Page 81 of Collide

“I’d had enough of waiting, I gave you enough time to get me what Iwanted and clearly my threats of exposing your sordid activities weren’t enough to convince you to provide me with the list of cops I asked for weeks ago.”

He nervously ran a hand over his bald head and his eyes dartedaround the room, not able to meet mine. The fucker was hiding something, I was sure of it.

“It’s just taking a bit of time, there are a lot of cops in this state, it’s notas easy as you think,” he blathered on but he was full of shit.

“Cut the bullshit, Victor, what are you hiding?”

The hand holding the gun was shaking, but he wasn’t pointing at me,it hung loosely in his grip. I wasn’t concerned he may try and shoot me, I had reflexes like a cat, and I knew full fucking well he’d find a bullet in between his eyes before he even had the chance to take the safety off.

“I’m not hiding anything, Kai, it’s just taking time, honest.” He stillcouldn’t meet my eye and I decided it was time for a different tactic, the constant lying was beginning to get on my nerves.

I could have opted for the angry approach, I had a reputation forbeing a ruthless bastard when I was angry after all, but with Victor, I had to hit him where it would hurt.

I leaned back in his chair, acting casually as if we were two oldfriends catching up.

“I saw Helen leave earlier, she looked lovely all dressed up forChurch.”

His eyes widened in horror. Bingo, I’d hit my mark.

“I hear she does amazing work down at St Mary’s Church. Volunteersfor Sunday school, right? And helps out in the soup kitchen in East Bay?” I added conversationally.

“Kai, leave my wife out of this, please. She has nothing to do withthis,” he pleaded weakly.

It wouldn’t be long until he cracked, I just needed to push a littleharder.

“I dunno, Vic, East Bay is a rough place, robberies go wrong all thetime, it would be a shame if something happened to her.”I had no intention of hurting his wife, there was more than one way toskin a cat. Didn’t mean I wouldn’t use thethreatof hurting her to get what I needed though.

“You don’t understand! My family is at risk whatever I do,” Victorblurted before slapping his hands over his mouth when he realized he had said too much.

I was done with his shit. “Start talking. Now.”

Victor dropped the gun on the desk before leaning forward andplacing his head in his hand, muttering a muffled prayer.

God couldn’t help this man now.

“You have to understand, Kai, he threatened Heather, I had nochoice!” he wailed like a fucking baby, his breathing beginning to quicken.

My patience was wearing thin and that was very dangerous for him.

Leaning forward, I reached across the desk and knocked his armaway so he would look at me. “Here’s how this is going to go. You are going to start from the beginning and tell me everything, and if I get even the slightest feeling you aren’t being truthful with me, once I am done mutilating you, I will find Helen and Heather and do the same to them. Do not fuck with me, Victor,” I growled, the venom in my tone made it crystal clear he should take my threatveryseriously.

Victor sighed and his shoulders slumped, he had no choice but tospill the beans. He ran his hand over his balding head again.

“About a week before Theo was killed, a man came to my office atthe station. He flashed a police badge, it showed he was a detective, but he wouldn’t say what department he worked in,” Victor started, his voice shaking as he spoke and looking like his world was crashing in around him. I kept my face stoic as he spoke, not giving anything away.“He had pictures of Heather, she was at her university, she had noidea he had been following her around and taking photos of her. He…he had one of her asleep in her bed, for fuck’s sake, Kai.”

I think Riley was making me soft because I suddenly felt the tiniesttwinge of sorrow for the poor bastard.

“What was his name?” I asked, although I didn’t really need to know, Iknew the name that would come out of Victor’s mouth.

“Anderson. Detective Anderson.”

Well, there was a shocker.Not.

“What did he want?” I kept my voice low, deadly. I’d know if Victor liedagain and he knew it was in his best interest to tell me the whole damn truth. No matter what.

Tears welled in his eyes, and he took a deep calming breath beforehe continued.

“He wanted information about you and Theo, he threatened to slitHeather’s throat in her sleep if I didn’t tell him what he wanted to know,” Victor implored, giving me fucking puppy dog eyes. He was making the mistake of trying to appeal to my humanity but he should have known, I didn’t fucking have any.

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