It was a sobering thought. “You think there’s a chance he’ll walk?”
She raised a perfectly plucked brow as she sipped her coffee. Her hand was steady as she set down her mug. “I suppose there’s always a chance. But your detective friend is quite determined. And as Patricia suggested, you were very neat.” She appraised me with the same amused expression she’d worn in the Spinning class at the club. “I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised.” She pulled her hand from under the table and dropped an envelope on top, sliding it toward me.
“What’s this?” I asked, seized by a sudden suffocating case of déjà vu.
“This is the balance I owe you. The job was completed, exactly as we discussed.” I resisted the urge to look at it. “Don’t worry. It’s washed—unmarked and untraceable.” It felt wrong to take Andrei’s money. Money Harris Mickler had probably laundered—and Feliks had probably used to pay Irina’s husband.
Something hardened under her easy smile. “If you do not accept my payment, I might worry about your reasons. Perhaps you’ve grown too close with Detective Anthony? Or is it your sister you’re worried about?” She pushed the envelope closer. “Georgina, is it?”
I snatched up the package, checking the dining room to make sure no one was watching as I drew it to me. A skinny boy in a Panera uniform swept crumbs from the rug with his head down, and a gray-haired woman hunched over her soup a few tables away. No one cared as I stuffed the envelope of dirty money into my purse. No one but me.
Irina dabbed at her mouth with her napkin and tucked her Prada handbag under her arm. “Good. I’m glad our business is concluded to our mutual satisfaction. I will be in touch if I find myself in need of your services again.”
“No, I don’t—” Irina reached inside her pocket and pushed a thin white envelope across the table.
“A letter from Patricia. I did not take the liberty of opening it, but if I’m not mistaken, I believe it’s a referral. Before she found you, she spent some time lurking on an internet forum—a site for women like us.” At my baffled expression, she explained, “Women in difficult situations seeking a specialist with a certain skill set.” Irina’s conspiratorial wink made me feel like I needed a shower. “Patricia seemed to think this particular job might interest you. She asked me to make sure you received this.”
Irina left the envelope on the table. She extended her hand. It hung in the space between us for an uncomfortably long time. Every cell in my body recoiled as I shook it once, quick to let go.
Exhaustion set in as I watched her go, the absolution I’d found after my confession to Julian last night suddenly buried under a mountain of fresh guilt. Patricia’s letter felt just as heavy as the brick of cash Irina had paid me. I turned it over in my hands, grateful to find the envelope sealed shut. If it was sealed, I wouldn’t be tempted to open it. And I couldn’t be accused of knowing whose name was inside. Or how much their life was worth.
I tucked Patricia’s letter in my purse and walked out of Panera, grateful when no one stopped me. I got in my van, grateful when the alternator started. Grateful for the night I’d spent with Julian. Grateful that Patricia was alive, that Irina was out of my life, and that Feliks was behind bars. But mostly, I was grateful to get home to Vero and my kids, and that the nightmare of the last few weeks was over.
EPILOGUE
The house was quiet. Vero was downstairs watching reality TV, and the kids were asleep for the night. I carried a mug of hot chocolate to my office, set it on the coaster beside my keyboard, and stirred the mouse. The screen came to life.
I braced myself as I stared at the face of a new blank document. The screen was bright, empty, and more than a little terrifying. I had turned in my finished draft to Sylvia last night, and my editor was already wanting to know the plot of the next one.
I cracked my knuckles and started typing.
BOOK 2: Untitled First Draft by Fiona Donahue
My hands hovered over the keyboard as I waited for divine inspiration to strike. I stared at the screen for what seemed like an eternity, but I hadn’t the foggiest idea what to write.
I slouched back in my chair. Took a sip of my cocoa. The last story had begun with Patricia Mickler’s note … a slip of paper on a Panera tray.
I slid open my drawer, peeking at the sealed envelope at the bottom of it. Vero and I had sworn we would never open it. And yet, neither of us had volunteered to throw it away. Instead, I’d kept it, telling myself it was a cautionary reminder of the Pandora’s box we’d opened before.
I picked up the envelope and held it against the light of the screen, but the ink was too faint and the envelope too thick; I couldn’t make out the letters through the creamy textured stationery. The cursor blinked, ticking away the seconds. And here I was, wasting my few precious hours of solitude staring at an empty screen.
All I needed was an idea. A spark of inspiration.
I tore a tiny hole in the edge of the envelope and stuck a finger inside. The paper made a loud shushing sound as I slid it along the seam. I paused, listening for Vero’s footsteps in the hall, certain the rip had been loud enough to incriminate me. A TV laugh track rose up in the background, and I pulled the letter free.
All I needed was a name. The name of some terrible, horrible man whose life I could pick apart online until I came up with a story of my own.
I unfolded the paper from the envelope, skimming Patricia’s note.
