand and move through the festival crowd until I find a quiet stretch between two closed shops where the noise of the festival is a little less intrusive.

“Hey. Give me good news, Zee.”

“I wish I could,” Zuza says. She sounds tired. “I’ve got nothing. I never have nothing.”

“And Musgrove is definitely out?”

“Musgrove is in Florida,” she says. “He posted photographs on a private social media account three days ago. He’s very relaxed and very undressed and very much not orchestrating anything from a nudist commune.”

“So we have nothing.”

“Yup. Which means we need to think about engaging with Draven.”

I lean against a shop window and watch the crowd moving past the end of the street.

“If Draven is behind this⁠—”

“If Draven authorized the contract knowing the target was innocent,” Zuza says, “then we need to know that. And the best time to find out is while you’re with Vaughn. If Draven’s reaction tells us he’s compromised, then at least you’ll know and you can act accordingly.” She pauses. “If he’s clean, then maybe he can help us find who placed it.”

“And if he’s not clean, then Vaughn isn’t safer with anyone else.” I say the words, but I’m not feeling the confidence in them.

“Exactly,” she says. “He’s safest with you.”

“I feel like I failed him. In ten years, I’ve never felt like a failure before. Not once. I’ve always known what to do.”

“This is a highly unusual situation,” Zuza says. “You know that. The target isn’t supposed to be someone you know.”

“You mean, someone I love.”

“If I had been on this job with anyone else, if I’d been alone, Vaughn would have been terminated in Warsaw. You walked away from a contract because you knew something was wrong. That’s not failure. That’s the only reason he’s alive.”

It’s true. I know it’s true. But knowing something is true and feeling it are different things, and right now I feel like a man who has been in the field for weeks with nothing to show for it except tire tracks and a ghost. “What’s the plan?”

“I’m going to call Draven,” she says. “I’m going to get a feel for his reaction before we tell him the complete truth. I’ll ask some questions. See how he responds. If he’s clean, I’ll know.” She pauses. “I’ll call you tonight.”

“Thank you, Zuza,” I say.

“Go enjoy the festival,” she says. “You’ve earned it.”

I stand in the quiet stretch between the shop fronts for a moment longer than I need to.

Tonight. It’s time to tell Vaughn. As soon as I hear from Zuza.

I put my phone in my pocket and go back to the stand.

When I get there, Vaughn is standing beside Tess, eating a piece of the lemon drizzle cake, and whatever Tess is saying to him is making him smile.

I almost close the distance and kiss him, but I stop myself just in time.

Vaughn sees me, and his smile changes slightly into the one I know is specifically for me.

“Good call?” Tess asks. “I hope your boss isn’t asking you to go back sooner.”

“Nah, I’m going to take every minute I can from this vacation.” And I hate how easily the lie comes out of my mouth.

“Actually, we’re almost sold out. Another half hour, and we’ll be closing up in time for the pumpkin prizes. You’ve been a tremendous help. I’m going to tell everyone I know that you’re available for hire.”

“Please don’t,” I say.