course, he knew where Emily was. But since he was hog-tied, I was guessing he wouldn’t have any worthwhile information. This whole scene was all too grisly and weird.
Derek leaned over and grabbed hold of the tape, then warned Solomon, “This is going to hurt.”
Solomon nodded vigorously and Derek ripped it off.
Solomon screamed liked a banshee, although, to tell the truth, I’d never heard a banshee scream.
“Thank God you came for me,” he cried. “Oh, thank God. It was a nightmare. I couldn’t get away. I thought I was going to die. I-” He took a breath and held it. Silence.
Neither of us bothered to clue him in that we hadn’t come here for his sake.
I was thankful for the silence. Solomon in this grateful mood was jarring to me. I continued working with the rope. Someone had dampened it before tying, so it was even more difficult to get a grip on it. It was slow work and I was getting more and more anxious to leave before whoever tied up Solomon decided to return.
Solomon watched us both work to free him. I looked up and noticed he was frowning at me.
“What?” I said.
“I know you.”
I shook my head. “No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do.” He peered at me; then one side of his mouth curved up. “I never forget a pretty face.”
I tried to mask my shock but I failed. “Seriously? You’re flirting with me? While you’re tied up like a turkey waiting to be roasted? You’re an idiot.” I started to walk out of the room.
“Wait! Come back!” he cried.
“Keep it down, old man,” Derek said sternly. “One more remark like that and I’ll gladly leave you here for your captor to deal with.”
“Oh, God, don’t!” he said, his voice raspy, his eyes wide and wheeling. “Don’t let her get me!”
“Who’s going to get you?” I asked warily.
He had to take a few deep breaths to brace himself before he could whisper, “Nobody.”
“Too late,” I said, moving back to the bedpost and the ropes. “You’ve just admitted a woman did this to you.”
He clamped his lips together and his jaw worked rapidly.
“A woman tied you up and left you to rot,” I taunted. “Isn’t that interesting.”
“She’ll be back. It was just a little game we were playing.”
“Some game,” I said. “You were scared to death when we walked in.”
“Shut up and undo the damn ropes before I-”
In that moment, he lost his ability to frighten me. Sort of. “Are you actually threatening me, Solomon?”
“I knew it,” he said in triumph. “You know who I am. We have met, haven’t we?”
I shook my head. “No, we haven’t.”
“But you look so familiar. Did we ever-”
I recoiled at his suggestive tone, but before I could speak, Derek said in a low, menacing voice, “Enough.”
I blinked at the force of Derek’s anger, and a rush of emotion flooded through me. Gratitude, love, excitement, fear. Derek was rarely moved to anger, but when it happened, look out.
He glared down at Solomon. “Tell us what happened here and who did this to you. Start talking, or we’ll walk out and leave you here to rot.”
Solomon stared up at Derek. He seemed to measure the man’s words and intentions, then swallowed heavily. “A woman I know lured me up here, promising a night of pure fantasy. I was foolish enough to believe her. We had a glass of wine, and she was cooking something in a frying pan. It smelled fantastic and everything was going well. But then I turned away for a minute, and she knocked me out. I guess she used the frying pan. I don’t know, but I have a massive headache. Anyway, when I woke up, I was tied to the bed. She told me that if she couldn’t have me, no woman could.”
“Why would she say that?” I asked. “What did you do to her?”
“I didn’t do anything.” He speared me with a look of pure loathing, but I didn’t care. I just watched him, more curious than anything else. Finally, gritting his teeth, he continued. “She said I wasn’t grateful enough. She had done me a…a big favor, but I guess I didn’t show her enough appreciation.”
“What was the big favor?”
He bared his teeth, obviously resenting my questions. “Look, none of that matters. Just untie the ropes and get me the hell out of here.”
“Oh, because you’re so innocent?” I said. “Whatever she did to you, I know you deserve it all and then some.”
“I didn’t do anything,” he said irately. “She’s in love with me and completely obsessed. She’s a raving- I didn’t ask her to- Look, just let it go.”
I was starting to get a really bad feeling about this whole scene. “We’re not letting anything go, especially not you. The police are waiting down the mountain and you’re going straight to jail.”
“Me?” he said, outraged. “I’m the victim here.”
“You have never been a victim, Solomon.” I shook my head and looked away. I had feared the man and hated him for what he did to Max, but now I couldn’t be bothered to expend that much energy. Now I felt nothing but contempt for him.
But that reminded me of something. “Why did you hate Max Adams so much?”
The immediate change in Solomon was startling. He scowled bitterly. “Max Adams was nothing but a two-bit hack. I have more talent in my little toe than he had in his entire body. But Max had the Midas touch. He got everything he wanted delivered on a golden platter. Women by the dozens, acclaim, money. The institute got him a book contract. They sent him on lecture tours. When Angelica left me for him, I was furious.”
“You were obsessed.”
“So what?” he said on a snarl, then shook his fist. “Max Adams was a pissant. He was supposed to die.”
“He didn’t.”
“I know that now, damn it, but at least he was gone. I no longer had to compete with him for every little crumb the institute threw our way. I didn’t have to look at him.”
“But he’s still lingering. I’ve seen all those banners around the Art Institute campus.”
He shook his head in disgust. “He’s been gone three years and still they flock to see him and his work. It makes me sick.”
“And Angelica was spearheading it,” I added. “How did that make you feel?”
“I wanted to kill her, too,” he muttered, then looked at me. “But I didn’t.”
“And we’re supposed to believe that?”
“Believe whatever you want. I didn’t kill her.”
“Who killed her?” Derek asked.
Solomon turned and studied him for a moment. “Someone to whom I should’ve shown more gratitude.”
I stepped closer. “So you’re saying the woman who tied you to the bed also killed Angelica.”
He whipped around to look at me. “I’m not saying another word.”
“Fine. You can talk to the police.” I pulled the last of the knots loose and threw the rope on the floor. “Max Adams is alive, Solomon, and he’s going to have you charged with kidnapping and criminal harassment and attempted murder. You’re going to prison.”
He glared at me and muttered an expletive, then said, “Don’t hold your breath.”
Derek grabbed hold of Solomon’s arm and yanked him off the bed. “Stand up.”
Solomon wobbled but eventually gained his footing. Derek tossed his clothes at him and Solomon dressed hurriedly. Then Derek took hold of his wrist and spun him around. Using one of the ropes, he tied Solomon’s hands behind his back.
Solomon struggled, but was no match for Derek. “Is that really necessary?”
“Yeah, it really is,” I said.
“Let’s go,” Derek said.
I found my shoulder bag and stayed close to Derek as he led Solomon out of the bedroom. In the front room, Derek leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Gabriel should’ve been here by now.”
“Do you think something happened to him?” He knew how I worried about Gabriel, and given the strange things
