Marcus had handled everything after the Ecuadorian police arrived. He knew the captain personally, and of course he and Tia and the their two hosts had been entirely innocent. It was a matter of denying who the men were, making their statements, and wrapping up the matter quietly.

Though Marcus had introduced another suggestion, and the captain was happy to oblige. He’d called Denise DuBois to give her the sad news of the violent deaths of her boss, Marcus Pike, and his paramour, the redheaded American woman Tia McBride. Apparently Denise took the news with grim determination and a sorrowful but professional tone. Marcus knew that Denise would share the news with Shin Lu and that the two would remain in New York for a few days at least, shoring up their positions at the head of Longshadows and Pike’s European company, known only as Genesis, Inc.

Tia called New York City Police Detective Ricardo Sanchez and her former bodyguard Kirk Trundle and arranged for a quick meeting once they’d flown back into town.

They arrived at the Longshadows offices together, though Tia and Marcus stepped into the main offices first, their police backup coming via the stairs to avoid causing a scene that would tip Denise and Shin Lu off. Tia and Marcus walked right into her corner office without an introduction, Denise and Shin Lu spinning to look at them with instant shock, eyes wide and mouths dropped.

“Marcus,” Denise said with a forced smile, “you’re alive, thank God!”

Shin Lu followed her tactic. “Tia! We’d heard you’d been killed! This is a miracle!”

“Yeah,” Tia said in her most unimpressed voice, “it’s a real head-spinner.”

Marcus said, “You’re pretty quick to take the reins.”

Denise looked innocently at Shin Lu, both shaking their heads and shrugging innocently. “I wasn’t doing anything like that,” Denise said. “When I heard the news, I knew Shin Lu here would need some help, and I knew you’d want me to lend a hand. I knew you wouldn’t want me to just abandon a friend in difficult times.”

“And with you gone,” Shin Lu added, “at least that’s what we were told, Denise and I thought it might be a good idea to think about joining forces. It seemed to us as if you two were going to do the same thing, and it only makes perfect sense.”

“It would,” Tia said, “if Marcus’s spy hadn’t called us and told us what you two were planning.”

“Your—? You mean Carlo?”

“Speaks perfect English,” Marcus said with a wry grin.

Denise’s words came fast, her tone thin and hurried. “He must have misunderstood! I’d never do anything to hurt you, Marcus. You…you know how I feel about you.”

“Yes, Denise, I do.”

“Which is what makes it all the more likely that you’d want me dead,” Tia said. “And as for Marcus… You’ve got revenge in your heart, Denise, and that’s a love of a whole other sort. That’s a love of hate, a love of anger and bitterness and betrayal. But that kind of love leads to misery and madness, loneliness and sorrow. Trust me, Denise, I know it for a fact. I’ve lived it.”

Denise and Shin Lu shared a worried glance, then each looked at their prospective ex-bosses.

Tia asked Shin Lu, “Who was he, the man you sent to kill us? A brother, old friend?”

But Shin Lu just stared at Tia long and hard, her body nearly trembling with gathering fury. She asked only, “Is he dead?”

Tia nodded slowly. “Yes.”

Shin Lu clenched her teeth, fists clenched as she glared at Marcus. “You killed him.”

“No,” Tia said. “I killed him, Shin Lu. I had to.”

Shin Lu’s voice could barely escape her clenched jaw. “You…slut!”

Denise barked, “Shin Lu!” before turning back to Marcus. “Listen, Marcus, um, you know, I didn’t know anything about that! If this woman hired some guy, I didn’t know anything about it!”

“Carlo, Denise,” Marcus said, shaking his head to silence her futile lies. “Carlo told me everything.”

Shin Lu crossed to the desk, leaning against the chair and bending forward with obvious nausea, her skin going pale.

Denise said, “It…it was just business, okay? You’d have done the same thing!”

“You know that’s not true,” Tia said. “My Marcus is far too good a man to stoop so low. And I’ve never done anything to anyone that I didn’t have to…or that they didn’t want.”

“Okay, fine,” Denise said, “whatever. Marcus, I’m sorry, she…she talked me into it! You know how those people are.”

Shin Lu said, “I beg your pardon? You came to me!”

Denise said to Marcus, “You see? This was all her idea!”

“Why don’t you shut your mouth?” Tia said. “It won’t be long before you have the right to remain silent anyway.”

Shin Lu pulled the desk drawer open in a flash and pulled out a long mail opener, a sharp thin bronze blade.

Tia called out, “Shin Lu, no!”

Pointing it at her own belly with one hand, holding her hand out with the other to prevent an onslaught, Shin Lu said, “When a person tries and fails to overthrow the State, the State must make an example of the traitor…and execute without delay.”

“No, Shin Lu,” Tia said, “you’re in America; you don’t have to live by those stupid old rules anymore.”

Shin Lu repeated, “Live? I can’t live, not anymore. My life is over. I took a risk, a gamble, and I lost. I don’t have a life now.”

Tia said, “Shin Lu, listen to me!”

“A quick death is more merciful than a life behind bars. I am sorry, Tia. You’re a good person, a good woman. You tried to help me, but I was bitter and jealous and angry despite your generosity, your concern. You tried, you reached out to me. I-I should have joined hands with you then, Tia. I see that now.”

“It’s not too late,” Tia said.

“Yes, Tia…Ms. McBride, it is.” Shin Lu turned to Denise. “May you live in interesting times.”

With that, Shin Lu jammed the letter opener into her belly. Tia couldn’t help but lurch forward as if the pain were in her own belly, but she recoiled and straightened, clinging to Marcus as Shin Lu gurgled and spat blood. She wrenched the blade upward, her head quivering and dripping with sudden sweat, her gray business suit darkening with the spreading black patch, cutting the blade even higher into her torso before finally cramping forward and falling to the office floor on her side, a low croak leaking out with her last breath.