The sound of her voice made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“I have the ledger, Margaret,” I said.

“I know about the clinic.”

“And I know about Dr. Vale.”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line.

The only sound was the faint crackle of static and the wipers scraping against my windshield.

“A book of numbers is only useful if you live long enough to show it to someone who cares,” Margaret said.

“You have twenty minutes to bring my ledger to the main gate of the estate.”

“If you don’t, your friend the deputy will have a very unfortunate night.”

“And your son will have a new family in another country by morning.”

The line went dead.

I pulled the phone away from my ear, my breath catching in my throat.

I looked at Caleb.

His eyes were wide with fear, staring at the blank screen of my phone.

“She means it, Daniel,” Caleb said.

“She will do it.”

I didn’t answer him.

I pressed my foot down on the accelerator, the engine roaring as the truck sped toward the county precinct.