Page 116 of Death is Familiar

Now, it was my turn to gamble.

So, I told Madame and Warden White what I knew. The pieces of the puzzle that I’d fit together. How I’d felt cursed and never gotten close enough to anyone to be intimate, Lawrence’s death, how he’d called me the key before he died, and what I knew of the prophecy. But that was where the truth ended, from there I mixed up the timelines and offered a version of events that would not only support their beliefs, but place blame on someone I despised with my entire being.

And it was all thanks to Mads.

I told them about the mirror messages, about being followed, getting roofied, and how there wasn’t any evidence of foul play, so it was left at that. No further investigation. I told them about the man who appeared in my life who seemed to have all the answers to my brother’s death, a man who tried to befriend me, grow close to me, and keep an eye on me after the roofying incident.

A man who brought up pregnancy an awful lot. The symptoms. How there were studies about one percent of births in the United States being to women who claimed to be virgin mothers—yet another random stat I recalled from headlines many years ago, probably, hopefully, no longer accurate.

All of which, I overlooked because he was helping me get closure with my brother.

Until he tried to kidnap me.

“After we collected the cash my brother left, Mads tried to convince me to join him. Said there was somewhere he wanted to take me where we’d make a lot of money. When I refused, he got angry, started saying things that made no sense. How he had eight million dollars or some other ridiculous amount riding on me”—specifics always helped in a situation like this, made me look trustworthy—“and how he’d manipulated my life, and I owed it to him.”

Mads put me in this position. But I was putting him in a situation that was even worse. I could tell from the fire and ire behind my captors’ eyes.

“He said that he had to be the one to bring me in,” I continued. “And when I refused, things got worse. He tried to grab me, force me to come with him, but I fought back. The whole time he said that I was lucky he was being gentle with me. If there wasn’t a chance I was,” I swallowed, I was going to say it again, “pregnant, he’d be a lot more difficult to deal with.”

I still had the attentions of Madame and Warden White, and when they didn’t call my bluff, I kept going.

“When I managed to escape, I took a test. Imagine my surprise when I saw the results.” There I said it. Now I just had to hope they believed me. Figure out what room I left between the lines, and hints I dropped along the way.

“The roofies,” was all Warden White needed to say to Madame before she blew up.

“That fucking guy.” She smacked her fist down so hard the table rattled. “He had the nerve! The nerve!”

“Warden Masterson did have an over-inflated sense of self-worth,” White agreed. “But he wouldn’t have jeopardized his chances. He would’ve followed protocol.”

Madame’s anger was pointed somewhere other than me. It was nice. “Where is he now?”

“I don’t know, I just got the hell out of there.” If I told them where he was, he could defend himself, and I needed them to believe my version of events. “Left him in the middle of the road and drove off.”

Madame was pacing now. White tracked her movements. “There is a bright side, Madame. You know what this means.”

“Of course, I know what this means!” she snapped.

“You don’t seem very happy about it,” Three chimed in.

Something about Three’s words caused a change in the horrible woman. I wish I could say it was for the better, but somehow what came next was worse.

Madame took a deep breath and reset, walking over to where Three stood at the bars of her cage, and ran a tender hand through a lock of Three’s hair. “I am very happy little one.”

“Happy people usually smile.”

A weird twisted expression cracked Madame’s face. It took me two solid seconds to realize what I was looking at was Madame’s attempt at a smile. “Sometimes, little one, it is hard to believe what we want most when we finally get it. Especially, when it just falls into our laps. But I am happy. We all are.”

I wasn’t. I was anything but happy.

Warden White nodded, both he and Madame placating Three as if she were younger than Todd’s daughter, Remy.

“Now, I have some things to attend to, announcements to make.” She ran a loving thumb over Three’s brow and down her cheek, tracing the number etched into Three’s skin. “Warden White will keep you company as always.”

“But I’m bored of Warden White…”

“Then it’s a good thing you have a new friend to play with.” Madame kissed her pointer finger, then placed it on the center of Three’s chin. “Be good, and I’ll see you soon.”

I really hoped soon meant never.