For several seconds, the only sound was the tick-tick-tick of the grandfather clock. McAllister stared into the amber depths of his brandy. Brooding again. Just when I was about to ask the question a little more forcefully, he frowned and finally raised his eyes to mine.

“That’s the problem,” he grumbled. “I don’t actually know. Mab kept whoever it is a secret even from me.”

I watched him, studying his body language and listening to the tone and inflection of his words, but McAllister seemed to be telling the truth. His voice would have been sly instead of shaky, his eyes bright instead of dark, his posture confident instead of defeated, if he’d been lying. He really didn’t know who Mab had left her millions to. Troubling, to say the least.

“But now you know why I had to act,” he said. “Because if this person is anything like Mab, well, things will not go so well for me.”

“No,” I said. “I imagine the theft of millions of dollars would greatly upset anyone who came to Ashland looking to lay claim to his or her inheritance.”

He sniffed. “Theft? Please. It wasn’t like Mab didn’t owe me that money anyway, given the pittance she paid me. Not as hard as I worked for her. Not after all the things I did for her. Not after all the things she made me watch her do.” He shuddered at that last thought and the memories that came with it.

I didn’t feel sorry for McAllister—not one little bit. Yes, he had worked for a monster, had seen Mab do terrible things, and had been afraid that she might take her fiery wrath out on him at any moment. But like he’d said, he’d also done terrible things himself along the way. Besides, he could have always walked—or run—away. Left Mab, left town, gone someplace where nobody knew who he was or what he’d done. But instead, he’d stayed in Ashland all these years, enjoying all the bloody benefits of being Mab’s lackey. McAllister wasn’t upset that I’d killed the Fire elemental. He’d had no real affection for or loyalty to her. No, he was just pissed that people didn’t kowtow and cower when he walked by these days.

McAllister didn’t like the fact that no one was afraid of him like they had been of her.

“Well, I have to admit that it was a good plan,” I said. “Rob everyone who’s been thumbing their noses at you, tie up Mab’s estate for as long as possible so you could steal even more from it before you finally skipped town, murder me on the side. I’ll give you credit, Jonah. You always give it your all. Why, in your own way, you’re even more devious than Mab was.”