Beauty and the Assassin

We sit down at the table and start eating. The dogs watch us, licking their chops from time to time and letting out small whines.

Tolyan doesn’t talk. He eats efficiently and finishes before I do. But he sits and waits for me.

“I’m full. Thanks,” I say.

He looks vaguely displeased that my plate’s not empty, but I’m just not used to eating this much food so early. Not that I’m ungrateful, but…my morning belly can’t handle the amount of food he thinks is acceptable.

I help him clean off the table. Once everything’s loaded into the dishwasher, he whistles. The Dobermans perk up immediately and trot toward us.

“I’m going to walk them,” he says.

“I’ll go with you,” I say quickly. I want to know exactly where I am and figure out escape routes in case Roy does something. I have no clue what he’ll do, but when it comes to Roy, it’s impossible to be over-prepared.

Tolyan nods, and we go out together.

The elevator to the unit is private and can only be operated by his thumbprint and a six-digit passcode, which I can’t see because of the covering over the number pad. I spot two cameras embedded on the ceiling, both glowing red.

“Isn’t that overkill?” I ask, pointing at them. “Isn’t one camera enough?”

“No blind spot,” he says.

“What do you think is going to happen? A home invasion?” He couldn’t possibly be living under some kind of constant threat. And this kind of security can’t be installed overnight.

“Assuming a team got past the security in the lobby and the elevator, the security cameras would text me when an unexpected visitor shows up. I feed the system with a list of visitors I’m expecting every day of the week on Monday.”

“Shouldn’t the alert go to the security guys you hired to…you know, watch over the place?”

A corner of his mouth quirks up, but I don’t think it’s with humor. “They’re good for letting deliveries in, but that’s about it. I wouldn’t entrust my dogs’ safety with them, much less my own.”

Once the elevator opens, the dogs trot out fast, and we start to walk along the trail around the penthouse complex.

“What if somebody gets all the way to the top anyway?” I ask, stunned at how thorough he is. It’s like he’s hiding a vault full of secrets people would kill for.

Tolyan smiles wolfishly. “There are ten booby traps in the penthouse that can be armed and ready with the push of a button. I’d love to see somebody survive them.”

I look at him. He doesn’t seem to be kidding, despite his grin. “What if they do survive?” I say, like a child who can’t stop asking “why?”

“Then I’ll give them my respect.” But his tone says nobody will be earning that. Ever. “And do what I can, but I might make my escape.”

“How? Is there a secret exit?”

He shrugs. “Not so secret. You exit from the balcony.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, your home is on the top floor of a very, very tall building.” I point at the huge skyscraper.

“Yes. One must jump.”

“Jump! What did you do, put huge inflatable cushions under your part of the building?”

He laughs softly, then pauses for a second like the act of laughing has surprised him. It’s surprised me, too. I don’t think I’ve heard him laugh with genuine amusement before.

“You have an overactive imagination,” he says. “Obviously, I don’t believe I can defy physics and common sense. That’s why I have a parachute.”

“A parachute?” I repeat stupidly.

“Yes. Perfectly safe. I already ran simulations.”

“On a computer?”