Page 33 of Seth

“We have the first chemical report turned up. Presumably, it’s Halothane, a medical anesthetic previously used for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. It’s mostly out of use due to the severe side effects.”

“Where did he get it?” Gustavo nasalized against the towel.

“Hmm, let’s check.” Diego shrugged. His finger poked the screen a few times before he snorted. “He robbed a medicine delivery truck. I see it in the news. He’s pretty photogenic, don’t you think?”

Extending his hand, Diego showed a blurry photograph of a slender man dressed in a delivery uniform. Black hair sticking from under the baseball cap and a sharp chin that could belong to anyone, but something in the way the man carried himself allowed Gustavo to identify Seth.

“How could he rob the delivery truck when he never left his home?” Gustavo frowned, and the remaining part of the thought they said at the same time. “He has another exit.”

Silence stretched, interrupted only by a glass clinking as Diego fixed himself a drink. He pulled a lollipop out of his pocket, tore the wrapper, and stirred the vermouth with the candy before draining his drink in one go. “So, what are you going to do?”

For a long moment, Gustavo kept silent. When he spoke again, his voice had a weird twang he didn’t notice before.

Diego’s lips twitched. He shoved the sucker into his mouth and his cheek bulged. “You should really see a doctor.”

“His house is on the hill, right? Put eyes on every road leading from it.”

“You aren’t serious. He almost killed you tonight. As your friend and lieutenant, I’m morally obligated to advise you to either kill him or exchange the body for the painting.”

Gustavo’s gaze gravitated to the empty place where his favorite painting hung only yesterday. “He didn’t kill anyone. Not even a dog. Don’t you find it weird?”

“I think I’m way past trying to analyze either of you.”

“And the knots he used to tie Hans. Did you notice? The whole Shibari thingy resembled a hammock. He even supported Hans’ neck. I wonder if it was not to cause harm. God, I wish I didn’t listen to you and took pictures.”

“These pictures?” Diego replied with an innocent smile as he showed Gustavo his phone. On it, Hans dangled in the air swathed in ropes. “I took them before waking you up.”

“You fucker, and you dared to guilt trip me?”

“Yeah, that was fun.” His innocent grin turned wicked.

“Give them to me.” Gustavo sat forward; the ice lost the connection with his nose as he brought both fists to the desk and reinforced his order with a glare. “Now.”

“Umm, I don’t think so.” There was something sly in the reluctant stretch of Diego’s arms, something that brought him the additional similarity to a fox.

“No?” Gustavo cocked a brow. “Why did you take them then?”

“Why? To blackmail you, of course. Now, do what I say, or I’ll send them to Hans. If you are nice enough, I might even feel generous and give them to you too.”

“You are walking on thin ice.”

Diego grinned. “Fine, I’m not heartless. Of course, I won’t give them to you for free, but I might sell them for the right price or exchange them for something.”

“What could you possibly want?” Gustavo narrowed his eyes, hating this bargain. “Don’t I pay you enough?”

“Oh, it’s not about money.” Diego grinned. “It’s about winningyourmoney.”

“What do you want, you leech?”

“That horse you bought two months ago. The cremello Akhal-Teke2stallion.”

“Are you for real? I love this horse.” Gustavo growled.

“Oh, it seems to me that you don’t want Hans’ pictures. It’s okay; I’ll keep them.”

“Why do you even want the horse? You are scared of horses.”

“I’m not scared of them. I respect them; it’s different. I might not ride it, but I will watch it graze and run and stomp people with its murderous hooves.”