“It’s pointless to argue with him,” Cheryl said. “In his mind, he’s already convicted the four of us.”
“This is ridiculous,” Marat said.
Stephen watched Lander exit. His gaze slid to me, then to Alessandro.
There was only one reason Lander would’ve brought Alessandro in. He counted on me to find the murderer of his son, so Alessandro could kill him.
Tatyana locked on me. “You’re Catalina Baylor.”
“Yes.”
“Your sister is a truthseeker.”
The other three Primes focused on me.
Well, that didn’t take long. I leveled my stare at Tatyana. She didn’t flinch, but some of the confidence faded from her eyes. However, she’d started the assault and now she had to follow through.
“Your magic is sealed. How do we know you are not a truthseeker?” Tatyana asked.
“Would it be important if I was?”
“I won’t submit to an interrogation by a truthseeker,” Marat stated, his voice flat. “I like my mind intact.”
“As a representative of House Jiang, I have nothing to hide,” Stephen said. “However, House Jiang has varied business interests and I’m privy to a great deal of confidential information. As stewards of our business, we have obligations, not only to our House and all within it, but to our employees, our business associates, and our clients, all of whom trust us and count on our discretion. What my partner is trying to say in his direct way is that submitting to an interrogation by a truthseeker would mean breaking that confidence. Therefore we must regretfully decline.”
Marat glowered at him.
They did not present a united front. It wouldn’t be me against an alliance; it would be me against four individuals.
“I’m waiting for a response,” Tatyana said.
She felt comfortable picking on me and none of the others warned her off. I failed to impress. Good.
I could slap Tatyana down, but being cagey and evasive would make me seem vulnerable. Let them think I was unsure. If one of them decided I was easy pickings and attacked me shortly after this meeting, I could put a nice bow on this nightmare and get on with my life.
I faced Tatyana. “Prime Pierce, are you planning on lying to me?”
“I have nothing to hide,” Tatyana said.
“Then whether or not I am a truthseeker shouldn’t matter, should it?”
“On the contrary,” Cheryl said. “It matters very much. We all have secrets we don’t wish to disclose.”
Marat slapped his palm on the table. “You’re not rummaging in my head.”
Stephen remained calm and pleasant. He had clearly said everything he felt needed to be said and he felt perfectly content to let others babble and argue. He would be difficult.
“I can assure you Ms. Baylor isn’t Magus Elenchus,” Alessandro declared.
What was he doing?
“Oh?” Cheryl asked.
“I was at her trials.”
Stop helping me.
“In what capacity?” Stephen asked.
“I was the control.”
Shut up.
“While Ms. Baylor isn’t a truthseeker, her powers are quite formidable.”
“Really?” Stephen raised his eyebrows. “You were impressed?”
Do not answer that.
“It gave me pause,” Alessandro confessed, his face suitably grave.
I would strangle him. My carefully woven cloak of helplessness exploded and dramatically fell to the floor in burning pieces. Instead of being vulnerable and alone, I turned into a mysterious Prime who gave Alessandro, the most powerful antistasi on record, “pause.” Now they would do their homework and find pictures of us attending opera together with Linus Duncan.
Alessandro nodded. “I would characterize it as an unforgettable experience.”
I pivoted to him. I couldn’t help myself. “Really? Was that you? So that’s where I know you from. I couldn’t quite recall.”
Alessandro opened his eyes wide and put his hand on his chest. “I’m crushed. Am I that forgettable?”
“You know what they say, out of sight, out of mind. Perhaps you should work more on making a memorable first impression.”
Surprise flickered in his eyes.
Baiting him was dumb and dangerous, and it felt amazing.
“While the exact nature of Ms. Baylor’s magic remains sealed, should you have any doubts, the Keeper of Records will confirm that she isn’t a truthseeker,” Augustine said. He’d stayed so quiet, I’d almost forgotten he was there. “House Baylor and MII have a long history of professional cooperation. She has my complete confidence.”
“She accused me of lying.” Tatyana stared at me.
There was no point in playing games now. “Prime Pierce, I understand your animosity toward me due to my House’s role in the apprehension and incarceration of your brother.”
Tatyana’s eyes narrowed. Yes, I went there.
“However, right now I would like everyone to find time in their schedule to be interviewed by me individually. The more you stall and attempt to avoid me, the more money and resources it will cost you. Allow me to eliminate you from the pool of suspects.” I turned back to Tatyana. “If Prime Pierce would like to indulge in further antagonism, you’ll have ample opportunity to do so during our personal meeting.”
“She’s right,” Cheryl said. “We’re wasting time.”
She motioned to her assistant, a young slender woman in a pale red dress, who looked Japanese to me.
“I’ll need to examine the murder site as well,” I said.
“You can do that tomorrow,” Marat said. “I’m on-site most of the time. If I have to waste time on this ridiculous interview, I might as well get everything out of the way. Tomorrow at ten?”
“That will be fine.”
The other three Primes followed suit. In five minutes, I had appointments for four interviews over the next two days. I would see Marat tomorrow at ten, followed by Cheryl at four, and Tatyana the next day at nine. Stephen would be my last stop, at three in the afternoon.
“Thank you all for your cooperation. I’m sure you must have many things to discuss with Mr. Sagredo. I’ll leave you to it. Good afternoon.”
I turned and walked out.
HarperCollinsPublishers
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Chapter 3
I walked quickly, the pristine white wall on my right, the cobalt windows on my left. My heart hammered against my ribs. My throat closed up, squeezing itself too tight to swallow.
The wall ended abruptly, a short hallway branching off, two doors on the left and an arched niche on the right, inlaid with a sea glass mosaic. I stepped into the hallway and leaned against the wall, letting it bear the brunt of my weight. Alessandro’s voice surfaced from my memory.
Look at me. Look me in the eyes. Your witchery doesn’t work on me. I’m already obsessed with you.
I breathed in slow and deep.
Beyond the glass, the horizon ignited with the yellow and orange of a Texas sunset, as big as the world, bottom half the city, top the endless sky. The blue lights playing on the white walls turned aqua and green. The short hallway turned dark.