“Yeah, she was fine when James picked her up, just like everyone else.”
“This has been a really fucked up forty-eight hours,” he says. “I guess you’re not at liberty to tell me what was this big confession she wanted, and from which one of us?”
I shake my head. “Sorry.”
He nods.
“Understandable,” he says and then after a few quiet seconds adds, “I guess that means Gustavsson showed up after all.”
“Yeah.” It’s all I can say; I can’t bear to tell him the rest where he and Fredrik are concerned.
The sound of dress shoes tapping against the floor echoes down the hallway—two pairs to be precise. I swallow uncomfortably and look back at Dorian’s eyes through the slot in the door. He knows. He shakes his head and laughs dryly under his breath.
“He always did want to torture me,” he says. “I think the guy even had wet dreams about it—he couldn’t stand me.”
I push myself out of a crouched position and stand upright, grimacing at the pain and stiffness in my legs for being in the same position for so long. Dorian’s looking back at me now through the Plexiglas window in the top of the door.
Fredrik and Victor come around the corner at the far end of the hall; two tall and frightening men, all business, in dark suits against the dingy white walls and floor. Judge and executioner. Emotionless. Merciless.
I look back at Dorian.
“Whatever happens to me,” he says, “do me a favor and make sure that Tessa gets all of my money. The key to my safety deposit box and other personal things I’d like her to have is hidden in the sole of my left boot. Will you tell Tessa that I love her and I’m sorry for being such a dick?”
“I will,” I tell him.
I leave Dorian and walk toward Victor and Fredrik as they make their way down the center of the hall.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” I ask Fredrik, stepping right up in front of him.
I’m sick of him avoiding me, and if I don’t try to force him to talk, I know he never will and he may slip out of this building right after interrogating Dorian, and I’ll not see him again for another month.
Fredrik starts to walk around and right past me, but I cut him off, stopping him in his tracks.
“Izabel,” Victor says, “we have important matters to tend to.”
“I know, but this’ll just take a couple of minutes.” I look at Victor through pleading eyes.
He doesn’t want to give me my way, but he does, walking away in the direction of Dorian’s cell and leaving me alone with Fredrik. I hear the key jangling in the cell door and then the sound of the door booming closed as Victor goes inside.
“I don’t have time for this,” Fredrik says.
“Make time. Give me two minutes. It’s all I ask. Please.”
He looks right at me now, his dark blue eyes framed by dark hair, piercing me with irritation.
“I can’t spare two minutes.”
“Yes you can,” I say intently.
He starts to walk past me again, but I grab his arm, the material of his jacket caught between my fingers. His head turns sideways to look at me and his expression grows darker. His teeth are gritting behind an unshaven jawline.
Finally, I let the other side of me take over, the side that is sick of his shit, and instead of having a heart-to-heart talk with the man who was once my brother, I can’t stop myself from telling him off instead.
“You’re an asshole,” I lash out, pushing the words through my teeth. “Look, I understand, I really do, and if I were you I know I’d probably feel the same way. But I wouldn’t shut out the people who care about me.” He pushes past me, intent on ignoring me, but I move around in front of him and shove both hands against his chest, pushing his tall, solid stature, but he barely moves. He just looks lividly down into my angry face.
But he stops—not that he wants to hear it, but that he wants me to get it over with so he can be free of me.
“Do what you want,” I say with acid in my voice, “I don’t care anymore. If you want to shut me out, fine, but I’m going to say what I have to say before you go in there and…do your thing.” A snarl manipulates my mouth.
Fredrik just stands there looking at me with his briefcase clutched down at his side.
“Nora Kessler told Niklas something when he was in that room with her, something that stuck with me long after he’d left. And as much as I despise her, I can’t deny that she was right.”