Page 39 of Dead Girls Don’t Forget

"I did."

“Help!” he screamed, voice cracking. “Somebody help me!”

“Go ahead,” I said calmly. “Scream. Your neighbors are used to it. They’ve heard enough over the years not to get involved.”

“You’re going to kill me too,” he rasped.

“That’s the idea.”

He tried one last time. "I can make it right. Money. I'll leave. You'll never see me again—"

"There's nothing you can make right."

"It was a long time ago," he started, then faltered. "I mean, I barely even remember—"

"Then let me help you." I crouched lower. "Her name was Harmony."

His mouth opened, then closed again without a sound.

"Say it."

A wet noise scraped out of his throat. Nothing else came.

"Say her name, Richard."

"Harmony." It was barely audible.

"Again."

"Harmony." Louder this time, cracked right down the middle.

"Good."

I let the name hang between us for a moment.

Then I drove the knife into his other thigh, and after that his shoulder, working slowly and methodically so he felt every second of it. I let the minutes stretch until the screaming thinned into broken sobs. Only then did I lean in close.

“Remember what you told me that night?” I murmured. “While you had me pinned down?”

His eyes widened. Whatever hope he'd been clinging to died.

I smiled. “Turns out you were right. Those tears won’t save you.”

The final cut across his throat was clean. Arterial spray hit bright in the dim light. I stepped back and watched until the light left his eyes.

I waited another minute, watching for any twitch, any final reflex. There was nothing.

"See you in hell," I muttered before turning away.

My ribs ached from where Richard had slammed me. My jaw throbbed. I catalogued the damage without sentiment. Nothing that would stop me.

Then I looked at the room.

"What a fucking mess," I sighed.

I worked methodically. Bleach first, across the body, the floor, and every surface I'd touched or bled on. When the bottle ran low, I raided his cleaning cupboard and kept going. The cameras came out next. Each one disappeared into a sealed bag at the bottom of my pack. They'd be cleaned, fitted with new SIM cards, and used again.

When I was satisfied I shouldered my pack and took one last look.