Grayson Sullivan was never convicted or even charged with her murder, but the authorities knew he was responsible. The murder was perpetrated with his MO. Sullivan escaped custody before charges could be brought against him, and he remains at large.

“I don’t believe you,” she says. “I would’ve found something that extreme online. I searched you thoroughly.”

“I have fail-safes in place. I’m notified every time an article or mention about my sister is posted. I either take it down, or a program I coded directs it to another site and renames the link. I can’t have my subjects stumbling upon this information and making any kind of connection. That would be sloppy.”

Her dark eyebrows draw together. “Subjects,” she repeats.

Out of all that was said, this is the grain she picks out. With a sigh, I situate my glasses. “Yes, you’re now my subject.” I stand and push the stool back. “Well, technically, you’ve been my subject since that first night at the club. Once I identified you as a psychopath, I started analyzing and collecting the necessary information in order to get you to this stage.”

A long pause where she considers my answer, then: “People will notice I’m missing. They’ll look for me.”

She must have learned this tactic from a movie. It’s completely unimaginative. I’m disappointed with our first real interaction. Where is the fiend? Where is the vile, unfeeling creature that I know her to be?

“No one will look for you, Blakely. I know who the people closest to you are. I researched your parents. I looked into Rochelle, one of your main clients. As you’ve built a sheltered life to keep people out, there’s no one who will miss your company. On that point, you’ve done the work for me.”

She doesn’t deny my claim and, unlike the average person in a similar scenario, being told they’re all alone in the world has no real impact on her.

“How long?” she demands.

I inhale deeply. “However long it takes.”

Her features contort, and she shakes her head against the bed. “What is it? However long what takes, Alex?”

I lift my chin. “The cure.”

Confusion settles in the hard creases of her forehead. She still hasn’t made the connection.

“Alex, I’m sorry for what happened to your sister, but whatever you have planned…there has to be someone better, more interesting than me for your purpose.”

“Blakely, let’s not insult each other with mind games and tactics. I know how good you are at reading people and influencing them. That won’t happen here. I’ll answer any question that you have, but please don’t tire yourself or me with pointless arguments.”