“Truth be told,” Cassidy said, her voice subdued, “I didn’t plan on sharing anything when we first met. The idea dawned on me after you mentioned your vow of silence. I figured, what’s the harm? Wynn thinks this is an unnecessary risk, but I’m the head of this operation, so I have the final say. Regardless, there isn’t much else I wish to share. I welcome whatever you wish to say.”

Gerard adjusted himself out of the slope he had found himself in as he listened and leaned forward to her. This should be easy, he thought.

Despite her claims, she wouldn’t intentionally kill anyone. She had a temper, no doubt, but someone who wanted to kill wouldn’t go to the lengths she had. She wouldn’t take the risks she did. She probably didn’t even need him to convince her. He could tell her to kill Vincent and anybody else and she wouldn’t.

Her entire confession was just a stressed-out young lady trying to get things off her chest.

She wasn’t all that different from the child she spoke with in Sokkinhveim – at least, not in this one respect. All he had to do was guide her to the answer she already held.

“May I ask a question?” he asked.

“Of course.”

“Have you ever wanted to kill people before this?”

“Not seriously.”

“But don’t you run into all sorts of people who deserve death?”

One of her elegant brows hiked up. “You believe that there are people who deserve to die?”

Of course not. He wanted people to live, even if they made mistakes in the past. The longer they live, the more chances they gained to absolve themselves. But he couldn’t say that – he had to keep the focus on her.

“It’s not a matter of my beliefs,” he said, “but of your experiences. Haven’t you met people who some could argue deserve to die?”

“I’m not a murderer,” she said without a flicker of emotion on her face.

“Why not? Why did you decide that it was so important that you aren’t a noble thief without it?”

“I’ve already answered this. I’m not a common criminal. I have rules. I have principles. I have a conscience.”

Easy, sluggish breaths slid in and out of him. There was nothing to fear. “So why are you afraid that you’ll kill Vincent?”

“I hate Vincent. I’ve always hated him.”

“More than the others you’ve gone against?”

“Yes!”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Why? I’m sure you’ve faced people like him before.”

A pained grimace began to flit across her face, but she smoothed it to a composed mask and shut her eyes.

The air conditioner wooshing in warm air enlivened the otherwise dead silent room for a full minute of silence. Then Cassidy lifted her lashes and revealed wide and wild eyes.

“…The others have never struck as close to home as him,” she mumbled. “The others weren’t as cunning. The others weren’t as resourceful. The others weren’t… weren’t the sort to murder random people to prove a point.”

Cassidy’s mask broke as her chin crumbled to her chest. She swiftly drew her hand face and rested her forehead against her palm. Her hand shielded her eyes, but the brief hint of a frown peeked out from her lips.

“Things wouldn’t have devolved as far as they did if I didn’t lose so much control. For instance, if I didn’t allow Sylvia to hear as much as she did, she wouldn’t have fallen into Vincent’s trap. And I wouldn’t have been forced to do all I had to recover.”

“Would killing him give you back control?” Gerard asked.

The air conditioning’s woosh claimed the room once again. Cassidy remained locked in her position, puzzling.

“No.” She straightened in her seat. “There’s something my grandfather told me early into my training. He told me that I’d learn all sorts of things; that I’d gain access to a wealth of power. Then he said that part of mastering power was what I didn’t do with it. He said that sometimes, the value of a choice lies not in what it gives, but in what it costs.”

Wise words. It was what he expected of Edan Cain, based on what she told him. It also explained why he chose to help her, despite his dislike of her criminality. Giving up on her cost too much.

A jolt hit his brain. Cost! The cost of not acknowledging her positives was why he had to!

Vilifying her because she wasn’t perfect wouldn’t help anyone. If anything, the lack of acknowledgment could discourage her from preserving her good qualities. What sort of monster would be born if everyone treated her in a black-and-white fashion?

“The world would lose something special if you chose to kill anyone,” Gerard said. “After all, there aren’t many noble thieves.”

Cassidy blinked twice before tossing him a side-eye.

“I can’t agree with your methods,” he continued, “but I can tell that you’re a compassionate and principled person. I’d be shocked and, frankly, a touch disappointed if you ever lost those qualities. They are things I respect about you.”

Her jaw unhitched a tiny amount while a flush tinged her cheeks red. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

She closed her eyes again and composed herself. However, despite her efforts, a tiny grin slipped out.

“Also,” Gerard said, “thank you for returning The Maker’s Tear.”

The grin grew and added crinkles to her cheek. She bowed her head. “I’m glad to be of service. What’s more, I’ll remain on the lookout for the remaining Tears.”

“Oh,” Gerard said, waving his arms and shaking his head, “you don’t have to!”

The grin stretched wider, revealing her polished teeth. His protests weren’t going to stop her. It wasn’t who she was.

After a short back-and-forth with him trying to convince her anyway, she rose out of the chair to escort him to the door.

“Miss Cassidy,” he said as he pulled himself to his feet, “may I ask you a few more questions?”

She shrugged. “Certainly.”

“Did you figure out if you can trust Lilah?”

Her brows pinched together. “Lilah contacted me via the phone the other day. She claims Crow informed her of our alliance.”

Gerard frowned. Why would the Crow fellow tell Lilah, after saying he’d leave it in Cassidy’s hands? And why did she choose to call Cassidy instead of meeting face-to-face? …It was as if she was countering Cassidy’s ability to investigate. “I’m guessing you’re not trusting her?”

Cassidy heaved a sigh. “I’ve no clue. Yet.”

“And Sylvia? What’s happened to her?”

“I’m meeting with her tomorrow. I’m going to frame the school as an infiltration. I figure she’ll be more receptive if she views it as espionage training.”

Gerard chuckled. It was a cute idea. It didn’t seem like he’d have to worry. But, just in case… “If you ever need help with her, I’m willing to provide what I can.”

Cassidy pursed her lips and raked him with a calculating gaze. “I’ll bear that in mind, thank you. Anyway, I imagine you wish to know about Narcissa now?”

Gerard gulped. Did he? He’d never call himself a fan of hers, but she was still a human being, with pros and cons. She deserved a certain amount of consideration too. “Yes.”

“The news should report her disappearance soon. We stealthily extracted her from her hotel earlier today.”

“Do you know what happened between Narcissa and her sister?” he asked, the question scratching at him. What was the full story? Why did Narcissa treat her sister so poorly? Why did Eliza accept such poor treatment? Cassidy had to know.

“I’ve no clue,” she said with a little shrug. “I haven’t had time to investigate it and it’s not a high priority. Perhaps I’ll ask one of them someday.”

Makes sense, he thought, though his stomach dropped. He’d have to come up with theories or something. Something to scratch the itch.

She asked him if he had any other questions, to which he answered no. Then the two exchanged farewells before he physically left.

Mentally, he remained in the lounge. One last question lingered on his lips, despite answering no. There was no reason to ask; she couldn’t answer. She couldn’t see the future. She couldn’t know if she’d survive the criminal underworld or not.

Conventional wisdom said no. An arrest or death awaited her if she didn’t retire. Then again, she wasn’t a conventional criminal. She was a fox in every sense of the word.

I’ll have to keep track of the news again.

After all, no matter what happened, Cassidy Cain would make headlines.

The Confessions of Cassidy Cain

GRANDMASTER OF THEFT #1

END