“Well. You know the beginner you were with this week? Kari?”
Knife-edged fear tightened his hand on the phone. “What happened? Is she all right?”
A huff of laughter. “Cops. You always imagine the worst. She’s fine. But her car isn’t. It’s in the shop.”
“She called for a ride?” That didn’t seem like the little sub. Unlike most women, she didn’t beg for release until he tormented her to the point where her brain shut off. Very doubtful that she asked for help often, at least for herself.
“No, you i***t. She called to say she wouldn’t be coming. We were planning to meet early, and she wanted me to know.”
“Well, that’s good she called then.” Maybe he’d go tonight then, since she wouldn’t be there to mess with his emotions, to lure him into taking more, giving more than he wanted.
“Oh.” A