I FOUND THIS JOB POSTING ONLINE, ON A WEBSITE FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME. I WASN’T SURE IT WOULD INTEREST YOU, BUT I THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW.
I glanced down at the name and froze. I read it again, then the dollar amount, certain I must have misread it the first time.
STEVEN DONOVAN
$100,000 CASH
The address was my ex-husband’s farm.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book was born in a crowded Panera in 2017 over lunch with my longtime critique partners, as we were talking through some particularly challenging plot holes in a particularly bloody story I was writing under a particularly tight deadline. The diners around us had given us some rather odd looks, and later that evening, we’d laughed about how lucky we were that they hadn’t gotten the wrong idea about who we were and what we were (and were not) plotting there. In that moment, the inspiration for this book nearly knocked me off my feet, and by the end of the night, the three of us had hashed out a very rough character sketch for Finn, as well as a pitch for her story. As with every book I’ve ever written, I am deeply grateful for Ashley Elston and Megan Miranda. Thank you for your support, encouragement, and the countless laughs we’ve shared through it all. This story is yours as much as it is mine. You remain the very best part of this wild ride, and I would bury a body with either of you.
I would never have found these two amazing friends had it not been for my superhero real-life agent, Sarah Davies. Thank you for introducing the three of us all those years ago, thank you for your unwavering faith in me since, and thank you for loving Finn. I am grateful for all I’ve learned and all the ways you continue to support me.
Finlay’s story is the first book I’ve written for an adult audience. I cannot adequately express in words how thankful I am to Kelley Ragland and Hannah Braaten for their willingness to take a chance on me and Finn. Thank you for making me feel so at home at Minotaur.
So many people have contributed their talents and strengths to the success of my books. Enormous love for the entire team at Minotaur and St. Martin’s Press, including Catherine Richards, Nettie Finn, Laura Dragonette, cover artist David Baldeosingh Rotstein, John Morrone, Allison Ziegler, and Sarah Melnyk. I couldn’t imagine a more wonderful home for Finn’s story.
And thanks to everyone working behind the scenes at Greenhouse Literary, Working Partners, and the wonderful folks at Rights People. A million thanks to Flora Hackett at WME for pitching Finlay with such amazing enthusiasm. I’m grateful for all you do.
Stretching wings and writing a new kind of book involves
a leap of faith, as well as a steep learning curve. I’m grateful for the keen eyes and open hearts of writer friends who offered to read very early versions of this story. Tessa Elwood, Megan Miranda, Ashley Elston, Chelsea Pitcher, Romily Bernard, and Christy Farley—you all helped make Finn’s story so much stronger. And your enthusiasm early on, while my confidence was still a bit shaky, meant the world to me.
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Ashley Elston’s family, specifically Jim and Mary Patrick, who hosted us for dinner. We were all sitting around the table, laughing about our working lunch at Panera, when John and Sarabeth Ogburn first posed the question, “Wouldn’t it have been hilarious if those people in Panera thought you were contract killers?” That question started me down a path I never could have expected!
My mom has always been my biggest cheerleader, and during the writing of this book was no exception. Mom, thanks for all the ideas you jotted on index cards. Your excitement for my stories is unflagging and keeps my fires lit on my hardest days. I’m lucky to have an “idea person” like you. Also thanks to my mom, my dad, and Tony, for their endless patience and willingness to jump to my rescue when I need time to write my books. I could not do this job without my family’s steadfast confidence in everything I do.
Finn’s character and voice emerged from the deepest parts of myself. Maybe because we’re both authors (and therefore, always struggling), but mostly because we’re both moms. Just like Finn, there’s nothing I wouldn’t risk or give of myself for my kids. Connor and Nick, in so many ways, every book is for you.
And last, for my readers, old and new. Thank you for embracing Finn, and thanks for being such a wonderful part of my story.
ALSO BY ELLE COSIMANO
Nearly Gone
Holding Smoke
The Suffering Tree
Seasons of the Storm
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The Minotaur Sampler compiles the beginnings of four can’t-miss novels for free and easy sampling!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ELLE COSIMANO is an award-winning author whose YA debut, Nearly Gone, was an Edgar Award finalist and winner of the International Thriller Award. Her novel Holding Smoke was a finalist for the International Thriller Award and the Bram Stoker Award. Her essays have appeared in The Huffington Post and Time. Elle lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with her husband, two sons, and her dog. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is her adult debut. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Also by Elle Cosimano
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group
FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT. Copyright © 2021 by Elle Cosimano. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
www.minotaurbooks.com
Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover art © clash_Gene / Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Cosimano, Elle, author.
Title: Finlay Donovan is killing it / Elle Cosimano.
Description: First edition. | New York : Minotaur Books, 2021. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2020037496 | ISBN 9781250241702 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250242204 (ebook)
Subjects: GSAFD: Mystery fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3603.O84 F56 2021 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020037496
eISBN 9781250242204
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: 2021
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It Page 31
