Page 84 of Sinner’s Game

“I always knew you were a clever one. That’s why I hired you. But too clever by half, I think. Now come on.”

We’re followed by six other men who had, when he’d released Cara and taken me instead, slipped out of the shadows from neighboring booths. They fell in step behind him, and he walked me out of the Expo center just as easy as you please. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know if he’s going to kill me. I don’t know if he’s going to torture me.

If this were a movie, I’d say that Ronan will come to my rescue at just the right time. Only seconds before this man tries to kill me.

But this isn’t a movie, and I don’t know if Ronan was even able to hear me, much less if he knows where to find me. Because even I don’t know where this man is taking me.

We follow the outer hall of the circular building, and then, to my relief, I hear an alarm start to ring. It’s a fire alarm, and an automated voice comes on asking that all patrons please exit the building. That there is a fire in the expo hall.

I breathe a sigh of relief. Cara, I think.

The dark man’s hand on my arm tightens, and he tugs me to the side, leading me to a door labeled Emergency Exit.

“They can’t possibly think it’s that easy,” my captor says. “But this is no problem.” He leads me down a set of stairs, and I realize he’s taking me into the parking garage. I feel a glimmer of hope. Surely by now Cara has told someone, and they’re guarding the exits. Every car that passes through must either pay or have a key card. Surely there’s no way we’ll get out.

The man holding me doesn’t seem to be perturbed, though. Instead, he leads me toward three Lincoln Town Cars parked in a line right across from the elevator. I note with horror that they all have diplomatic plates. Fake, I’m sure, but that’s not going to matter.

I start to sag, losing hope. I don’t know for certain, but my guess is that they’ll have no trouble getting out. What guard would argue with a diplomat rushing to safety?

I expect to be shoved into one of the cars right away, but instead, the dark man comes to a stop only inches from me.

The six men fall in behind him in two rows of three. The man himself doesn’t pay them any heed, as if he’s the type of man who goes everywhere with an entourage.

“Where is my money?” he says, his voice as smooth as silk.

“Please. I swear to you. I don’t know.”

“Because you aren’t the bitch who stole it. Because someone is pretending to be you. What a clever story.”

“It’s true. I swear.”

He lifts a shoulder. “Then you’re useless to me. And I don’t keep things that are useless.”

For a moment, relief floods through me. He’s going to let me go. Then I see him nod to one of the six.

“Mr. Jones, if you please.”

A gaunt man with pasty skin steps forward, brandishing a knife big enough to cut a whale.

“I—” I take a step back.

“What? Have you remembered who you are? Funny how one’s memory can be jogged so easily.”

“I don’t have the money,” I say. “I swear.”

Mr. Jones is right beside me now, his hand clutching my upper arm, the tip of his knife under my chin. I hear myself whimper, my body cold with fear. “Please,” I cry. “I don’t have it. Truly. But I know where it is. I—I can take you there.”

Lies, of course. And I have no plan. Nothing but to try and buy time, hoping Ronan will find me. My phone is in my pocket. And Ellie and I use the location feature all the time to find each other when we go shopping.

Ronan will call Devlin. Ellie will check her phone. He’ll find me.

If I can just stay alive long enough, I know that he will find me.

“Mr. Cartwright?” Mr. Jones is looking at his boss for instructions, but I’m barely paying attention. The garage is swimming now, my mind spiraling not just from fear but from the realization of who my captor is—Cartwright.

This man is Sheldon Cartwright.

It takes all my effort not to burst forward, kicking and screaming. I want to hurt this man who hurt Ronan. Hell, I want to kill him.