“Why do you think I care about anyone enough, besides Gabriel, to know if something is going on with them?” I ask.
His expression has turned thoughtful. “That’s annoyingly true.”
“I’m thrilled you finally understand. Now have you figured out anything?”
“I’ve been here as long as you have.”
“Disgustingly inadequate.”
As I step into the elevator with Matthew and Gabriel, Matthew sets a hand on my chest, and I’m confused by this until he pushes me out of the elevator just before the door closes.
I stand, gobsmacked by this display.
Did he seriously just push me out of the elevator? What the hell has happened to my standing in this place?
A snicker coming from behind me makes me turn around to glower at whoever is making the noise. Chris quickly looks away, and I feel significantly better as I decide that he’s moved up my shitlist to rest right beside Donna.
“It’ll be your turn soon,” I threaten.
“For what?” Chris asks, sounding a bit worried.
My silence seems to concern him more than anything I could have said.
The elevator opens and I ride it up with a very uncertain Chris. When I reach the third floor, I walk past Michaels who is yammering on about something, and I find Matthew at his desk.
“I have pepper spray,” he says.
“Tears just invigorate me,” I warn.
Matthew looks at Gabriel for help. When he finds Gabriel too preoccupied to save him, he asks, “It’s so close to Christmas; aren’t you in the mood for forgiving?”
“I never forget and I never forgive. I will not pay you back now. I want you to never know when it’s coming.” I start to turn from him before hesitating. “Are you afraid of just arachnids or all insects?”
Matthew smiles at me. “I’m just so happy to be your friend.”
“Kindness has the opposite effect on me,” I inform him as I give him a smirk and slip into my office. I pull up Minesweeper and set to work sweeping some mines in an attempt to lessen my desire to do something to Matthew now.
Gabriel comes in and slides into his seat across from me, and Robinson rushes in a moment later with two coffees which he bestows upon us. “Thank you, Robinson,” Gabriel says, although I have no idea why he’d show the man who played a part in his kidnapping any ounce of kindness.
Robinson tells us, “I had them send me the security footage to watch again. The man who Richard wheels out is completely covered. We got nothing off him. Nothing about him. It’s hardto even gather how tall he is because it looks like he’s scrunched down in the wheelchair.”
“This is a man who has been active. This isn’t his first kill, and if he has been active as long as I anticipate, he knows what he’s doing. Especially to willingly go into such a highly populated area to do what he did,” I say.
Gabriel glances over at me. “Do you want to go talk to Richard again?”
“No, he had nothing of worth to say. He’s not going to crack with the questions they’ve been asking. I’ve been told that Nadine’s ‘brother’ is coming in of his own free will here in half an hour. Let’s see if he shows.”
“What are you working on?” Gabriel asks as he swings his chair around and sees me finish off the final mine in my game. I waggle my eyebrows at him, positive that he’s just witnessed pure seduction.
Gabriel rolls his eyes. “I’m heading down to talk to Jesse. You coming?”
“I would absolutely love to, but I have more mines to sweep.”
He just shakes his head and heads out the door while I start a new game and try my best to think this through. There has to be something. Some tell. Some mistake. No one can be perfect. His assistant sure wasn’t. He was rash and fucked up by trying to kill me. It was such a rookie mistake. Why would such a careful man use such a rookie pawn? Every person he lets into his life is one more person who could cause him to lose this game he’s playing. Is it simply a control thing? Is the kill just a fun side quest but the real fun is manipulating those he uses to capture them? Or possibly the control of locking the victims up and watching them beg?
I click the wrong square and watch as I lose the game.
I stare at it for a long moment before closing the game and heading out the door. I hurry down the stairs and into themedical examiner’s office where Jesse is talking to Gabriel. The body is out but covered, so I uncover it and stare down at the woman, wondering what stories she could tell me.
