My first thought is that the middle man I useâcalls himself âLeaderâ, real name Brett Thompson, 46, balding, lives in PAâhas uncovered my identity. Why else would I be staring down at a picture of my own face? I think itâs a warning, that he knows about the Sanchez job, and I nearly reach for my go bag.
Then I see the clientâs name.
Vi Larson, the file tells me, male, 32, computer analyst.
I close the manila folder, tossing it away from me. The whiskey sourâs gone warm in my hand, but I drink it down anyway, eyes distant. I donât need to read any more of the file. I can fill in the gaps well enough.
Funnily enough, this betrayal is just as sharp and unpleasant as the first one, the one that got me into this business in the first place.
âYou at least owe me a crime of passion, you bastard,â I mutter into my drink. I close my eyes and sigh, willing away the stinging in my heart. I knew that my relationship was in trouble, but this is just cold.Â
 In a way, I canât believe it. Is a divorce really that hard?  But, no, I know Vi. Heâs methodical, analytical, and competent. If anything, hiring an assassin with a reputation like mine is right in line with his personality. Nothing but the best, even in the murder game.
I should be flattered, really. My rates arenât cheap. Whatever I did to make him send this inâand he did, thereâs his social security, his fingerprint, everythingâit must have been killer.
I set my glass down on the counter and tuck the folder under my arm. I need to think and I do my best thinking in the tub. Vi wonât be back from his âbusinessâ trip for another three days, during which Iâm supposed to kill myself.
As I head up the stairs, I canât help but laugh. Finally, after three years of marriage, my husband does something interesting. And it breaks my fucking heart.
ââââââââââââââ
He wants me to make it painless but horrific. Thereâs a script in the document, something thatâs more common than people think, and itâs hard to read it, even surrounded by bubbles and soothing music.
âYour husband sent me. Said he needed to shed some dead weight.â I snort at the pun and close my eyes, resting the file against my face so it doesnât get wet. Unfortunately, the tears do that anyway.
âFuck,â I say. âYou bastard.â
