Page 56 of No Merciful Corruption

Getting rid of him is the easy part. Dealing with the emotional fallout from Karina in the aftermath of his death is what I’m most concerned about. She’s already in a delicate state and I can’t help but wonder if Brent’s abrupt death wouldn’t de-stabilize her further. Wanting to divorce someone isn’t the same as wanting them dead.

“What about Karina?”

“What about Karina?” she counters. “We’re doing her a favor. Besides, it’s not like she’d ever know it was us. We’d make it look like an accident.”

Noise from upstairs catches my attention. I pass Dahlia on my way to the hallway and check to see if anyone is passing through but the house is empty. Lyss has been out all day and Doña Ana is helping Karina to get settled in the guest room.

“I’ve been meaning to ask: just how much does Karina know?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing. I never told her anything.”

“You made a comment earlier about being kidnapped. Don’t you think that’s suspicious?”

She waves a hand dismissively. “I doubt she read into it. She probably thinks I was being sarcastic and besides, what is there to be suspicious of? She only came to visit us in Barcelona once.”

“When we were in the hospital waiting for you to come out of surgery, I asked her if Brent had ever tried to hurt her again and she said no. I told her that if he ever did, I’d kill him.”

She rolls her eyes. “See, that’s suspicious.”

“Not really but that’s beside the point. What surprised me was her reaction.”

“How did she react?”

“Like she believed me.”

Dahlia’s brows furrow in deep thought. Before she can say anything else, footsteps echo throughout the house as someone descends the main staircase. A second later Karina appears in the kitchen looking pale-faced and under slight duress.

“The bathroom, it…” she rubs her forehead. “The water is running cold.”

“Again? Ugh,” Dahlia groans. “I’m going to have to call the plumber. Ever since the new year, the bathrooms on the third floor have been giving me trouble.”

“Is there another bathroom I can use?” Karina asks quietly.

“Use mine. Lyss was just in there this morning, her water was running cold too.”

Karina nods and leaves the room without giving either of us a second glance.

“She’ll get over it.” Dahlia says then turns to me. “We all do eventually.”

“That reminds me. Lyss saw her at the precinct today.”

“The precinct?” she frowns. “What precinct?”

“The one on 67th Street near Hunter College. Apparently, Detectives Carson and Wilson called her in again for questioning. Rian went with her and she saw Kay.”

She presses her lips together deep in thought. “First Li and now Brent.”

“What do you mean?”

“My New Year’s resolution was to keep my body count at one.” She replies sardonically. “If Brent continues to be a problem, it might just become two.”

* * *

Teterboro Airport

Bergen County, New Jersey

Me: act like you don’t know anything