Page 20 of Grave Stone

“My gun. It’s in a holster on my side. I’ll slide it across. It’ll be easier for you to hold than that shotgun.”

If he wanted to disarm himself, who was I to say no? “Fine. But go slow as fuck. I really don’t want to blow a hole in you because you twitched wrong.”

“I really don’t want that either. It’s on my right hip.”

His movements were slow and precise as he removed the gun from its holster. He placed it down on the wooden deck and gently pushed it across to me.

Keeping the shotgun pointed at him, I squatted down to pick it up and glanced over it to see if it was loaded. Satisfied, I placed it on the chair beside me and ejected all the shells from the shotgun. Dropping the shotgun, I picked up the handgun, aimed it at Stone, and kicked the shells over the edge of the balcony.

Then I retrieved the ring from his wallet and tossed it back to him. “Before you pick that up, lift your shirt and pull out your pockets.”

He wordlessly lifted his shirt and turned in a circle. Then he pulled up each pant leg before he reached for his pockets. “I have a pocketknife in this one. You can hold it, but I want it back.”

“Keep it. You won’t get close enough to use it.”

When he finished showing me he didn’t have any weapons, he picked up his wallet and tucked it into his back pocket. “Your turn.”

“I’m not lifting my shirt and twirling for you, motherfucker,” I snapped.

“I meant the proof. I gave you my trust-me shit; now it’s your turn to give me your proof.”

Fuck.

“I don’t know how to give it to you.”

“What do you mean? Just give it to me.”

“It’s a video. I don’t have anything physical to give you, and I’m not sending it to you electronically.”

“Fine. Show me the video. I’ll record it with my phone.”

“I’m not comfortable with that.”

The muscles in his jaw tightened. “What are you comfortable with?”

I couldn’t let him come inside, and I didn’t want to get close enough to him to restrain him. “See the dock?” I used his gun to gesture to Hadley’s dock, which had to be at least a hundred yards away from the back of the house. “Walk down there and wait five minutes before you come back.”

“Are you fucking serious?”

“It’s a video of me chasing Glenn into Wood Pawn.”

“Where did you get that?”

“It was illegally obtained from a nearby business’s security camera. Do you want it or not?”

“Yes, I want it.” He turned to leave, but I stopped him.

“I need your phone.”

“Why?”

“To record the video.”

“No. I’m not leaving my phone with you. Bring your shit out here, and I’ll let you use my phone to record it when I get back from my evening stroll.”

“Fine.”

Once again, he turned to leave. “Don’t do anything stupid.”