Page List


Font:  

I nodded back and turned to Quinn and Jack. "Contrapasso?"

"Yeah," Jack said. "Cut a deal."

"They get to question Koss," Quinn said. He moved closer to me, lowering his voice so Koss wouldn't hear. "They want to know what he's done, so they can investigate any other partners. And so they can give the families closure if possible. We'll interrogate him together. Then they'll hand him back to you." He looked me in the eye. "Is that okay?"

"That's fine," I said.

He nodded, pulling away, any softness in his face vanishing as he straightened. A woman arrived then, with a medical kit, and hurried over to Henry. I looked at Koss, standing there, his shoulder bleeding, his gaze fixed on the wall. Figuring out how to spin this. How to use that keen brain to get himself out of this mess.

The Contrapasso team hadn't asked us to put away our weapons, but theirs were holstered, so Jack and I did the same.

"So how do we do this?" I said. "The interrogation?"

"We'll take Sebastian," one of the men said. "His injuries aren't life threatening. We'll patch him up at our destination."

"We aren't doing it here? The building is empty."

"It won't be in a few hours. This could take a while."

The other man took Koss by the arm. "You have a car, don't you?"

I nodded.

"Meet us around front. We're in a dark van. You can follow us."

"Actually, I'd rather go with you."

"I'll take the car," Jack said.

A look passed between the two men.

"Sure," the first one said. "Bring her down right after us. We'll do this in stages."

I thought he was talking to his partner. Then I noticed two other men right outside the door. They came in as the first two led Koss out.

I stepped toward the door. "I'm not letting him out of my--"

The men blocked the exit. I wheeled just in time to see Jack going for his gun. Quinn went for his, too, spinning on Jack. It should have been an easy victory for Jack. He had the jump on Quinn. He was a faster draw than anyone I knew. But he fumbled, just for a brief second, as Quinn pulled his gun and I pulled mine and--

And then Quinn's gun was pointed at Jack's head.

"Hands up," Quinn said. "Dee? Gun on the table."

When I didn't move, Quinn's finger twitched. "You really think I won't do it?"

I put my gun down.

"You set us up," Jack said.

Quinn gave a short laugh. "And you're shocked? Really?"

Jack lifted his gaze to Quinn's. "Thought you cared about her. No matter what happened. That doesn't change. Not that fast."

"That depends on whether there's anything to change," Quinn said. "Your mistake was thinking I gave a shit in the first place. I just thought she was a really good lay."

Jack dove at Quinn. There was, once again, that split second of "what the hell?" confusion. Jumping a guy holding a gun on you? An amateur move.

Like getting caught by your target's partner.


Tags: Kelley Armstrong Nadia Stafford Mystery