“So, you gonna tell me what the deal is?” I said to Bloombeck. “I think you owe me that much.” Bloombeck stopped dabbing the blood away from his eyes on his shoulder and snorted. “I don’t owe you a damn thing, Padma. You can go ahead and shoot me, ’cause you’ll be saving me from whatever Saarien will do to me.” “So you knew he was still alive when you came to me last night?” I said, wrapping one of Bloombeck’s belts around his wrists. “I’m done talking to you,” he said. “Just wait until your cop buddy shows up, and we’ll get this over with. I’m a dead man, anyway.” “You don’t know the half of it. You could always try calling her yourself. Suspects who make her life easier usually get lighter treatment.” “Just like you, right?” said Bloombeck. “I dangled that bit of paper in front of you, and you jumped like a squid going for bait.”
