that he just did it without my having to debate with him about it. He really was trying his best not to piss me off this time.
I got my seat belt fastened, and Edward had even started the engine, before Olaf said, “I think you are weakening Newman.”
I turned in the seat so I could look at him. It really was easier to talk with him sitting catty-corner from me. “Weakening? What are you talking about?”
“Some men will show emotion and weakness around women that they would never show around men. Newman needs to be strong, not weak right now.”
“I agree with that last part, but not the first part.”
“You’re a woman. You do not understand the effect you can have on men.”
Edward started backing out of the parking spot.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked. My tone was a little angry.
Olaf scowled at me. “It means exactly what I said.”
“That’s not an answer,” I said.
Edward was paying a lot of attention to getting us out of the hospital parking lot. He hadn’t tried to make eye contact with either of us. I was sitting right beside him, so he had to actually work at not looking at me.
“Is there a reason you’re trying to stay out of this discussion?” I asked.
“You won’t like what I have to say.”
“You’re joking,” I said.
“Olaf may have a point, Anita.”
“I really didn’t expect you to agree with Olaf,” I said.
“I know you didn’t. That’s why I didn’t offer an opinion.”
“I really thought you’d be on my side on this one.”
“I’m on Newman’s side, and he isn’t doing well.”
“I know,” I said. “I don’t think he’s cut out for this job.”
“I do not think he will be strong enough to kill the victim,” Olaf said.
I wanted to argue about his use of the word victim, but Edward went right on as if that was an okay thing to call our executionees.
“I’m more afraid that he might feel he has to kill Bobby and finish the job,” Edward said.
“Why afraid?” I asked.
“There are things that a person can do and survive intact, and there are things that will break them. I think killing Bobby Marchand will break Newman in a way that he won’t recover from.”
Olaf nodded. “I agree.”
“Hell, I’m not sure I’ll be okay if I have to kill him at this point,” I said.
“You’ve talked to him too much, Anita. You know better than to interact with the mark before the hit,” Edward said.
“It does not bother me to interact with them,” Olaf said.
“You’re a sociopath. Anita isn’t.”
“I enjoy the kill more sometimes if I have spoken with them, interacted with them.”
“You’re a serial killer, and Anita isn’t.”
“She kills as much as we do, perhaps more.”
“She’s a killer like I am, not like you are.”
I thought about reminding them that I was sitting right here, but I found it interesting to watch them interact as if I wasn’t here. Was this how they talked all by themselves? Probably not. It was that old conundrum that observing the experiment changed it—just by being present I changed their interactions.
“Agreed,” Olaf said.
“I think it might be better if I spend some time with Newman,” Edward said.
“Are you saying that I can’t teach Newman what he needs to know just because I’m a girl?”
“No, it’s not you, Anita. It’s him. Olaf is right. Some men are just more . . . tender around women. I think Newman needs a man’s touch.”
“That’s so chauvinistic.”
“Why is it chauvinist to say that I’d be better at teaching Newman how to be a man than you would be?”
“He’s a man already, all grown-up. We’re talking about teaching him how to do this job. Yes, you helped teach me, but I’m good at the job now. So why are you a better teacher than I am?”
“I’m not saying I’m better at helping people learn the ropes. I’m saying that I think I might be better for Newman right now.”
“It still seems like some macho bullshit that I didn’t expect to hear from you.”
“We don’t have time for egos and feelings here, Anita. I think you’ll sympathize with Newman and the Marchand kid too much to help Newman figure out what he needs to do. I won’t.”
My anger washed over me like heat, and I felt the beasts stir inside of me like my soul writhing to the beat of my anger. Fuck. I did not need this right now, and just like that, I thought, But what does Newman need? Was Edward