the syringe from my pocket and pull off the cap with my teeth.
Holding the gun up, pointing right at her, I slide her hair back to confirm identity. I take a relieved breath to see it is indeed Estelle. Clearly, I’ve watched one too many scary movies. I lean over and stab the needle into her neck and press the plunger, stepping back as she comes awake with a startled gasp.
I keep the gun aimed at her, but I’m not worried. The shit I gave her is fast-acting, and she can thank her husband for that. It’s his latest version of the date rape drug, leaving victims completely aware of what’s going on, but paralyzed while it’s happening. Once the stuff has burned through their system, they don’t remember a thing from about an hour before they ingested it, and it won’t show up on any toxicology reports. Why sick fucks can come up with this shit and yet can’t cure cancer is beyond me.
I signal for the man behind me to approach, and just like we planned, he scoops her up and we make our way out to the kitchen area to get things set up for our little photo shoot.
I stand to the side as Danny arranges Estelle in one of the kitchen chairs, her head lolling from side to side as he ties her to it, and feel nothing but disdain for the woman. I know none of the men here will lay a hand on her, having very strong views about hurting women. I have no such qualms about it, especially when the woman in question is just as much a predator as her husband is.
Once she’s secured, we get to work on the second part of our plan, bringing in every piece of incriminating evidence I’ve been able to grab over the years, plus some added fun stuff that will help hammer home the final nail in Zodiac’s coffin—like a dead man’s ledger and the gun that killed him.
By the time everything is set up the way I want, Estelle is awake and struggling in her bonds. The guys back out of the kitchen and leave me to it, knowing I’ll shout for them if I need a hand.
I grab one of the other chairs from the table, drag it over to Estelle, and sit in front of her.
“Hello, Estelle, it’s nice to formally meet you.” I greet her with a friendly smile, which freaks her out even more, and she struggles harder.
“I wouldn’t bother, the ropes are tight. My man knows what he’s doing,” I tell her, watching as she carries on until her wrists are bloody and she runs out of steam.
“Well, as fun as this has been, I have places to be. Now I have a few questions and if you answer me truthfully and in a timely fashion, I will get out of your hair before morning.”
“Fuck you!” she spits.
“I’ll pass, thanks. Tell me, do you know who I am?”
She looks to the left briefly before shaking her head no.
“Liar,” I whisper before backhanding her in the face.
She yelps in shock, staring at me with wide eyes. Seriously? Did she think this was going to be a picnic?
“Do you know who I am?” I repeat, daring her to lie again.
“Gemini,” she answers quietly.
“And beyond that?”
She hesitates again. “No.” The word is barely out of her mouth before I haul back and punch her in the face, making her scream as blood erupts from her nose.
“Fuck! Okay. You’re the girl Zodiac bought for Reid. He wanted heirs, a legacy to leave behind when he was gone. He already has Lily.”
I slap her again, hard. Once, twice, making her cry out each time.
“He has nothing. He will never get his hands on Lily. You know you disgust me. You’re worse than he is. You held down your own sister while she was brutally raped by your husband, you sick fuck. I bet you fucked him in the same bed afterward, rolling around in the sheets stained with your sister’s innocence.” I seethe, but she doesn’t deny it.
She frowns. “How do you know about Joan?” She looks surprised.
I stare at her and realize this woman is as much a psychopath as her husband. I might be fucked up, but I still care about people. Sure, my ability to feel fear and remorse is a little iffy, but my ability to love is surprisingly still intact.