“Exactly.” Hailey scowls at her siblings. “Now, can I go back to work?”
“No!” Ryder and Jessica say at the same time.
I laugh. “If they won’t let you work, I can answer your question for you.”
“Really?” Hailey asks.
What I’m about to say isn’t something I’ve told Jessica yet. Not because I’m hiding, but because we haven’t gotten around to it. “I used to work in violent crimes for the FBI.”
Hailey’s expression goes wide with surprise.
“What did you just say?” Jessica flattens her palms on the table like she’s about to rise from her seat and address a courtroom.
“In another life, I worked for the FBI.” It’s not that big of a deal.
Her blue eyes flash. “Are you kidding me? This is the first time you’re mentioning it?”
“It never came up,” I say.
“Never came up!” Jessica whips her head toward her brother. “Did you know about this?”
“Yeah.” Ryder’s gaze is watchful, full of interest and speculation.
He’s beginning to get it.
This isn’t just a passing, working-it-out-of-my-system thing.
She turns to Sophie. “And you?”
“I’d heard about it through the grapevine,” Sophie says.
“It’s not a secret,” I tell Jessica, not wanting her to think I’m purposefully keeping things from her. “It’s not a topic that comes up in regular conversation.”
Her gaze narrows. “We are definitely going to be talking about this.”
“That’s fine. It’s not that big of a deal. I wasn’t even there that long.” I keep my tone mild and neutral.
Jessica continues to peer at me with great suspicion. “Hmm…”
“I can answer your sister’s questions, so I thought I’d offer.” I smile at Hailey before giving her a wink. “Especially if I’m going to have a shot at getting into the inner circle.”
She laughs as a pretty blush stains her cheeks. “That’s certainly a step in the right direction.”
Since everyone’s done eating, I dive in. “Do you want something fast or slow?”
“Slow,” she answers without hesitation, then she gives me an innocent, wholesome smile. “But, you know, torturous.”
“How long do you want them to stay alive?”
“That’s kind of what I’ve been toying with. But I think the longer, the better,” she says.
“In that case, you’d probably want to start off small and cauterize as you go. The major arteries should be left for last as they are the most likely to kill a person. The biggest risks to survival are blood loss, shock, and infection, so to minimize risk and maximize staying alive, medical cauterization is your best bet. But if you want drama and brutality, you could go blowtorch or gunpower, but obviously, there’s a lot more risk of losing the victim since the body can only take so much before shutting down. I’d say it depends on your killer’s profile—if they’re colder and more methodical versus impulsive and chaotic.”
Ryder, Sophie, and Jessica all stare at me with their mouths hanging open.
Hailey, however, looks absolutely thrilled. “Wow, I’m so glad we moved here. Ryder and Sophie have the most interesting friends.”
“Oh! That reminds me.” Jessica snaps her fingers, shifting to me. “Did you know the dead guy was involved in the river project?”
