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Zbirak didn’t answer her right away. He studied Cassie for a few seconds, then turned toward Bob, reared his arm back, and drove his fist into the other man’s face. Bob’s head jerked back with such force that he tipped over in his chair, landing with a thud and a groan.
Cassie didn’t bother hiding the fact that she was struggling against her bonds now. “What are you doing? You said you wouldn’t hurt him!”
“I said I wouldn’t hurt him as long as you answered honestly.”
“I did!”
“No, you’re evading the question. Biding your time. No one is coming for you, Rose. I can promise you that.” Zbirak walked over and lifted Bob from the floor, setting him upright. He inspected the chair for a few seconds, as though he were more concerned with its well-being than the man’s. Then he turned back to Cassie. “Did Randall give Detective Harris any information that wasn’t his to share?”
“I don’t know.” When Zbirak moved toward Bob again, Cassie yelled out. “Wait! Wait. I’m really not sure. She said it’s an open investigation, and she can’t share certain information. Not even with me.”
“What information has Randall shared with you?”
Cassie had been rubbing her hands back and forth, hoping to loosen the knot, but now she froze. “Please, I’m not trying to avoid the question, but I need you to be more specific.”
“I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.” Zbirak appeared calm and poised, but Cassie wondered how long that would last. “Let’s start at the beginning. How much do you know about your husband’s line of work?”
“He was an accountant,” Cassie said slowly. Was it just her imagination, or could she move her arms a little more freely now? “He kept books for Francisco Aguilar. That’s where most of our money came from.”
“Very good.” He nodded for her to continue. “And what do you know about Mr. Aguilar?”
“He’s a businessman.” Cassie swallowed. “A terrific one.”
“Accurate. And what sort of business does he conduct?”
“Restaurants. Real estate. Um, I’m not sure what else. Randall never got too specific.”
“And when did your husband decide to betray his employer?”
“I-I’m not sure.” Cassie rushed on, in case Zbirak thought that was a non-answer. “I think he’d been thinking about it for a while.” She looked down at her belly. “But once I got pregnant, our priorities changed.”
“As they are wont to do.” Zbirak tapped a finger against his chin. “I’m convinced Bob here doesn’t know anything about your husband’s work.”
“He doesn’t. That’s why you need to let—”
“You’re in no position to negotiate.” Zbirak took a step closer. “Who are the only people you’ve been in direct contact with?”
“Bob,” Cassie listed out slowly. She tried to think if Rose had done anything else since coming to Chicago. “And Detective Harris. I didn’t know who else I could trust.”
“Very well. At least the list is short.”
Cassie froze. The room darkened around her in response to his words, and she couldn’t tell if it was her vision fading or something else. “B-but you said you’d let him go.”
“I regret to inform you that I lied, Rose.” Zbirak’s brow furrowed like he really did regret being dishonest with her. “You see, I’m in the business of tidying up loose ends. Killing the detective was meant to be a warning. We thought it was enough of a warning for Randall. He was an invaluable asset. You should be proud.”
“Killing t-the d-detective?” The tips of her fingers were numb. The room grew darker. A shadow moved out of the corner of her eye. She thought she heard whispers coming from somewhere above her. Didn’t he hear them?
“Detective Klein. His usefulness had expired. I had warned Mr. Aguilar not to trust him, but he didn’t listen. Then Detective Klein became a liability.”
A chill ran its way down her spine. She looked into Zbirak’s face and fought to keep her emotions in check. “You killed David?”
Zbirak stilled. Staring at her, he cocked his head to one side, then the other. Then his eyes went vacant. Any hospitality he’d been harboring for her immediately disappeared. But the controlled calculation remained. “You look a lot like her, you know.”
Cassie focused on keeping her breath even. “Who?”
“Rose.” He smiled, and it was wicked. “Darker hair, thinner face, but you have the same bone structure. I’d only seen her picture a few times. Enough to spot her in a crowd. You looked familiar, and so I simply accepted the ruse.”
“Ruse?” Cassie licked her lips. Her brain couldn’t comprehend what he was saying. “What do you mean?”
