Page 121 of Kiss Her Goodbye

A bucket of fresh apple peels joins the produce buffet dumping over Habib’s head and shoulders.Iguanas have a highly developed sense of smell and are attracted to the scent of food, including most fruits and vegetables.

Sure enough, there’s the clackety-clack as Petunia goes scurrying across the tiled floor in search of this late-night treat.

A low muffled moan of horror echoes through the space, followed by a sharp: “Let go let go let go,” cursing cursing cursing.“Let go!”

I simultaneously beg Petunia to release whatever ankle, leg,or hand she has her teeth sunk into, while praying for Daryl to appear.Or Roberta.What’s keeping them?

Then, the solid thwack of flesh hitting living flesh, three times in quick succession.

As if someone’s trying to kick or punch a solidly built iguana away.

Now I want to kill Habib myself.

Clackety-clack, swish-swish.Petunia, beating a hasty retreat, hopefully with some prized piece of fruit or possibly a human finger in her mouth.I vote for a finger.Or a testicle.

I quickly withdraw.This is it.

I round the island to position myself with Sabera behind me, both of us tucked up against the granite counter for support.

Hoping for Daryl and Roberta to appear.And then…

Habib half stumbles into the kitchen, his shoulders covered in orange peels, his shoes dragging banana skin.Blood drips down his left hand, and there’s a crazed look in his eyes.

But that doesn’t keep him from smiling in triumph as he staggers to a halt in front of us.

And we get our first unpleasant surprise for the night.

Habib hasn’t come alone.

He’s dragged a bound and gagged Aliah, who appears absolutely terrified, behind him.

Now he jerks her in front of him, then in one fluid movement jabs a sinister-looking curved dagger against her throat.Long and slender, with a vicious edge, this isn’t a discarded steak knife.This is the real deal.

Aliah makes more muffled noises behind her gag.Her eyes bore into ours, her initial fear starting to give way to rage.Run, I can see it in her face.Or maybe it’skill the bastard.

But we stand perfectly still as Habib presses the razor-sharpweapon against her skin and delicately carves a gleaming line of red.

His threat is clear enough.If he so much as sneezes, she’s dead.Which leaves Sabera and me rooted in place, just as Daryl finally looms in the doorway, only to immediately draw up short.

For a minute, we stand in silence, a perfect tableau of pending doom.

Finally, Habib laughs harshly.“All right, cousin, this is it.The key.You will write down everything, or I will start slicing up your friend piece by bloody piece.”

Come on, I mentally will Roberta to appear, or perhaps my Hail Mary backup plan.

But nothing.

We gambled.

We lost.

And now we face the consequence.

“I… I NEED PAPER,” Sabera manages finally.“A large sheet.To draw the map.”

I don’t know of any map, just magic squares, but I do recognize stall tactics when I hear them.

I leave her side, rounding the island to start scrabbling through kitchen drawers, making a show of searching for pen and paper.Honestly, I have no idea where Genni keeps her art supplies.Mostly I’m praying I’ll come across something useful, except I’m so rattled, I can’t fathom what that might be.