Page 72 of Deadly Forever

“Huh,” Jake mused. “Does anyone else feel as if this was anticlimactic?”

“Normally I would agree with you,” Grady said. “The faster this is over with, though, the faster I’ll be able to pick out a prom dress.”

Kaspar made an incredulous face. “Prom dress?”

“It’s not for me,” Grady explained. “I’m not going to wear it or anything. It’s for my girlfriend. We’re throwing a prom tonight … instead of a bachelor party. Oh, man. Mandy got her way after all. There will definitely be no strippers at the prom.”

“There weren’t going to be strippers anyway,” James said, fastening the other cuff around Kaspar’s wrist. “I have no interest in seeing anyone but my wife naked.”

“Then you don’t know what you’re missing,” Kaspar sneered. “You should go to a real prom and see those girls naked. It’s worth it. Trust me.”

James didn’t respond with words, but he did “accidentally” slam his shoulder into Kaspar’s throat, causing the man to gasp and turn red.

“I’d be very careful,” James said. “I’m in the mood to dote on my wife and one of the last things she asked me to do before I left the office was kick you in the balls. Now, that seems as if it would be a little mean considering how easy you were to catch, but I am a slave to my wife’s whims.”

“He’s definitely a slave to his wife,” Grady said. “She gets whatever she wants out of him just by batting her eyelashes.”

“If you kick me down there, you’ll be sorry,” Kaspar sputtered.

“To be fair, Mandy asked you to castrate him first,” Jake pointed out. “If you truly want to be a good husband, you’ll do that.”

“Now that’s an intriguing suggestion,” James said.

Kaspar’s eyes flooded with fear. “Don’t … I … don’t! Please!”

“I’m going to give you one shot at this,” James said. “It’s only going to be one shot, so make sure you think long and hard about what I’m going to offer you.”

“I’ll do whatever you want,” Kaspar said, his shoulders going limp. “Just … don’t hurt me.”

“You didn’t seem to have the same rule when you raped your students, did you?” James asked, his expression hard.

“They didn’t even know what was happening,” Kaspar protested. “They were drugged. They had no idea. Is it really a crime if they don’t even know?”

James felt sick to his stomach. “Darcy Sweetin knew. She knew something happened to her and yet everyone in that school turned on her because you used popular boys to get what you wanted. It’s definitely a crime.”

“It’s a sick crime,” Grady added. “What’s wrong with you? Can’t you get a woman your own age?”

“Yes, but who wants that?” Kaspar shot back. “It’s better when they’re young … and tight … and wowed by what you have to offer.”

“Don’t you mean unresponsive and passed out?” Jake challenged. “I think that’s the only way you can get a woman.”

“Oh, whatever,” Kaspar sputtered. “You have no idea what you’re even talking about. I didn’t hurt those girls. They didn’t even know what was happening.”

“Save it for the police,” James gritted out, working overtime not to slam his fist into Kaspar’s face. He’d promised his wife he wouldn’t go to jail … and he meant it. “I have two questions for you, and you’d better answer them.”

“Fine,” Kaspar huffed. “What do you want to know?”

“Why did those boys go in that mall the day they died … and where is your son?”

Instead of reacting out of fear or protection, Kaspar chuckled heartily. “Seriously? That’s what you want to know?”

James nodded. “That’s exactly what I want to know.”

“Well, then I guess I’ll tell you.”

“DO YOU need something?”

Mandy was confused when she shuffled into the lobby. She expected to find a potential customer waiting, someone she could take pertinent information from before allowing James to handle the customer when he returned. Instead she found a young man standing there, and he didn’t look happy.

“I’m looking for James Hardy.”

“He’s not here right now,” Mandy said. “He’s out on a case. He should be back shortly, though. If you want, I can take your information and have him call you as soon as he gets back.”

“I’m not sure that will work for me.” The man, although he looked ridiculously young, glared openly at Mandy. “I need to see him right now.”

Mandy wasn’t about to be bullied. “He’s out on a case. I’m not sure he’ll be back. I would offer to let you wait, but I honestly think it could be hours before he returns.”

“Are you the secretary?”

“I’m his wife,” Mandy replied. “I can take your information, though. I promise he’ll get it.”

“You’re his wife, huh?”

Mandy didn’t like the shift in the man’s demeanor. “I am.”

“I guess you can take my information,” the man said. “My name is Jacob Kaspar … and I have a message for him.”