Page 110 of Cain

There were still some things to figure out. I’d probably need to set up another visit with Ethan to figure out what happens now.

But before all that, there was a body and a bloodstained floor.

“Where is his car parked?” Briggs asked.

“It’s not out front?” Dotty asked.

“I would have seen it,” Georgie said. “No, um… Perry is too snooty to park here. Was. Was too snooty.”

Spike made his way over to the body, digging through his pockets until he found the keys. “I’ll go take a walk. Then a little drive,” he said.

“Gloves,” I called as he made his way toward the door.

“Yep. Won’t be any trace of me there.”

“Hey,” I called, making him stop in the doorway. “Maybe his car is found with our new friend Fred.”

He nodded at that and disappeared.

“Alright,” I said, tucking Georgie in at my side. “Here’s how this is going to go. Dotty, I am going to need you to take a trash bag with you and go into the bathroom. Get in the shower and strip, careful to put all your clothes inside the bag. Then you need to shower. Wash every inch. Then do it again. And when you are squeaking you’re so clean, you take another shower.”

“Okay.”

“Then, you and Georgie are going to go for a walk.”

“A walk?” Georgie asked.

“Yep. Go walk around the park, maybe sit at that little park and talk. But do not, under any circumstances, talk about what just happened. There are cameras on most doorbells now and they record audio. Talk about anything else.”

“We can do that. Lots to catch up on,” Dotty said.

“Now, I do have one question. How did Perry get in touch with you? Did he call?”

Dotty winced. “Yes.”

“Alright. That’s okay. There will be an investigation eventually. Once he is reported missing. Him calling you will mean that you will be asked why. You tell them the truth.”

“That he wanted me to convince Georgie to talk to him and work things out.”

“Exactly. But you haven’t seen him.”

“Wouldn’t be my first time lying to the police,” Dotty said, shrugging.

“What? When?” Georgie asked.

“Greg. Shawn. Donny.” I was assuming that was a list of her ex-boyfriends. “None of them were on the right side of the law. I got wrapped up in it all temporarily.”

“How did you never—”

“That works out,” I cut off Georgie. “So you won’t be sweating.” Georgie, on the other hand, might. But I could work with her on that. Hell, Quin and his team of fixers could help me prepare her for that, if need be.

“What’s going to happen with… him?” Georgie asked, waving back toward the body.

“That is something neither of you are going to know. But this might be a process. We can’t move a body in the middle of the day.”

“Barb next door is too blind to see you. Eric on the other side is at work until seven. And Tom across the way is probably already too high to function.”

“Good to know. Now go take a trash bag and a long shower.”