Iris Johansen - Quinn

He wasn’t returning her smile. “I’ve seen how true your instincts can be. You’re fairly remarkable.” He turned and headed for the front door. “I think I’ll take a turn around the property and see if I see anything. Why don’t you go locate the kitchen and see if you can find any tea or coffee? Maybe something hot will chase away the vampires.”

The door closed behind him.

GALLO RETURNED ABOUT THIRTYminutes later. “Catherine.”

“Here. The kitchen is down the hall and to the right,” she called.

He appeared at the door a minute later. “I didn’t see anything or anyone. No vampires, no alligators.”

“But could you even see them in this fog? I believe it’s getting worse.” She handed him a mug. “No tea, no coffee. Only chicken bouillon. I managed to heat it, but the water from the tap looked rusty. I don’t know how it’s going to taste.”

He took a sip. “Not bad.”

She wrinkled her nose after she tasted the bouillon. “Liar.”

He smiled. “It’s hot. The fog was chilly.” His smile faded. “Are you ready? We’ve given Jacobs time to simmer. I think you’ll feel better if we get to it.”

“You’re being very protective.” Her lips twisted. “I’m not accustomed to that kind of treatment, Gallo. It’s not as if I’m not used to dealing with this kind of situation.”

“I can’t help it,” he said simply. “I know who and what you are. You probably think I’m insulting you. But I keep wanting to…” He searched for the word. “Shelter you. Take it however you like.”

She was taking it with a strange melting warmth that was like a river warming her, closing out the chill that had been with her since she had arrived at this house. She’d had friends, she’d had Terry, her husband, she’d had Venable, who had looked out for her as much as he could. But they had all accepted her as totally independent and able to care for herself. They had never intruded on that independence because they’d probably been afraid of how she’d respond. They had certainly never tried to shelter her.

Gallo looked at her quizzically. “You’re not saying anything. Do you want to spit in my eye?”

She took another sip of bouillon before she reluctantly put the cup down on the sink. “Not at the moment. But I do agree we’d better go up and start questioning Jacobs.”

JACOBS’S EYES WERE WIDE OPEN, and he was trying to make sounds behind the tape Gallo had placed over his mouth.

“Hello, Jacobs. You seem to want to talk.” Gallo bent over and ripped the tape off Jacobs’s mouth.

He yelled, his eyes bulging with rage. “You son of a bitch.”

The vulnerability of Jacobs on that monster of a four-poster bed was as obvious as Gallo had said, Catherine thought. His thin arms and legs were tied to each of the four posts, and his chest was rising and falling with the force of his breathing. She had expected him to be frightened, but he was angry, his expression twisted and ugly.

“You didn’t have to do this. I told you that we could make a deal. We could be partners. I need another partner now that Queen is dead.”

“But I don’t want you for a partner,” Gallo said. “All I want is information. Give me what I want, and there’s a chance you might survive this. Ms. Ling doesn’t want to witness any unnecessary unpleasantness. Now it’s your turn to prove it is unnecessary.”

“I can’t tell you anything.”

“Let’s see if that’s true. I hope you’re wrong, Jacobs.”

Jacobs was struggling and pulling at the ropes. “Let me go.”

“That’s not going to happen. Now let’s go step by step with this scenario. First, you and Queen hired Paul Black to take the blame for killing Bonnie. You set it up so that I’d put the pieces together and come out with Black killing her to avenge what I did to him in Pakistan.”

“I told you, it was Queen all the way. I just did what he said.”

Gallo ignored Jacobs’s words. “Second, you told Black that I had killed Bonnie during one of my blackouts.” His muscles were suddenly stiff with tension. “That didn’t happen, did it?”

Jacobs gaze slid away from him. “How do I know? That’s what Queen said.”

“And you only know what Queen told you,” Catherine said sarcastically. “Amazing.”

Jacobs gave her a venomous glance. “That’s right.”

“But I didn’t do it, Jacobs,” Gallo said. “Who did kill her? Queen?” He paused. “You?”

“No.” Jacobs’s eyes widened in alarm. “I didn’t touch her. I swear I didn’t know anything about it. Queen handled it.”

Gallo tensed. “Handled what? Why would Queen kill my daughter?”

“He didn’t. Don’t be stupid.” He moistened his lips. “You did it. We were just protecting you. Queen was afraid that you’d start raving like you did in that hospital in Tokyo if you ended up in a mental hospital. We were just protecting you.”

Gallo turned pale. “You’re lying.”

“He is lying.” Catherine stepped closer to the bed, her gaze fixed on Jacobs’s face. “Why, Jacobs? Why not just blame it on Queen?”

“It was Queen,” he said quickly. “You caught me off guard. That was the reason I went with the story that Queen concocted. Queen killed her. It was all his fault.”

“I don’t think so,” Gallo said. “You’re too eager to jump from one story to another. It might be Queen. Hell, I don’t know who’s to blame, but I’m going to find out.” He took out his knife and pressed it against Jacobs’s left wrist. “Do you know how quickly you can die of blood loss if I cut your wrist? Shall I do it so that we can see?”

“No!” He was staring in panicked fascination at the blade of the knife. “Don’t kill me. It wasn’t my fault.”

“And it wasn’t mine either, was it?” Gallo asked harshly. “I didn’t do it, did I? Say it.”

“Of course not.” Jacobs’s tone was almost impatient, his gaze on the knife. “It was only the story Queen made up. He shouldn’t have even had to tell Black anything. Queen was always getting complicated when simple would have done as well.”

Gallo’s eyes closed for an instant as the relief surged through him. He hadn’t been sure until that moment, Catherine realized. But the very casualness of Jacobs’s answer was more convincing than if he’d sworn it on a Bible.

“Okay, now let’s talk about Queen,” Gallo said. “You said he killed Bonnie. Why?”

“I don’t know. Look, I’ve told you that he killed her. That should be enough.”

“It’s not enough,” Gallo said. “Talk. Tell me what happened.”

“I can’t do it. I can’t tell anyone.” Jacobs’s voice was harsh with desperation. “Do you think I don’t want to tell you? I can’t do it.”

“Then I’ll have to get to work,” Gallo shifted the knife in his hand. “And I’m a pretty clumsy surgeon, Jacobs.”

Jacobs shook his head. “Don’t hurt me. None of it is my fault.” Tears were running down his cheeks. “He won’t let me tell anyone.”

“He?” Catherine asked slowly. “Another hired killer like Paul Black? Did Queen hire someone to kill Gallo’s daughter?”

Jacobs’s jaw clenched. “Don’t hurt me.”

Gallo leaned forward, his eyes glittering. “Talk, Jacobs. I’m tired of hearing-” He stopped and a shudder went through him. He took a breath, then slowly straightened. “Listen carefully; you’re going to talk, or I will hurt you. I’ll give you thirty minutes to think about it. Catherine and I will leave you to consider what’s your best option. Then we’ll be back, and you’ll tell me everything I want to know.” He turned toward the door. “Thirty minutes.”