Page 124 of To All the Men I’ve Killed Before

Maybe.

Antoinette has recovered from her near-death experience and has been sharpening knives in preparation.

‘I love that sound,’ she purrs as the beautiful metallic clink of steel on steel echoes around the kitchen, where we’ve been prepping. ‘I’m going to enjoy this one. Thanks for waiting for me.’

‘Of course,’ I say. ‘As if I’d go ahead and kill him without my little apprentice to help me.’

Antoinette considers my words for a moment. ‘Don’t you think,’ she says, ‘that after what happened in the desert, that I’ve maybe graduated from being your apprentice at this point?’

I look at my sister, who’s looking back at me hopefully.

She’s right.

Of course she’s right.

She’s more than shown how far she’s come since we first arrived out here.

We haven’t just found Aidan, we’ve also closed the loop on the WeHo Ripper. And that’s down to my sister. My infuriating sister who planned it, baited him and walked right into danger for it. I want to shout at her for being reckless but I can’t.

I’m not angry at her.

I’m proud.

I smile. ‘Okay, you’re no longer the apprentice.’

‘Do I get to make the first cut then?’

‘Don’t push your luck.’

She gives me a grin and we gather up our supplies before making our way into the wine cellar. Aidan is huddled in a corner, shivering. It’s always cold down here but I cranked the thermostat down a few more notches before I went to bed, just to make his last night extra special. It’ll probably spoil a few of the wines but they’re necessary collateral.

I’m sure Agnes’s parents would understand.

‘Cold?’ I ask as we make our way down the steps. Aidan looks up at us but doesn’t say anything. ‘Don’t be like that,’ I say. ‘I think I’ve been really nice, welcoming you into our home like this. Providing you with bed and board.’

Aidan eyes Antoinette and the bundles of glinting steel we’re both carrying.

‘Is this it then?’ he says. ‘Are you finally going to put me out of my misery?’

Antoinette gives him a smile that is somehow both devilish and dazzling. ‘Yes,’ she says. ‘But we’re going to make sure you have even more misery first. A few days in a freezing cellar will seem like an absolute spa break by the time we’re finished with you.’

‘You’ll be begging for death,’ I add, in case he doesn’t understand that we’re about to torture him horribly.

‘Can we possibly just get it over with quickly?’ he asks. ‘I’m sure you’ve got things you need to be doing.’ He casts a pointed glance over at the LV cases in the opposite corner. ‘I won’t even struggle,’ he promises. ‘Just shoot me or something.’

‘Oh no,’ I tell him. ‘That would take all the fun out of it. I’m sure you understand that, right? Like you could’ve chosen to just give Tor one quick slap. Or you could’ve chosen not to lay a finger on her at all. But you didn’t, did you?’ He swallows hard and I see his Adam’s apple bob. Why has he got such a prominent Adam’s apple? I’ll be cutting that out. ‘Antoinette,’ I say. ‘Have you got the list there of all the injuries Mr Ward inflicted on my friend?’

Antoinette nods. ‘I have, Kitty.’

‘Could you read it out, please?’

‘Of course.’ She clears her throat like she’s about to make an important speech. ‘Three broken ribs, a fractured cheekbone, a lacerated spleen thanks to one of the broken ribs poking it. That caused internal bleeding and needed surgery. Then there was the nasal fracture, the collarbone fracture from where she hit the floor and the traumatic brain injury.’

Aidan’s eyes widen.

‘You did that to her,’ I say. ‘Because you lost your temper. Because she wasn’t ready to sleep with you. Are you proud of that?’

He has the decency to lower his head in shame. ‘Of course I’m not. I’m appalled that I did that to her.’ He raises his eyes to mine. ‘I don’t expect you to believe me, Kitty, but I hate myself for what I did to Tor. I really cared about her.’