It had to be after midnight. Maybe closer to two.
“You say that so easily,” I said, my cheek on the cold concrete. “Like you’re not discussing the sale of human beings.” It wasn’t lost on me that she was in here alone, and my only binding was the rope on my wrists. But I couldn’t even pick my head up off the floor, let alone overpower her and escape.
“The world doesn’t run on fairness, Harper,” she said, sitting on the chair which had been moved to the corner. “The world runs on power—he who holds the power makes the rules.”
“But not she,” I scoffed. “That has to piss you off. Letting the world think your son is the brains when we both know it’s you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“But I do,” I said. Keep her talking. “I was smarter than my partner on the force, but he always took credit for my discoveries. Men think they’re entitled to power. When we’re the ones who help them hold onto it.”
The expression on her face changed, as though I’d struck a nerve.
“I bet your husband did the same thing,” I continued. “Is that why you befriended my mother to get the files? Gerry wasn’t smart enough to handle it.”
She pushed out a sigh. “You always want your children to have it better than you. Easier. But sometimes we don’t expect enough of them.”
“And I bet your husband was the one who picked my dad to be his attorney, so you were cleaning up the mess he’d created.”
Her brow lifted. “Exactly.”
“Which is why you need the files. The men fucked up and now you have to do the clean-up. You need to know what my mother had so you can be prepared in case the wrong people get their hands on it. Like the police.”
She didn’t respond, but suddenly she looked exhausted. It was the middle of the night and beating me for hours must have sapped her physical strength.
If she was tired, maybe I could rally and use her exhaustion against her. I just needed to keep her talking so she didn’t call her minions in to hang me from the ceiling again.
“Maybe we can make some kind of compromise,” I said.
Surprise filled her eyes.
I gathered my strength and pushed myself upright. Moving slowly was a good idea. Any sudden moves might make her think I was a threat. Not that I was capable of sudden moves right now. I barely had the energy to sit upright.
“How about we make a deal?” I suggested. “For every piece of information I tell you about what’s in my mother’s files, you can share something with me.” When she hesitated, I added, “What can it hurt? We both know the only way I’m leaving this room is after I’m dead.”
“It’s a shame,” she said, and a regretful look crossed her eyes. “Under different circumstances, I think you and I could have been friends.”
I bit my tongue to keep from saying I didn’t befriend masochistic kidnappers who sold and abused children. It wasn’t lost on me how vulnerable I was. My legs were pressed together, bent at the knees and to the side, but I was still naked. I kept my back as straight as possible, not attempting to cover my breasts. Nicole had seen plenty of them over the past few hours.
“I guess I should start,” I said with a hesitant smile. “Is there anything you’re particularly concerned about, or should I pick something at random?”
Her eyes narrowed, like she couldn’t believe I was playing games. “Tell me something random.”
“Okay,” I said, trying to keep my gaze off the knife she was twirling in her hand. “You weren’t the only person in my mother’s files. You and your family only make up about forty percent.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You’re lying.”
“Why would I lie?” I asked with a small laugh. “You thought you were my father’s only criminal clients?”
“I knew about J.R.,” she said. Confusion covered her face. Then, as if grabbing for something she understood, she added, “Speaking of J.R., were you the infamous Lady in Black?” She shook her head. “I don’t see how. I know you were working for the Little Rock police up until last fall, but Gerry was so sure you were her.”
There was that name again. “We’ve already determined you’re the brains of the family,” I said. “I’m not the Lady in Black. I’ve never heard of her until tonight.”
She took delight in that piece of information. “Oh, interesting indeed. So you replaced her?”
“Why would you think I’m her replacement?”
“Because you’re working with Skeeter Malcolm,” she said, like I was a fool. When she saw my confusion, she laughed. “You didn’t know?”
