I nod. “Correct. And right now, I have her in my custody.”
His eyes lift from the images to look at me. “You’ve kidnapped her.”
“More or less,” I shrug. “Although, she did try killing me, so we’re kind of even.”
“How is it possible that you two look so much alike? Are you related?”
I sigh. “No. There’s no chance we’re related. All the DNA tests have already been done. We look alike, that’s it. No other connection.”
Agent Arnault puts the images down, folding his arms in front of his chest. “You’ll hand her over in an exchange for something. What is it that you want, Ms. Hawke? What’s stopping me from arresting you right here?”
I chuckle, and pull out my phone. A couple of minutes ago, Kaya sent me a live video footage of her staking out Arnault’s house. It’s big, in one of the better parts of the city, of course. Not only is he an FBI agent, but he comes from some sort of generational wealth.
“I have eyes on your home, Arnault,” I push the phone toward him, watching as his expression falters. “If I don’t contact my people at a specific time, your entire house is wired and ready to blow, your wife will be killed.”
His jaw clenches, eyes darkening a shade at the threat. “How can I be certain you won’t kill her anyway?”
“You can’t,” I shrug, taking the phone back. “However, I did some investigating on her. She’s spending half of her yearly salary on various charities and organizations. She’s a dedicated member of society, she’s heavily involved in all the activism that’s been going on. She’s a good person, I wouldn’t kill her. Although, I’m not sure why a woman like that would marry a bastard of a cop like you. To each their own, I guess.”
He rolls his eyes. “Fine. I’ll bite. Tell me what you want in exchange for her.”
“I want you to stop investigating the De Santis family completely.”
His brows crease. “Why?”
“You and I both know who the Ghost is. He massacred an entire prison, and he promised he won’t stop. And trust me, he won’t. Not until you stop looming over his head.”
“I can’t do that,” he scoffs. “The man is a cold-blooded killer, and he belongs in prison.”
“So did Paul Simmons, yet he was allowed to have a whole ass campaign and run for president,” I retort, causing him to fall silent. “What you need to know is that aside from the little massacre, the Ghost isn’t out in the streets killing people. He’s a hitman, yes, but he picks and chooses which ones to kill. And the top of his list are people like Paul Simmons.”
He swallows thickly, carefully considering this. “What’s to stop him from committing another massacre if I agree?”
“I’m stopping him,” I declare. “If I say so, he won’t kill a single person ever again in his life. And I’m not saying this lightly, Arnault. I have everything you’d need on Amy Marshall.”
“Show me, then.”
With ease, I slide the thick folder containing all the information toward him. He opens it, and for a while, we sit in silence. His eyes are skimming through the files diligently, making sure he doesn’t miss a single detail. I glance out the window. The rain’s pouring now, it’s even worse than when I first got here. It’s been an hour that I’ve been sitting here, and I’m getting impatient. I tap my finger against my forearm, praying that I’ve played this well enough and that Arnault does what I want.
“How do you plan on… delivering her to me?”
I turn to look at him. “I’ll kill Paul Simmons publicly,” I say and his eyes widen. “When that happens, one of my people will have Amy ready. She’ll be there, ready to take the fall for me.”
“What?”
“Oh, and another thing,” I pause, ensuring I have his full attention. “You won’t be arresting Amy Marshall. You’ll be arresting Blair Hawke.”
His brows crease. “Why?”
“I already switched our fingerprints in all of the systems. When you scan hers, Blair Hawke’s name will pop up. Besides, isn’t it… better? You’ll have the person who escaped a massacre as your serial killer.”
“And that will ensure you’re never looked for again.”
I nod. “Precisely.”
“I need time to think about this.”
I shrug. “Take the file with you and make your decision. I’ll wait two days, after which I’ll go through with my plan, regardless of what you decide.”
