"I really thought you''d learned your lesson, but you''re still the same insufferable jerk. It''s disgusting. Get out, get out, get out. I never should have bothered telling you anything. I don''t even want to look at you right now."


    Cherry rolled her eyes again, increasingly convinced the man waspletely out of his mind.


    For a moment there, when she''d thought he''d just passed the letter to Hannah without getting involved, she''d believed he might have developed a shred ofmon sense. But now she saw he was an idiot through and through, the biggest idiot she''d ever met.


    How else could he say something so stupid to her?


    It just proved what Hannah had said.


    The only time to visit Lionel was when you were in a bad mood, so you could pick a fight with him and blow off some steam.


    Never, ever talk to him when you were feeling good, because he would absolutely ruin it.


    At the Temple residence.


    Before Cherry went to see Lionel, Hannah had her wear a wire so they could listen in on the conversation.


    While Cherry would have told them everything afterward, there was nothing quite like hearing it live.


    Hannah and Samuel sat in the living room, headphones on, listening to the entire exchange.


    "You really do know him best, Hannah. You called it. You knew he''d tampered with it."


    Samuel shuddered to think what might have happened if they hadn''t inspected the envelope so closely and noticed it had been opened. They might have just believed what was written inside.


    And regardless of whether the contents were true, the act itself proved that Lionel nned to use them as pawns.


    If Hannah had actually gone to confront Quennel, Lionel would have been sitting back, ready to reap the rewards of their conflict.


    And he was thest person who deserved to benefit from anything.


    "Hannah, it looks like Lionel''s gotten a little


    a lot sneakier," Samuel said with a


    2. Opeaker Dut he''s also got ofconcern Content both!


    "I think we need to be more careful with him from now on. We can''t just treat him like an idiot anymore."


    They were lucky they''d caught it this time and had the foresight to send Cherry to feel him out.


    If he got any more clever, he could be a real problem.


    Hannah nodded in agreement.


    "He finally started showing some sense, but he still pulls stupid moves like this."


    The more Samuel thought about it, the angrier he became.


    Meanwhile, after leaving the hospital, Cherry drove straight home.


    The moment she walked in the door, she started ranting, so furious she looked like she wanted to punch a wall.


    "He obviously opened it. He saw it was Quennel and was just waiting to watch us go after him."


    Cherry took a deep, angry breath. "But the worst part? He had the nerve to ask me to steal the letter


    and bring it to him I swear, I wanted


    to clock him one!"


    Hannah lowered her eyes, considering for a moment before speaking. "He wants


    you to steal it? Then give him what he wants."


    "Hannah?" Samuel looked at her, confused. "But if we give it to him, won''t


    everything Cherry did today be for nothing?"


    "Find someone who can forge the handwriting. We''ll have them write a new letter with the same content, but we''ll change Quennel''s name to Lionel''s."


    Hannah finished speaking, and Samuel and Cherry, who had been looking puzzled, suddenly lit up.


    "Damn, Hannah, you''re on another level! That''s absolutely brilliant!"