The girl rolled her eyes. “As if I’d stab you in the head. Where have you ever seen that? You go between the ribs, for the heart or lungs, obviously.” She scoffed. “Head.”
“Whoa, whoa.” Shanna reached out with her hands. “Youweretrying to stab him?”
The girl shrugged. “Whatever.”
“No, notwhatever,” Simon said. “I’m calling the police. Let’s see how you explain it to them.”
“No, no, wait!” The girl tried to jerk up, but he held her down. “Hold on. We can make a deal, right? You could not call the police and not let me go to prison, and I could, uh—”
“Okay, that’s it.” Simon looked at Shanna. “Do you want to make the call? I’ll stay here to guard her.”
Shanna bit her lip. “Uh, sure.”
“Don’t you want to know who sent me to kill you?” The girl shot out as Shanna turned to leave.
“What?” Simon said.
Shanna stopped.
“You’re Simon Montague, yes?” the girl said. “I was hired to kill you. But I will cooperate. If you don’t turn me in.”
“You can cooperate with the police.”
“Or you could try listening to her,” Shanna said.
“Are you on her side?”
“No, but—look at her. She’s just a kid.”
“A kid that was hired to assassinate me!” He hadn’t even realized how insane that sounded until he said it out loud. An assassin. For him.
“Look, I don’t give a shit about you,” the girl said.
“Well, thanks,” he murmured.
“But I got a very good offer to get rid of you.”
“I don’t think that’s something you should brag about.”
“Why would you want to kill him?” Shanna said.
“I don’t know! I didn’t ask. But …” The girl pouted, rolling her lip piercing. “The guy paid well, and I needed the money. I still need it. I’ll get it when … you’re dead.”
“Doesn’t everyone already think you’re dead?” Shanna said.
Simon frowned. That was true. And it only made the situation more bizarre.
A little too bizarre to let it go.
He let his arms fall to his side. “Okay. I’m not calling the police.” He gave the girl a stern look. “But you’re explaining yourself.”
***
In the kitchen, the strange girl was seated on a chair, hands in her lap, posed in front of Simon and Shanna like a suspect at an interrogation. Which, Shanna guessed, was precisely the route they were about to take.
She still couldn’t believe someone had tried to murder Simon. And in Gran’s house, of all places! She and Gran would have to discuss some wards after this. But first …
“Let’s start at the beginning,” Simon said. “Who are you?”
