Page 70 of Ruin
Her jaw tightens, finger shifting slightly on the trigger. "How?"
"Does it matter?"
"Humor me."
I lean back in the chair, careful not to make any sudden movements. "Made it look like a heart attack. Succinylcholine injection—mimics cardiac arrest, breaks down in the system within hours. Untraceable if the coroner doesn't know what to look for."
"And you made sure he didn't know what to look for."
"The coroner was very accommodating, for the right price."
She absorbs this information with frightening calm. "Kowalski?"
"Similar situation. He was building cases against our money laundering operations, had traced several shell companies back to us. Wouldn't listen to reason."
"You mean bribes."
"I prefer the term incentives."
"How did he die?"
"Car accident. Brake line failure on a winding mountain road. Very tragic."
"You sabotaged his car."
"Vincent handled the technical details. I approved the operation."
Each confession seems to hit her even harder, but she doesn't waver.
She doesn't lower the gun.
If anything, her grip gets steadier with each revelation.
"How many others?" she asks.
"Others what?"
"How many other judges, prosecutors, police officers, witnesses—how many people have you murdered to protect your empire?"
I consider lying, minimizing the damage.
But she has evidence, and lies will only make this worse.
"Seventeen, over the past decade. Not counting your parents."
The number hangs in the air like a death sentence.
Her face goes pale, but the gun never moves.
"Nineteen people. Nineteen lives, cut short because they inconvenienced you."
"Nineteen threats eliminated to protect hundreds of employees, thousands of customers, billions in economic activity." I meet her eyes. "Everything has a cost, Selene. The question is whether you're willing to pay it."
"And my parents?" Her voice drops to a whisper. "What was their cost?"
This is it.
The question that's been waiting nine years to be asked.
