The boy’s shoulders were shaking now as tears dripped onto the floor. “I was going to give it back,” he wailed. “I was. Next time we went back there, honest. It’s Star Revenger Twelve, it’s only just come out. I wanted to see what it was like. That’s all.”
The expression of satisfaction on Rose’s face was so brutal Alik wanted to give her the smack Alphonse deserved.
“Your mom was all over you about the matrix,” he said to Alphonse. “Right? So you asked Uncle Rayner, man to man, to get Rose to back off. That way you could sneak it back in.”
“I guess,” Alphonse mumbled.
“Did he laugh? Did he say yes? Did he say well done for taking it? ‘I knew you were one of us, kid,’ is that what he said?”
Alphonse’s sobs got louder.
Alik turned to Kravis. “And you.”
“What about me?”
“Why did Riek go and kick the shit out of Samantha, after she hijacked your wife’s massage?”
“I don’t know.”
“Really? Because I have a list of your law firm’s clients. My altme ran a cross-check. Longpark Developments mean anything to you?”
“No. I’ve had no dealings with it.”
“Ha; lawyer’s answer. It happens to be owned by Javid-Lee. In fact, that’s one of fifteen perfectly legal companies owned by him that pay your firm retainers.”
Kravis glared at Alik in stony silence.
“You went to him, didn’t you—after the
“You can’t prove that.”
“Don’t be so sure. You went to him because you believed he was deniable. Wrong. Sure, he won’t give you up; you’re in too deep with him now. He fucking owns you, which I’ll bet hasn’t even registered yet. You made a deal with the devil, Kravis. He’s got your soul by the balls now. But if we looked hard enough, if we leaned on the right people, the little people, there would be witnesses. I could send you down as an accessory to a multiple homicide. How long would you last on Zagreus, do you think, a nice well-bred guy like you? Those cannibal rumors, they had to start for some reason.”
“Javid-Lee is a client,” Kravis said in a shaky voice. “I discuss many legitimate business details with him. That’s all I’m prepared to say.”
“There’s one thing I don’t get,” Alik said. “Delphine, why did you go to the Lorenzos’ place last night?”
“Koushick called me,” she said grudgingly. “I knew him back in the day. He said Javid-Lee was looking to hit back against Rayner for some kind of firebomb attack on one of his clubs, and that it was getting out of hand, which meant I could be a target. Said we should go quiet for a few days until it was all settled. I was scared; I know what Rayner’s life is like. We’re not tight, but to these people, we’re all family, all the same. So I knew the Lorenzos were off for the weekend, away with their fancy friends on a boat. It was the last place anyone would look for us.”
“Who was the woman?” I asked.
“What woman?”
“Javid-Lee sent two others with Perigine Lexi that night: Duane Nordon and Lisha Khan. While Rayner used Koushick Flaviu and Otto Samule—the two that didn’t make it—along with a third, a woman. She survived the bloodbath. Who was she?”
“I don’t know. Really, I don’t. I told you, I’m not involved in that part of the family life.”
Alik glanced at Salovitz. “I’m out of questions.”
“Six people dead,” Salovitz said quietly. “Another in the hospital. You started a gang war that’s still going on because a kid steals a fucking virtual game. A
“I didn’t know—” Kravis began.
“Shut the fuck up!” Salovitz bellowed. “You don’t get to talk, not after what you’ve done!”
“What happens now?” Rose asked. Her kids were pushing up against her so hard it was like they were trying to bury their heads in her ribs.
“Darwin,” Alik told them.
Salovitz gave him a filthy look.
“I don’t understand what that means,” Rose said.
“Survival used to be down to how fast and strong you were, how good a hunter,” Alik told her. “That was back when we all lived in caves and got frightened by thunder. Today, it’s all about being the smartest.”
“Just tell us,” Delphine said. “Please, tell us the smart thing to do.”
“Option one, we charge you all with criminal conspiracy. Given what’s happened tonight, that’s an easy trip to Zagreus, certainly for you and Rose and Kravis. Your kids will be taken into City Service’s care, or handed over to any remaining family.”
“Or?” Kravis asked.
Alik almost grinned. He should have known. After all, Kravis was Wall Street; he could recognize a deal on the table from a block away.
“I make a report to my boss that you were all in the portalhome when two rival crews broke in, trying to burgle the place. You naturally fled and saved your families. All very dramatic, but you’re not involved in any criminal act. But that would be a big favor I’d be doing you. And as we’ve all learned tonight, those kind of favors don’t come cheap.”
“You want money?” a puzzled Rose asked.