Rituals (Cainsville 5)

Her description matched Imogen Seale.

"This woman gave you the scheme," I said. "And then...?"

"She brought me to Chicago and sent me to his office. She told me what to say to him. What to say to you if you were there."

"What to say?"

"She said to tell you what I thought of you. And of Gabriel. Don't hold back. I had to make you both angry. If you got angry enough, you'd pay me to leave."

"Gabriel did try to pay you."

"It wasn't enough. She said you'd give more if I keep pushing."

"Yeah, that or kill you," Ricky murmured, too low for her to hear. When I turned, he said, "Sorry. I don't mean that. Just..." He shook his head. "It's a stupid plan."

"You did shoot her, didn't you?" Helia said to me. "Not well enough," Alexios said. "You need to work on your aim."

I shook my head and started to return to Seanna. Then I paused. Thought. Thought a little more. Pushed that into the back of my mind for later and said, "Tell me about Greg Kirkman."

"Who?"

"The envelope you gave to the prison guard. For Todd Larsen."

She nodded. "I remember."

"The envelope contained a name. Greg Kirkman. Who is he?"

That blank look again.

"How'd you get the envelope?" Ricky asked.

"From the woman. She said it was very important."

"And you never opened it?" I asked.

"I didn't care what it was."

"Tell me about visiting Pamela Larsen. Why did you go there?"

"The woman told me to upset her--that would be another way to get your attention. She said you loved your mother and felt bad for her, and if I upset her, that would upset you."

I exchanged a look with Ricky and then asked Seanna, "Were you supposed to do the same thing with Todd if you got to see him? Upset him?"

"No, just give him the envelope."

I re

membered what Pamela said, that Seanna had made small talk, poorly covering a segue to her true line of inquiry--about my relationship with Gabriel and my trust fund.

"Tell me more about your conversation with Pamela," I said. "Exactly what did you say?"

It was not what Pamela had claimed.

It was nothing like what Pamela claimed.

--

"Well, that was easy," Ricky said afterward, as we walked out together. "I don't suppose there's any way to keep her permanently under fae compulsion."