The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 292
The doctor smiled. “If you take good care of it, no.”
Judie nodded.
The hospital Judie had brought Leilani to happened to be the same one Yvonne was in. Once Leilani was patched up, Judie suggested they drop by to check on Yvonne.
Leilani fell silent for a moment, then hesitated and shook her head. “Forget it. Mrs. Sherwood doesn’t
want to see me.”
Judie pouted. “Who does she think she is? You saved Yvonne. And you were the one who cured her legs! The Sherwoods are biting the hand that feeds them!”
Leilani rubbed Judie’s head, not wanting to discuss the Sherwood family any further. “Let’s It’s getting late. Time to head home.”
Leilani dropped Judie off at Callahan’s estate first. Then, she took the elevator up to her own
apartment.
Once home, she opened her laptop, logged into the underground network, and posted a bounty.
“$1,000,000 Reward: Looking for the man in black who pushed a target in the downtown shopping district today. $100,000 for valid leads.”
Leilani’s post included a detailed location and description. The moment the bounty went live, the forum exploded.
“One million? Damn, big spender!”
“Which little punk offended a heavy hitter?”
“This description sounds familiar…”
“Does the OP have a vendetta?”
Leilani ignored the comments section and waited quietly.
Before long, a private message popped up from a user named Pigeon, a patient she had once treated through the network.
Pigeon: [The guy you’re looking for… I think I’ve seen him.]
Leilani narrowed her eyes and typed back quickly: [Details.]
Pigeon: [He used to be on the streets. Goes by the nickname ‘Six.’ Apparently specializes in doing dirty work for rich kids. Scar on the web of his right thumb, likes wearing black baseball caps, right?]
Leilani’s gaze turned cold. When the man in black pushed her, she hadn’t had time to react. By the time she regained her balance, he was long gone,
But that specific detail…
She remembered the man in the baseball cap who had asked her for a light when she suspected she was being followed. He looked exactly like that description. At the time, she had caught a glimpse of
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a scar on the web of his right thumb. So, the man in the baseball cap was the attacker who pushed her today!
Leilani immediately pressed: [Do you know where he is now?]
Pigeon: [Last year, I heard he hooked up with some wealthy family, handling their shady business. Haven’t heard much lately, probably laying low.]
Leilani tapped the keyboard lightly: [Do you have a photo?]
Pigeon: [I do.]
A few seconds later, a grainy photo transmitted over. The man in the photo was wearing a black baseball cap, head down, smoking a cigarette. The scar on his right hand was clearly visible. It was identical to the man who had asked Leilani for a light.
Leilani let out a cold laugh and transferred the hundred thousand dollars without hesitation.
Meanwhile, more tips started trickling in under the bounty post.
“I think I know who this guy is. He’s been active around the south side of the city recently. Heard he took a big job.”
“Rumor has it the employer is a woman. Last name Sloan…”
Leilani stared at the comment, her eyes turning icy.
Sloan?
She slowly leaned back in her chair, a chilling aura surrounding her.
The night deepened, the cold light of the computer screen reflecting on Leilani’s face. It outlined her sharp, defined features.
5 F S S S
Leilani stared at the clues on the screen, her expression frosty. “Tamara, is it you?”
She picked up her cell phone and dialed Tamara directly.
The phone rang for a long time before being answered. Tamara’s voice carried a tone of deliberate surprise.
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