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Zoe waited patiently for King to pick up, watching Lily wandering aimlessly in the flowerbeds. King was a busy important man, with many things to attend to. She must wait her turn.
Lily glanced up again, and Zoe stared down, composing herself. She began to mentally recite a DeepWeave emergency intervention in her mind, to calm herself before—
The line opened.“Zoe, my dear,” that beloved voice said. “Tell me everything.”
Oh.Zoe sucked in air, nostrils flaring. That voice. So deep, so rich, so sparkling. It just undid her. She fought the jolt of excitement, clenched her body, ruthlessly pulled herself together.
“Howard’s been bad,” she announced. Her voice barely quivered.
A considering pause from the other end. “He told the girl?”
“Yes.” She braced herself, and confessed. “He named names.”
“Ah.” That agonizing silence ticking by, again. “And how is it that you allowed him to do this, my dear?” King asked, his voice terrifyingly gentle. “What was the scope of this assignment? Had youforgotten?”
“No!” She gulped. “They were alone together in the room, like always, and, ah, he took me by surprise! I’ve studied every transcript of their monthly visits over the last four years, and he never said a word about anything so far, so I—”
“Zoe. Calm yourself. You are babbling.”
Zoe clenched her jaw. “I set the word-rec bot to alert me if said Magda Ranieri’s name, but I was a short distance away. So I…it was a technical glitch. He, ah, talked for a while. I haven’t had time to listen to all the data yet. I wanted to get your orders first. Do you want me to send you the audio? I could—”
“No. Where is the girl now?”
“Waiting outside for the cab,” Miriam replied. “I’m at the window, looking at her right now. Cal picked her up at the train station and brought her here. I’ve already told him to come back as soon as possible to pick her up. He’ll take care of her for you. Though I very much doubt that she believes what he told her. Nobody would, at this point.”
“It doesn’t matter.” King’s voice sounded almost fretful. “I’m done wasting time and money on this. The last thing I need is that stupid business to inconvenience me now, when things are finally taking off.”
“Of course,” Zoe agreed hastily. “Of course, you’re right.”
“I should have cleaned this mess up years ago,” King went on. “I want it done today. And then I never want to hear about it again.”
“Certainly,” she said. “Shall I tell Cal to—”
“I’ll contact Cal. Concentrate on Howard. Is everything prepared?”
Her heart leaped at the starting gates. “Of course.”
Zoe pocketed her phone, tingling with excitement. At last! After years of tedium, the punishment was over. Finally, she got to do what she was trained for. She’d do it just right. He’d be so proud of her.
The endorphin pumping fantasy that thought provoked derailed her concentration for eight seconds. She yanked herself together, and retrieved the prepared gym bag from locker in the staff area. She went to Howard Parr’s room, glancing up the quiet corridor before she went in. The sedative she’d given him had put him in a dreamy doze. He was unlikely to notice her preparations. Or have the wit to interpret them.
Even so, she was quick. Fresh latex gloves went on, then a lightweight plastic poncho over her uniform. She’d have to take care not to get her white sneakers stained. Upon reflection, she pulled out of couple of plastic bags, encased her feet to the ankles. Details, details.
She reached under the bed, plucked the listening device she’d attached to the bedframe with gummy adhesive. She activated its power source only on the days that Howard’s daughter came to visit, when it would transmit to the laptop humming away in the duffel bag in her staff locker. Its job was now done.
She pulled out the stretchy Ace bandage. Howard began to stir as she wrapped it quickly and firmly around his arms at the elbow, trapping them together. Still, he didn’t cry out.
He did try to yelp when she popped the plastic ball into his mouth, but by then, it was too late.Pop, the gag was in place. She pulled out the long, sharp shard of broken glass that she’d stowed under his mattress long ago, and sat on him. She grabbed one of his hands, pressing his fingers randomly over the surface of the glass. He struggled hard, mewling and flopping, but she was five foot nine, a hundred and fifty five pounds of rock solid, gym-toned muscle, though she appeared quite slender. Far heavier than frail, wasted Howard.
She smiled into his terrified eyes. “Poor Howard,” she crooned. “This is your lucky day, you know that? I’m going to help you finish what you’ve been trying to accomplish for years. Aren’t you happy?”
His eyes rolled, frantically. He shook his head.
“Aw,” she murmured. “Well, I’m sorry you feel that way. If only you’d kept your mouth shut, hmm?”
His struggles were so weak. It was so easy. She was up to more challenge than this. The shard bit deep into his flesh, a long, vertical gash into his pallid, clammy skin, and she’d angled his arm so that the hot black-red arterial gout aimed toward the floor. He fought, as best he could, but his blood pressure dropped fast, and his strength with it.
Blood pooled under the bed. She watched it spread. So fast. Wow. This was by no means her first time, but somehow, it was always like the first time for her. Something about the combat programming, maybe, that revved her for the kill. It made something dark inside her swell, breathless with delirious excitement. Her heart boomed heavily against the cage of her ribs. Her thighs clenched, released.
