“Perceptive, but no,” Bennett said, taking a corkscrew out of a drawer. “He’s my fourteenth. I use the Greek alphabet. Technically, it’s supposed to be pronounced ksai, but he’d never answer to it, so I use the pronunciation you Americans use for your sororities.”

“Oh, I see,” Ruby said as she looked around.

When last in Bennett’s apartment, Ruby hadn’t paid attention to her surroundings. More concerned with helping the woman, other than the linen closet and the wine refrigerator tucked under the counter, she had disregarded the rest.

The first thing Ruby noticed was the leather sofa, or rather the pristine leather sofa. There wasn’t any sign of the massive blood loss that had stained the cushions, and the tapestry rug was spotless as well. “Wow. If I ever need a cleaner, I’m hiring yours. How’d they get the blood out?”

Bennett looked up from what she was doing. “It’s their job, and you couldn’t afford them.”

Ruby snickered and continued her perusal. The fireplace was as large as she remembered, but what she didn’t remember was on the wall above it. Fanned out like a peacock’s tail was a collection of swords and daggers, all of which appeared to be honed to a razor’s edge. Ruby swallowed hard, and tearing her eyes away from the assortment of weapons, her mouth dropped open. To the left of the fireplace were darkly stained bookcases that reached the ceiling, and as Ruby took a step, she noticed an identical set on the opposing wall, its shelves as filled as the first.

The morning rain had given way to a sunny afternoon, so Ruby was a little surprised to see the drapes closed until she remembered who lived in the apartment, and what that person was.

“Here you go.”

Ruby jumped and whirled around, her cheeks darkening slightly as she took the bottle of wine from Bennett. “Sorry. I was just…I was just admiring your books. You have a lot of them.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Have you read them all?”

“Several times over.”

“Oh yeah. I guess you’d have the time—huh?” Ruby said, moving toward the door. “Maybe you should think about getting a Kindle. It would take up a lot less space.”

“I own two, both of which are filled, but they aren’t as comfortable in my hand or smell the same way a book does.”

“I get that,” Ruby said, waiting while Bennett opened the door. “Well, thanks for taking the cork out.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I’ll let you know what I think,” Ruby said, stepping into the hallway.

The only response Ruby received was the click of the door as Bennett shut it behind her.

Chapter Seventeen