Page 81 of Throwing Fire

“Yeah.”

He rubs a hand through his short, sweat-spiked hair. “Started with Mister Tyng. He’s the first one who found out about her. He paid me to keep tabs on Chi after she moved in with Ape. That’s where it started.”

“Not where it ended, though.”

He glances up at me. Blue eyes bloodshot. He looks back down at his feet. Picks at a peeling tread on his running ped. “Jaxon caught up with me just a couple of days after you killed Mister Tyng. Two, three days, something like that.”

“That was two weeks ago. What have you told him?”

“Anything he asked.” Duncan shrugs. “Her runs, mostly. Whenshe’d be away from you. Some about the security on the house, but he said it was too tight.”

Too fucking right, it is. “Didn’t bother you, knowin’ what they were gonna do to her?”

He looks up. Glares at me. “Fuck you, man. It’s been killing me. Every time I look at her ... why are you even talking to me? It’s over. Do it, man. ‘Least she’ll be safe.”

“She, who?” He’s mentioned a woman twice now, but it was only the second time that I realized he wasn’t referring to Kez.

He pushes to his feet. Lifts his chin. “Here, do it.”

I keep my arms crossed over my chest. Watch him steadily.

He spins away from me, clutching at his hair with both hands. “What do you want from me? Just do it!”

“Tell me whosheis.”

“My mother! She’s sick, okay? Leave her alone. I know you’re going to kill me but leave her alone.”

“What’s she got?”

“LTRE. They don’t even know exactly what. She’s third gen.”

Which means she had Duncan late in life and was unlucky. Most of the third generation after the dirty terraforming that made Kuseros livable just have chromosomal aberrations, not full-blown radiation sickness.

I sigh. Still not believing what I’m about to do. “Plex Tyng Tower tomorrow. Ask for Myhre Hata. She’ll be expectin’ your call. She’ll get your mother treatment. Real treatment.” The kind only Tyng money can buy. I watch him struggle to process this. “And Duncan? None of us ever see you again. Not a plex, not a friendly visit. Nothin’. You’ve lost your North Shore privileges.”

Duncan stares at me for several long moments. “You’re letting me go?”

He’s going to have to live with what he’s done every day for the rest of his life. The betrayal of his friends. The loss of his family. Duncan’s not a villain. He was just protecting the woman closest to him. That’s a motive I understand completely, even if I can’t agreewith his methods. Leaving him alive, to live with the ramifications of what he’s done, that’s worse than anything I could do to him.

I pick up the package. I’ll deliver it, since I don’t want Kez to lose face with her client.

“Hey,” Duncan calls after me. “Snow, would you-would you tell them something for me? Would you tell them, Kez, tell her—” His voice hitches and I don’t look back. I’m not interested in watching him break. “Just tell her I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“I will,” I say over my shoulder. “You tell Jaxon something for me. Tell him I’m coming.”

A little fear never hurts.

I tuck the package under my arm and swing up into the scaffolding. I don’t want the delivery to be late.

CHAPTER 31

Kez is waiting for me at Tyng Tower.

She’s sitting on the wide marble lip of the central fountain, which still sports its sundial and artificial sun, although the rest of the party trappings have been swept away. She’s trying not to look anxious, as she scans the crowd, watching for me. But the nervous jittering of the knee she’s got crossed over the other gives her away.

“I didn’t kill him,” I tell her without preamble.

She launches herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing every exposed bit of face and neck she can reach.

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