Trickster [Aidan Hunter series book 1]

Chapter 12

"You're not supposed to be here!" Mary said, frightened. "They're watching."

Henry glanced at me. "It won't be long before they know we're here then."

"We'll make this quick," I replied, then said to Mary. "You are the only one who knows what the Trickster looks like. Give me a description."

"No," she blurted. "He'll kill my son if I say anything. He sees and knows everything."

"Wow, creepy much?" Henry raised his brows. "How does he monitor everything? Has he hacked into every surveillance cam in the city?"

"Knowing him? Maybe," I said. "Besides, almost every piece of technology is hackable nowadays."

"Is that why he has his minions everywhere? He's spying on us twenty-four seven. Looks like he has a lot of free time."

Mary bit her lip, her ashen cheeks crumpling like waste paper. I could only imagine how terrified she was. When she tried to push the door shut again, I stuck my foot in and used my shoulder to ease it back open. She stepped back, shoulders hunching, head ducking.

I gestured at Henry to talk to her. He was better with people, after all.

"Mary, listen to me," he said. "We're not going to hurt you. We want the Trickster caught, and I'm sure you want that too, don't you? He's going to kill more people if we don't stop him. You gotta give us something."

She pulled her blue coat together. "I wish I could. As long as Jacob is with him, I'm not taking any risks that might endanger my son's life."

"Nothing is going to happen to your son. Or you. He needs leverage to have the upper hand."

Her speech came hurried. "You don't understand. He checks on me, to make sure I don't say anything to the cops. He calls me and tracks my phone. I don't care what happens to me. All I care about is my little boy. Besides, nobody knows what he looks like. I'm fairly certain not even his men."

"Except you. You got a sneak peek at his face. How did you manage that?"

Her gaze lowered. "A few days ago, I went to the store to buy a bracelet. Then I went to the parking garage a block away. The place was empty, except for these men, standing near a jeep. They were talking. They creeped the hell out of me. I was walking to my car, and I accidentally dropped my keys. One of them, this guy in a hood, looked my way."

"That was him."

"Yes. I got a glimpse of his face. I ran to my car. The next day, around afternoon, my son didn't come home from school." She wiped a tear rolling down her cheek. "I get a call from him saying that he has my son and unless I did what he asked, he'll kill him. He asked me to buy a necklace, so I can scope the place out. Tell him where the cameras are."

That explains a lot.

"That's why he's keeping a special eye on you," said Henry.

She looked to the hallway again, anxious. Most likely she was about to go someplace, judging from how she had her coat on even inside her room.

"Let me ask you something," I said. "After your son was taken, you never saw him again?"

"I—I didn't," she stammered.

"Did the Trickster give you proof of life? Did he let you talk to him at any point? Or did you blindly follow his orders?"

Her gaze darted away as if thinking. From what I observed about her, it was easy to tap into her fears and instill doubts in her. Which was what I wanted.

"What guarantee do you have that your son's alive? If I were you, I'd check on his wellbeing first," I added. "I would make sure he's okay before I do anything the Trickster asks me. He's the Trickster for crying out loud. I'd never trust a word he says. He could do anything to Jacob and you wouldn't see it."