Charismo covered his smug smile with a kerchief. “Believe me, Garrick has been controlled into an early grave. Otto Malarkey has seen to that. He was the last direct connection between me and the future.”

“Until we came along.”

“Otto was supposed to kill anyone who arrived at either portal, but it is in his nature to try to squeeze a few extra sovereigns from every situation. Luckily I have a man in the Rams who is loyal to my gold, and he informed me there was activity in the Half Moon house. Can you imagine my surprise when one of the fugitives from Half Moon Street bore a striking resemblance to William Riley? It must be a coincidence, I told myself, and I almost believed it, until the boy himself revealed to me that his father was an FBI agent. So young Riley here is the only wild card in this game, and he is, as you can see, not really playing anymore.”

Charismo clapped his hands, which seemed to be something of a trademark. “And so, the game is over, and Charismo has triumphed.”

Riley moaned and spasmed in his chair.

“Come on, Carter!” said Chevie. “Cure the boy! Let him go. What harm can he do to you?”

“None whatsoever. Little Riley is harmless. And soon that will be a permanent condition.”

Chevie’s pulse pounded in her forehead. “That boy idolized you, and you’ve killed him.”

Charismo fluttered his kerchief. “Well, you know what they say? A person should never meet his heroes. And I haven’t killed him yet, he’s simply dreaming. The poison is still in his stomach. He won’t die for hours.”

Riley was half-dreaming, and he would have loved to lose himself entirely to slumber, but something was glinting in his eye. The boy squinted, attempting to focus, but he could see nothing, except the small shining object on Chevie’s finger. It was blurred and surrounded by a golden nimbus, until Charismo moved in front of the window and blocked the sunlight, bringing the golden object into relief.

It was a horseshoe ring.

A horseshoe ring. There was a man with a horseshoe ring. Mr. Carter.

In his dream state Riley was closer to his visions; he remembered that his father had protected the man wearing this ring, and this was enough to wake him slightly, just in time to hear Charismo say, “That was not my fault. Bill Riley was not supposed to marry. I ordered Garrick to kill Agent Riley and his precious family, no loose ends.”

Bill Riley, thought Riley groggily. My dad.

Riley could not fathom the circumstances, but he had heard a confession, and the ring made him believe it was the truth.

With superhuman effort, he breathed himself back to the surface of consciousness. It took several moments, but finally he had the energy to act. Riley dragged himself from the chair and flailed at Charismo, striking out clumsily.