Page 24 of Captive Ruin

“I have a wife!” he wails.

I cut slowly across his throat, standing to the side as the blood spurts out.

“I doubt she’ll miss you,” I tell him, as he gurgles his life away, the light draining from his eyes.

I wipe my karambit clean on his shirt, then sigh.

A body that weighs an easy two hundred pounds, and one hell of a mess to clean up.

Always my least favorite part of the job.

Back in my hotel room, I call Bastien and give him an update.

“He gave me a name—Andrew Leopold—the file doesn’t mention him, but a search says he’s in Zurich.”

“That’s where you’re going next, then.”

“Yeah.” Open on my laptop, beneath the searches I’ve been running for Leopold, is the folder where the camera feeds from Amelia’s apartment are being added. I really want to be looking through those, not booking a flight to Switzerland. “What’s the time frame? How long have I got, Bastien?”

“Days, not weeks. We’re that close.”

“Fine. I’ll book a flight to Switzerland.” But it’ll pass through New York. I can make a brief stop.

“Good. And the Volkovs?”

I glance at my phone in irritation. “I’ll get to it next.”

“You do that.”

He cuts the call abruptly, as usual.

Great. Work piling up, when all I really want is the time to focus on Amelia.

There’s a message waiting from Haynes: Call me.

Not the email he promised, and he’s had all day.

I dial his number, clenching my jaw, not in the mood for more excuses.

“Lukas,” he answers. “I did what you asked.”

“Where the hell is it then?”

“Slow down, will you? There’s more.”

I force myself to take a breath and let it out. “Go ahead.”

“The boyfriend is one Scott Webber. I’ll send you his address.”

“Why the hell haven’t you already?”

He pauses. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“No,” I bite out. Irritability isn’t like me. Bastien is his usual demanding self; that hasn’t changed. It’s Amelia. She’s affecting me more than I should let her, and I’ve only met the woman once. “Proceed.”

“That’s as close as I’ll get to an apology, I suppose,” Haynes drawls. “So this guy visited the subject’s apartment this evening, as it happens.”

“Is he there now?” I ask swiftly. I need to check the cameras. Or do I? Do I really want to watch that?