Read In Too Deep for Free Online Page A

registered anger in his eyes. Then I swerved, hard but still keeping control, but his reflexes were slow and to avoid being hit he pulled hard at the wheel, all that anger engulfed by terror. A heartbeat later, I was past and the SUV had torn through the whitewashed guard-rail.
    I slowed, because breaking too suddenly could have left marks on the asphalt, and the next bend revealed to me the twisted metal of the wreckage, far below. Then, seconds later, the gas tank ignited and an explosion ripped apart the day. Knowing that my work was done, I didn’t stop.
    I usually wait a year before getting back in touch with a client, but this time I had other things in mind than money. The woman I had widowed was bearing up very well.
    â€˜Don’t go crying into people’s faces,’ I had told her. ‘It won’t look genuine, especially with the age-gap. A better act would be to retreat into yourself, grow thoughtful, distant. And don’t rush things. Try to resist the need for … company.’
    Clever girl, I thought, the few times I helped myself to a discreet look-in.
    Six months to the day, I put in a call. ‘You know who this is? ’ I asked and, after a breathy pause, she said she did. I told her to expect me the following evening at eight, then hung up. Eight was a civilised hour, suggestive without being too brazen.
    The inquest had put the cause of death as accidental, with not even a suggestion of anything untoward. By now the estate had been settled and the massive life insurance policy honoured. The cash owed to me was small change in comparison, but I’ve dealt before with people new to money and I wasn’t averse to a spot of bargaining. After all, six months was a long time and women get lonely, just the same as men.
    She answered the doorbell wearing jeans and a skimpy white camisole, a beige cashmere cardigan her only effort at modesty. Her hair was pulled back into a casual ponytail and looking darker for the effort, but the style suited her, emphasising the fine bone structure of her face.
    â€˜Good evening,’ I said and held out the small bunch of flowers, nothing fancy. She took them, letting her movement be thanks enough. Over coffee we swapped a little small-talk; she leaned forward so that she was perched on the edge of an armchair and I helped myself to details. Her left heel had lifted from her slip-on shoe, and even the curve of her arch was enough to set my heart racing.
    â€˜I guess you’re here for your money,’ she said, finally. I sensed a problem in her tone and, I’ll admit, it excited me. She steeled herself. Her chin had an eggshell delicacy in the subtle lamplight. ‘Actually, I don’t think that I’ll pay.’
    I merely levelled her with a cool stare.
    â€˜I’ve made some enquiries,’ she said, ‘and the price you originally quoted seems quite exorbitant. Especially since I have only your word that what happened was actually due to your interference.’
    I smiled. ‘Well, that’s the trick. If I had made it any less convincing, we could very well find ourselves waiting in line for the lethal injection.’
    â€˜Still,’ she said, ‘I believe the figure you’re asking is more than double your usual fee. I don’t like being played for a fool.’
    â€˜The figure was high, I’ll grant you, ’ I said, patiently. ‘But it was an exceptional situation. At no point did I ever try to play you for a fool. On the contrary, I think I’ve been very straight with you. You agreed to my demands. Of course, we didn’t put anything in writing. I suppose it’s only natural to look for a loophole, though most people understand that it’s in their best interests to pay up.’
    She looked small and tense, but still managed a thin smile.
    â€˜Is that a threat?’
    I shook my head, no. ‘I don’t waste my time with threats,’ I said. ‘What would