Ty turned the handle, and opened the door. A middle-aged woman stepped into the room.
Lock made the introductions, his voice perfectly even. ‘Mrs Mendez, this is Mrs Warner. Your son raped her daughter, and the cartel that was protecting him sent someone to kill her. I figured you’d have quite a lot to talk about.’
Mendez dove for the door, head down. Lock shifted his weight, using the turn of his hips to generate the power to send a crushing elbow into his face. He spun backwards, arms flailing, and landed on the bed. Lock drew a hand gun and pointed it at his head. Miriam Mendez gave a yelp and drew back her hand to strike Lock. Ty raised his weapon and levelled it at her face.
For a moment no one moved. Jan Warner took four steps towards Miriam Mendez and slapped her hard across the face. ‘That’s for Melissa.’
Miriam Mendez put a hand to her cheek, which flushed red. ‘How dare you? I’m a sick woman.’
‘You got that straight,’ muttered Ty.
Mendez grabbed the edge of the bed and tried to haul himself to his feet. Lock pivoted and kicked him hard in the side. ‘Stay where you are, Sparky. We have some more visitors on the way.’ He turned to Jan Warner. ‘You okay?’
She nodded. ‘Yes, thank you.’
‘You can hit her again if you like,’ said Ty, generous to the last. ‘I ain’t gonna say anything.’
Jan shook her head, her eyes shifting back to Miriam Mendez. ‘I just wanted you to know what you’ve done.’
Miriam ignored her. ‘You can’t keep us here,’ she said to Lock. ‘My driver will come back in a moment.’
‘No, he won’t. I guarantee you.’ Lock waved to a seat in the corner of the room. ‘Make yourself comfortable. A sick woman like you shouldn’t be standing.’
Ty opened the interconnecting door and ushered Jan Warner back into the other room. She paused in the doorway, her eyes boring into Mendez before she glanced back to his mother. ‘You might have money, Mrs Mendez, but that’s all you have.’
Miriam Mendez sat down, glaring at Lock. He was beginning to see where her son had got his sullen demeanour from.
‘This is kidnapping,’ she said.
Lock exchanged a look with Ty as he walked back in, closing the door to the other bedroom behind him. ‘You want to explain to Mrs Mendez what the word “irony” means, Tyrone, or shall I?’