The expression of satisfaction on Rose’s face was so brutal Alik wanted to give her the smack Alphonse deserved.

“Your mom was all over you about the matrix,” he said to Alphonse. “Right? So you asked Uncle Rayner, man to man, to get Rose to back off. That way you could sneak it back in.”

“I guess,” Alphonse mumbled.

“Did he laugh? Did he say yes? Did he say well done for taking it? ‘I knew you were one of us, kid,’ is that what he said?”

Alphonse’s sobs got louder.

Alik turned to Kravis. “And you.”

“What about me?”

“Why did Riek go and kick the shit out of Samantha, after she hijacked your wife’s massage?”

“I don’t know.”

“Really? Because I have a list of your law firm’s clients. My altme ran a cross-check. Longpark Developments mean anything to you?”

“No. I’ve had no dealings with it.”

“Ha; lawyer’s answer. It happens to be owned by Javid-Lee. In fact, that’s one of fifteen perfectly legal companies owned by him that pay your firm retainers.”

Kravis glared at Alik in stony silence.

“You went to him, didn’t you—after the massage?” Alik carried on. “She’s your wife, after all. You didn’t want justice, not for what Samantha did. You wanted vengeance.”

“You can’t prove that.”

“Don’t be so sure. You went to him because you believed he was deniable. Wrong. Sure, he won’t give you up; you’re in too deep with him now. He fucking owns you, which I’ll bet hasn’t even registered yet. You made a deal with the devil, Kravis. He’s got your soul by the balls now. But if we looked hard enough, if we leaned on the right people, the little people, there would be witnesses. I could send you down as an accessory to a multiple homicide. How long would you last on Zagreus, do you think, a nice well-bred guy like you? Those cannibal rumors, they had to start for some reason.”

“Javid-Lee is a client,” Kravis said in a shaky voice. “I discuss many legitimate business details with him. That’s all I’m prepared to say.”

“There’s one thing I don’t get,” Alik said. “Delphine, why did you go to the Lorenzos’ place last night?”

“Koushick called me,” she said grudgingly. “I knew him back in the day. He said Javid-Lee was looking to hit back against Rayner for some kind of firebomb attack on one of his clubs, and that it was getting out of hand, which meant I could be a target. Said we should go quiet for a few days until it was all settled. I was scared; I know what Rayner’s life is like. We’re not tight, but to these people, we’re all family, all the same. So I knew the Lorenzos were off for the weekend, away with their fancy friends on a boat. It was the last place anyone would look for us.”

“Who was the woman?” I asked.

“What woman?”