Page 64 of Seduce & Destroy

“The girl was too busy hooking up with the housekeeper. Twice we found them in the security office, hands up where they shouldn’t be. And twice we thought she was just subordinate but then she just disappeared. We realised too late.”

I took a deep breath, shaking my head, it couldn’t be.

“It took until the autopsy to have a diagnosis.” Aldo dropped his head. “It was a new controlled substance, called Hilianiphame. Sickly in small doses, but lethal with prolonged exposure. It’s enthused with tea tree oil. Makes it look like death from natural causes.”

“It was sabotage,” I whispered. Please, don’t let this be true.

“The only ones with access to illicit substances such as those were the Karsteins. I’ve seen nothing of the sort since they burned. But it was real. After we cleared the girl’s room of her belongings, we found the substance that killed Flavia. It was inscribed with a…”

“KK.” I finished for him. It hadn’t dawned on Father like it had on me. If I was lucky, I would keep it that way, but the danger was much more deep seated than I realised.

Aldo looked at my father and only once he nodded did he continue. “I wanted to warn you to not let any strangers in your home. And also, to advise you that we’ll be taking a step back from operations. This incident has exposed internal weakness we need modified.”

“What about our agreement, Aldo?” Father questioned, drawing close to him.

“Our mourning time ends in five days. Novelli security guards will not be at the funeral either. We’re going dark.”

Tension hung in the air. He was being too coy, too obtuse, to make sense and it made me want to reach for my knives. Bastard.

My chest constricted and I forced out a cough.

“Are you sick, Laney?” Father placed a hand on my back.

Aldo leaned down, getting too close. “Pale complexion. Dilated pupils…” He trailed his words. “It’s too late.”

“Did you receive any visitors recently? Is anyone getting too close?”

My cheeks burned and I prayed they didn’t notice.

“Laney,” Aldo implored in a small voice. “You know who it is? You have to tell us.”

“It’s the Kars–” I tried to say but I was distracted by Father.

He had his hands on his face, a cruel sneer across his face and as he turned to face me, I knew he could read the guilt spreading across my face. Still, he denied it. “It’s not possible.”

Aldo kept his attention on me. He repeated my name a few times, but my attention was drawn to the man pacing behind him. It seemed to irritate Father who was clearing a path through the dirt and leaves a couple strides away from where I sat. Muttering to himself a string of “blazed” and “all of them” and “aflame.” to himself.

Frustration grew loud and the words broke out my chest. “How are you so certain that no one walked out of the fire?”

“Because I watched it, Laney!” He spat. “I watched it burn and crumble to dust. If there were survivors, I’d know!” This was more sickening than I had imagined.

I wished for a hole in the ground to swallow me and never let me out. Shame overcame me and I bowed my head. Why did I have to become attached to the first thing that came my way? If I weren’t so desperate for attention. Stupid stupid girl.

“We do know.” I conceded.

Tension filled the air until Father burst. “So, help me, God Laney, I warned you to get rid of her. In that painting? I hope she was some housemaid or distant cousin. Not this? Fuck!”

Tears threatened to fall but I held strong, I turned to face him, standing so suddenly, I wobbled. “This wouldn’t have happened if we had stayed in London. Hidden in plain sight. Grandfather didn’t want another war. It was you who let her in. Wasn’t me, was it?”

“I put you in charge of staff vetting. You said it was okay.” He waved a finger close to my face. “You swore it was just allergies, but look at you, fucking drugged up.”

“I’ll deal with it.” I pleaded.

“And to ever think I’d let you lead. You don’t even have control of your heart.”

“I will fix it, I promise.”

He laughed over my words. “How can you? You were under her thumb.” When his eyes found mine, his anger had morphed into a sick kind of humour and arrogance. “Don’t worry,” he promised. “I’ve fixed it for you.”

---