Page 65 of Nobody's Girl

“What’s that?”

She looked guiltily at him. “When I was at your place, I was in your kitchen. Your passport was on the side.”

He grinned at her. “Snooping?”

“A little. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Look, yes, Grant is my real name. Felix is the name I write under and the name I tell people who I don’t know to call me. But, I think we are friends by now. So, hello, I’m Grant Christo.”

She laughed, shaking his hand. “Sofia Amory Zacca. That’s a mouthful.”

“So, where’s the hubby?” Grant said, sipping his coffee and Sofia’s smile faded.

“Los Angeles. His mother passed away last week unexpectedly, and he had the funeral and what with his dad…it’s been a trying time.”

“And now his kid is here too?”

Sofia nodded. “Clemence - that’s Ivo’s ex-girlfriend – went into labor early and we couldn’t get her to the hospital before the baby was born. So, we toughed it out together – or rather she toughed it out – I was along for the ride.”

Grant blinked. “Wow. Wow. So, you helped the woman who was having your husband’s baby give birth?”

Sofia laughed. “When you put it like that, it does sound bizarre, but yes. Clemence is a friend, and I was happy to do it.” She thought back over the birth. “Now that I think about it, it was pretty mind-blowing, but at the time, you just get on with it.”

“So, you’re a step-mother now?”

Sofia laughed softly. “I guess I am. Wow.” She looked at her phone then. “Now, if only I could get Ivo to pick up his damn phone, I could tell him he has a daughter.”

Grant nodded, not saying anything. He and Sofia sat in companionable silence while she finished her food. “Thank you for this,” she said, “You were right, I needed it.”

“You look like you could use some rest too. How about I take you back to your hotel?”

Sofia was tired, she realized, more than she thought. “I’ll leave a note for Clemence first. I don’t want her waking to think I’ve abandoned her.”

Grant watched her scribble a note and then kiss the sleeping woman on the forehead gently, as to not wake her. Sofia Amory was a remarkable woman, he mused. To show that much love to the woman who had borne her husband’s baby - it showed compassion way beyond her years. If I were a different man, I would think it a shame to kill her and take all that goodness out of the world…but I’m not that man. Her loveliness, her beauty, her kindness just makes it all the more fun. Will she beg me for death? I do hope so…

It amused him to be walking and chatting so easily with her, when all the time he was thinking of how much he would enjoy stabbing her to death, seeing her eyes open wide with the shock and the agonizing pain as his knife drove deep inside her lovely body. He could barely keep himself from touching her, and when, inadvertently, his skin would touch hers, he felt as if a million bombs had exploded inside of him. The only thing that concerned him was that she seemed too happy, too content. He wanted to cause her torment, pain, anguish. Guilt. Yes, yes, that was a good one…with Ivo away, and he, Grant being here, maybe he could make her uneasy…just a little flirtation at first, easily explainable. Then ramp it up to the point where she became uneasy…god, he loved playing games and when the target was as sweet as Sofia…

Her cell phone rang and she breathed a sigh of relief. “At last. Excuse me, Fel…Grant, it’s Ivo.”

“Hey no problem, look I’ll give you privacy.”

He moved away from her and decided to check his own messages. Tamara had sent him a photograph and when Grant saw it, he almost laughed out loud. Tamara was good, he had to give it to her. The gall of her, getting a picture of her, naked kissing Ivo Zacca at his own mother’s wake. You win this round, Tamara. He wondered how she would use the photograph. He glanced back to where Sofia was sitting, smiling, chatting on the phone, imparting the news of the child’s birth to her husband. The picture would destroy her for sure, but he wondered if Tamara could be persuaded to sit on it for a while. If Ivo didn’t tell Sofia about it, the long it was held over his head, the more cracks would appear in the trust between Ivo and Sofia.

When they finally took Sofia, what better than for her to think that she had nobody, no-one she could call for help? What if they destroyed her security so that, in the end, she had no hope of being rescued? Grant Christo liked that idea very much. Very much…

And he knew exactly where to start. He called Tamara back and explained his plan and she started to laugh. “You really are a twisted fuck but that’s why I like you.”

“So, you think you could do what I asked? Really?”

Tamara laughed darkly. “It would be my absolute pleasure, believe me. Let’s bring the whole house down.”

And Grant smiled.

Part Four