It was supposed to be simple. All struggling actor Carlo Baresi had to do was pick a man up, drive him to the location he specified, then report where he’d taken him. The only problem is, the man isn’t who he says he is ... and they both know it. Bookstore owner Joe Donnelly has a reputation for helping those in need, but this plan has been a bad one from the second he stepped in. Discovering someone has switched out the driver is one more complication he doesn’t want, especially since Carlo is the kind of distraction that can get a man in serious trouble if he’s not careful. But they have something in common. They’re both loose ends, struggling to find out what is really going on. And murder is always complicated, even when you’re on the same side.

The Low Between

That brought a frown. “What? Why would you quit? You love that theater.”


“Oh, not that one. The other one. At Grande Joie. Since that’s where I knew Stout from.” Though Joe relaxed at the explanation, Carlo was curious enough about his reaction to ask, “Why would you think I’d quit ushering?”


Joe shrugged. “You might’ve got an acting job.”


Carlo laughed. “I’ve barely left the house, let alone gone out on auditions.”


It sounded a little pathetic when he said it aloud. It felt even more so when he saw the shadows pass behind Joe’s eyes. “I’m sorry it got as far as it did, you know that, right?” Joe said, low enough to not be overheard.


“I still wouldn’t blame you.” He jerked back when Lizzie approached with the coffeepot, waiting diligently as she poured them a couple of cups. Once they were alone again, he leaned across the table. “We were partners, right? Fifty-fifty. We did what we thought we had to.”


Chapter 39