“I most certainly would not have. Oh my God, you are freaking evil.” I try to concentrate. “You knew that Alexei took out David Fairfax.”
“I did know that, but he hid the murder weapon so well. It’s never been found.”
Fear prickles along my skin. “So the knife that Hendrix threw into the Fairfax pond seven years ago ...”
She tugs on a bright amethyst earring. “You’re rather slow right now. Hendrix dressed as a police officer, entered the house, and took a knife from the drawer. Honestly, it wasn’t even the same type of knife. He dipped it in the blood on the floor and then tossed it in the pond outside.”
Wait a minute. “It wasn’t the same type of knife?”
“No. Nor were Alexei’s prints really on it.”
I can’t breathe. “So you bribed the coroner and somebody at the lab?”
“Of course.”
My chest actually hurts. “Hendrix worked for you at risk to himself. How could you murder him?”
“Hendrix wasn’t that good at charging the crystals,” she says, waving a hand. “So I didn’t see any other solution.”
I just look at her for several long moments. If she wasn’t talking, I would think she was normal and not an evil archaic bitch. “So you took my letter opener to frame me?”
“Or Alexei,” she says. “That was my original plan, but like I said, this has turned out so much better.”
How can she be calm about this? Her logic is so flawed. I look at the platter of cookies and wonder if I can get to it in time to bash her in the head before Marty shoots me. “But with Hendrix dead, nobody can charge the crystals.” Does she plan to abandon Hologrid Hub?
“Oh, honey, if Alexei has followed my orders today, the amethysts should be charged for a couple weeks. By then, I’ll be able to charge them.”
I open my mouth but nothing comes out, so I have to try again. “You don’t have a connection to the crystals, remember? You can’t charge the gems.” Has she completely lost her mind?
“No, but I will have a good connection soon.” She licks her lips like a cat who’s discovered a cream-filled bowl.
I tilt my head. “Wait a minute.” I remember the prenatal vitamins that she dropped onto my desk and a horrible thought runs through my mind. “You’re saying that ...”
“Yes,” she says. “Alexei’s father and I used in vitro for both Hendrix and Cal. I have several more viable embryos on ice with his very strong and talented DNA, and it’s time to use them. I’m not getting any younger, you know.”
I flatten my hands on the table. How am I going to steal the guns from both of these men without getting shot? I have to get out of here before Alexei does something stupid and tries to rescue me.
“So you’re pregnant?” I ask softly. “With Alexei’s half siblings?” How does this make any sense?
“Not yet,” she says. “I go in tomorrow for implantation. My doctor wanted me to take the prenatal vitamins for two months first, but I’m going to tell you a secret that most people don’t know. When I was pregnant both times with Sokolov babies, I was able to charge the crystals.” She giggles. “You have no idea the power that goes through your entire body when you’re able to do that.” Her eyes light up as if she’s telling me about the best experience ever.
I feel sick.
She sighs. “I’m going to have the doctor implant three this time, because we only did one each time before. So if I have three, surely one of them will be able to harness the crystal power someday. I’ll just do my best while I’m pregnant.”
I frown, trying to follow any sense of logic in her. “Okay. So say you give birth to triplets, but then you’re not able to charge the crystals any longer while they’re just babies. Have you completely lost your mind?”
She slaps at my hand playfully. “The ability actually lasts for a good five years after the pregnancy.”
“It does?” I’m intrigued even though I don’t want to be.
“Yes,” she says. “Last time, anyway, and I was only pregnant with one child. Who knows? It might last fifteen years this time. If not, triplet five year olds can do the job.” She taps her finger against her pink lips. “Or I can get pregnant again, I guess.”
Everything inside me freezes. I don’t think I’ve ever been in the presence of evil before right now.
There’s a ruckus and then the doors open. Two men shove in Alexei and then they retreat before shutting the door. He looks at both of the guards and then at me.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice gravelly.
