Christmas Eve 11 am
Leon entered the cell room with Cutter in tow.
Someone had cleaned Claire up and a food tray sat on the floor.
Leon had to shake his head. Cassie in all her fire still had a heart. He knew she’d had the woman cared for. Don’t that beat all, he thought.
Siobhan wore her haughty look as Leon approached. “Here to ask some questions?” she sneered.
Leon placed his hands behind his back as he nodded. “Yes, but I won’t be the one asking them.” He stepped aside and allowed her to get a look at the man with him.
Her brow furrowed, as she looked the man up and down. “Who the hell is this?”
Cutter stepped forward with all his darkness in his eyes and body language as he gave her a slow but cold as ice smile. “They call me Lama Della Taglierina.”
Her eyes widened as her mouth popped open.
Leon hid the smirk that was dying to spread across his lips. “He will be your interogator, my dear.”
She paled by two shades. “Leon! You cannot be serious!”
He cocked his head at her. “Oh, but I am. Very. I shall not harm you. But he will.”
She began to tremble and a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead. “You had the family call him in?”
He nodded.
“No! I will scream!” she threatened.
Cutter took a step forwards and reached into his unwrinkled crisp looking suit to produce a long black sheath. “Si, dolcezza mia. You shall.”
Her eyes rounded.
“This is all I need.” He unsheathed the knife. It had a pearl handle and a long narrow edge with the sharpest tip for knife, it almost looked like a scalpel as it gleamed in the lowlight while he turned it right then left.
Siobhan stared at it while her eyes nearly bulged out of her face. “This is inhuman. Leon!”
Leon glared at her. “What you did to Cassie all those years ago was inhuman. And kidnapping a five year old on Christmas is downright heinous. Oh yes, you would know what is inhuman.” He stepped back.
“Ok! Ok. I will tell you,” she blurted out desperately.
Leon raised his brows. “With no torture? Come now. You will tell us lies.”
“I agree,” Cutter said in that low tone. “I find they only tell the truth after about ten cuts.”
Gasping, she tried to scoot back, but being tied to the chair there was nowhere to go.
Cutter stepped forward.
“I know about Evelyn!” Siobhan shouted.
Leon held very still and stared at the desperate woman who’d pretended to be his friend for months. “What about her?”
“I-if I tell you the truth, all of it. C-can you make him go away?”
Leon stared at her for a long moment as he crossed his arms over his chest. A moment where he knew she was dying a thousand deaths inside. “Maybe? Depends on the information you give.”
She gulped. “She has been um, a guest of my people for some time.”
Leon’s hands dropped to his sides as he thought his heart just stopped in his chest. “What?”
She looked afraid now as she watched Cutter. “Our group took her thirty years ago.”
Leon blinked. His mind couldn’t fathom what she just said.
She went on, “And that isn’t all…” She stared at Cutter then at Leon.
Leon nearly growled as he walked over and grasped her around the neck with one hand. “You took my woman and kept her for all this time?”
She nodded. “D-don’t kill me. I… You have a daugh—”
He squeezed her neck for a few seconds then forced himself to let go. “TALK!” he shouted as rage shook him.
“…Y-you h-have a daughter.”
He gasped and took a step back. “Evelyn was pregnant?”
She nodded. “She had the baby. We did leave the child with her until she was seventeen.”
Leon stared hard at her. “Then where is she now?”
Claire gulped and said nothing more.
Cutter again, moved over to her.
“She ran away!” Claire yelled. “We couldn’t find her. Your woman…” she spat the word with hatred. “She refused to tell us anything, despite what we…” Her voice fell away.
“Despite what? Did you hurt Evelyn?”
Siobhan looked more afraid now than when this session all started.
Leon stepped back and nodded to Cutter. “Give her the fucking works. I need to know all of it.”
Siobhan gasped and her eyes got huge in her face.
Cutter wore a blank expression as if he felt nothing one way or the other as he approached the woman.
