He said that Malcolm had come by earlier that day, as they knew. He wanted Stokes’ help, though of course, he claimed he was “offering him an opportunity.” Stokes played along. Malcolm needed money. He’d mooched some from Stokes already, but he was smart enough to see the income stream wouldn’t last forever and he’d lose a valuable ally if he kept at it. So he’d found a job on his own. He called it assassin work; Stokes called it thug work. The job was lucrative, though, and Stokes had expressed interest. He’d asked for details and gotten enough to be sure the job was feasible. Stokes said he’d consider it, and they made plans to meet the next day. Then Malcolm left the house, with Tina on his tail, and that’s when it all went wrong. Stokes didn’t know where Malcolm was staying, but he listed a few hotels of the sort Malcolm favored these days, upper-end but not luxurious, balancing his budget with his ego. He provided the make of the car Malcolm was driving, but he was certain Malcolm would have ditched it by now.
