Page 75 of Diamonds

“But you didn’t listen.”I shrug.“For your sake as well as your wife’s, I hope she’s busy the rest of the day.I’m sure there are lots of goodies at her society tea.Hopefully she won’t try to cutthatline.”

Gimble widens his eyes.“That’s where I’ve seen you.You were at the symphony last night.”

“Good eye.Your wife tried to butt in front of my girlfriend”—I gesture toward Alissa—“at the snack bar during intermission.”

He drops his jaw.“Is that what this is about?My wife being a bitch?”

I chuckle.“Hardly.But good to know you can recognize a face.Let me describe another one.Young, hot.Pale skin.Long blond hair.Eastern European origin.”

He narrows his eyes.“That’s hardly a description at all.”

“Let mefinish, Gimble.”I grind the gun into his temple.“This young woman would have been wearing a bikini.Black with white diamonds on it.Ringing any bells?”

Gimble’s lip quivers.

“So it does.”I lean in and speak directly into his ear.“Let me lay a secret on you, Gimble.You and I frequent the same club downtown.Aces Underground.I recall seeing you with a young lady who works—worked—there a few weeks ago.Svetlana.The Nine of Diamonds.”

Gimble’s face twists.“Please… Don’t tell my wife.You can have anything you want.I’ll write you a check.Anything.”

“Funny you should mention your wife,” I say.“Is there anything you’ve done with that young woman that Mrs.Gimble might find upsetting?”

He grimaces at me.“I think you’re aware,Maddox.”

I grin.“I thought it was odd that you pretended not to recognize me at first.I’m sure you’ve seen my face splashed over the front page of theTribunemore times than you can count.But that’s not the point.Tell me.Were you the last person to see her alive?”

“How the hell should I know if I?—”

“The Nine of Diamonds—Svetlana—was reported missing not long after your liaison with her.”

Gimble grimaces.“This may surprise you, but I didn’t exactly keep a personal relationship with the woman.I have no clue what happened to her.Maybe she was deported, or maybe she just left town.”He shoots me a side-eye.“Besides, how wouldyouknow about her, anyway?I’m sure your girlfriend here wouldn’t be too keen on you following other women’s footsteps.”

I clap the back of Gimble’s head with my gun.“Keep my girlfriend out of your fucking mouth, Gimble.I know that Svetlana was your favorite.We need to know if you know anything about her.”

“Why do you care so much?”

Alissa barrels into the room, her hands balled into fists.“Because we think she might bedead, Mr.Gimble.Her friend, May, who was the Seven of Spades,isdead, and right before she died, she mentioned that her friend Svetlana, the Nine of Diamonds, had disappeared after her five-year contract with Rouge was up.”

Gimble’s eyes widen.“They wouldn’t… Rouge wouldn’t…”

“Right now, your only concern is whatIwould or would not do, Gimble,” I snarl, prodding him harshly with the gun.

“Fine, fine.”Gimble squeezes his eyes shut.“I’ll tell you.Would you at least put the gun down?”

“Fat fucking chance,” Alissa says.

I turn my head toward her, my eyebrow raised.

Damn.She’s brought a little fire to this interrogation as well.

“My girlfriend is right,” I say.“If you give us information that we determine is worthy of your pathetic life, then I’ll consider putting the fucking gun down.Keep stalling and your wife will be wiping your splattered brains off this hideous wallpaper.”

“All right,” Gimble says.“Yes, you’re right.The Nine was my favorite.I took her to the private areas many times.But everything we did was one hundred percent consensual, I swear.And I always paid her well for her services.”

“When was the last time you saw her?”Alissa asks.

“Not long ago.Mid-January, I think.I booked her for our private session, and we…enjoyed each other’s company.”

I grit my teeth.“You sick bastard.”