Page 59 of Power of Shadow

I walk around the man in silence. Standing face to face with him, I crouch down. Only after a moment do his eyes widen as understanding dawns on him.

On me too. What a surprise.

“David Baker. Nice to see you again,” I say sarcastically. The poor guy tries to shout something at me, but the tape prevents him from doing so. “What? Are you happy to see me too? I’m touched. You have no idea how much.”

I walk around him again, making sure the guy can’t break free on his own, but the duct tape is holding tight.

“Be a good boy and don’t scream, okay? I’ll take off the tape so we can have a nice little chat.”

David nods. With one swift movement, I rip the tape off his face, making him hiss in pain.

Fuck. That must hurt.

“I was looking for you. Were you hiding from me?”

“Fuck you,” David gasps, catching his breath.

Displeased, I smack my lips. “I understand you didn’t miss me, but why the harsh words? We have a small problem to solve here. Where is your brother?”

“I already told you I have no fucking idea where he is.”

“You also said that even if you knew, you wouldn’t share that information. Except that a lot has happened since we last met, and I’ve learned some important things. That changes everything.”

“You want to kill me?” he asks, hatred in his voice.

“I don’t want to kill you at all, which is why it’s so important that you work with me.” I sigh. “Will you tell me a little about the past? Your brother Charles doesn’t have a wife, never did. That’s no secret. Did he have children?”

David laughs, and his eyes sparkle. “He never had children. That’s no secret either.”

“The thing is, that’s not true.” I pull a folded photo out of my pocket. He’s surprised by this. Or at least because I have it.

I look at my parents and then turn the photo toward David. He tries to keep a straight face when his eyes fall on the photo, but he’s not very good at it.

He blinks several times, staring as if the past has just appeared before his eyes. I see recognition in them, and a muscle in his face twitches. A crooked grimace forms on his lips.

David swallows and looks me straight in the eye. “Where did you get this?”

“Doesn’t really matter. Charles became a father. What happened to his child?”

“That’s not a question for me.”

“Too bad. I’m asking you anyway. Where is his child?” I press on.

His mocking laugh and words hit me harder than I care to admit. “I don’t know, and I don’t give a shit! As far as I’m concerned, that bastard could be dead for all I care!”

My eyes narrow. So much for family reunions. The guy has no idea who he’s talking to. Provoking an animal like me doesn’t bode well. I’m a hired killer, a hunter, a predator.

It’s not even that he’s insulting me in his ignorance. But his tone of superiority, of self-importance, strikes the wrong chord.

“Do you know this woman?” My voice is ice cold. “What happened to her?”

“I have no fucking idea what happened to her. All I know is that she was pregnant and then one fine day, she just disappeared completely from our lives. Nothing remained of her, like she’d never existed.”

“People don’t just disappear overnight. And certainly not without a good reason. What happened?”

“Fuck! I’m telling you, I have no fucking idea!” David struggles, but it’s no use. He’s at my mercy.

“Charles never looked for her? He never looked for them?” More questions.