Elemental Assassin 02 - Web of Lies

Don’t bother introducing yourself. I already know a moment of his time. The hard stare made me want to who you are, Mr. McAllister.”
    chuckle. McAllister was nothing compared to some of the Jonah nodded his head back at me and gestured at the folks I’d been up against as the Spider.
    chair on the opposite side of the table. “May I be so kind
    “Now, Ms. Blanco,” he said in a smooth voice. “Let’s as to take advantage of your hospitality?”
    talk.”
    My lips twitched. My, my, my, he was slathering on the
    “Sure,” I replied. “Let’s chat.”
    charm already, like sweet butter on a hot biscuit. “Sure.”
    “Now, I know about your difficulties with my son the McAllister unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down. other night, but you have to realize that he just wasn’t Jake made a move to join us, but his father turned a pair of feeling like himself. Were you, Jake?”
    cold eyes in his son’s direction. “In the booth, Jake. Now.”
    Jake McAllister stared at the floor. “No,” he muttered Jake jerked like a dog who’d been whipped so many and kicked the underside of the booth opposite him. times all it took to make him cower was the faintest whisJonah nodded his head at the expected answer, no per of its owner’s voice. But he did as his father asked and matter how sullen, fake, and reluctant it had been. “As slid into a booth by the front window—the same one Eva you can see, my son feels terrible about his part in the Grayson and her friend Cassidy had sat in two nights ago. incident on Monday night. I came here today hoping we The two giant guards remained where they were by could resolve this situation without any further interferthe front door. Hands loose by their sides, chests puffed ence by the police or the court system. What do you say?”
    out, spines as tall and straight as flagpoles on the Fourth For a moment, I just stared at him. The man had a set of July. They could have been statues for all the emotion of silverstone balls, I’d give him that. Jonah McAllister or interest they showed, although their pale, bulging eyes had nerve to spare, coming into my place of business and never left me, not even for an instant. Still, sloppy, sloppy trying to talk his psychopathic son out of a lengthy jail of them standing so far away. I could have easily palmed term. I thought about stringing him along, pretending to one of my silverstone knives and cut Jonah McAllister’s be the weak, country bumpkin he so obviously thought I throat before the guards took two steps.
    was. Letting him try to manipulate me the same way he Jonah McAllister turned his full attention to me. A did all those juries, all those people who tried to stand thin smile pulled up his lips, although his face had been up to Mab Monroe. It’d be a hell of a show, if nothing so sandblasted by Air elemental magic, no lines appeared else. But I had other things to do today, other problems anywhere. The curve of his lips did little to disguise the to take care of, namely finding out why Tobias Dawson Estep_Web of Lies_1P EP.indd 144-145
    12/17/09 9:32 PM
    146 JENNIFER ESTEP
    Web of Lies 147
    wanted Violet Fox dead. I didn’t have the time or more
    “I’m just trying to get this mess taken care of, Ms. importantly the inclination to go along quietly. Besides, Blanco,” McAllister replied in a smooth tone. “It’s not the I’d never been good at playing the victim. first one I’ve cleaned up for my son, and I’m sure it won’t “Let’s be clear,” I replied. “You’re asking me to drop be the last, no matter how many reformatory schools I’ve the charges against your son, right? Recant my statement shipped him off to over the years. So why don’t you just to the police, refuse to testify, et cetera, et cetera, et ceanswer my question, and we can be done with this little tera. That’s what all the eye contact, oily words, and fake charade.”
    charm are about, yes?”
    I raised an eyebrow. “And what charade would that be?”
    Jonah McAllister frowned, taken aback by my blunt McAllister allowed himself a brief chuckle. Low, thick, tone. His eyes narrowed, and I met his gaze with a level black, just like mine had been. “The ludicrous idea you’re one of my own. Something in my gray eyes must have going to testify against my son in any court of law in Ashregistered with him, because the smile dropped from his land or anywhere else. The absurd notion I’d ever allow face. Time to change tactics.
    such